Soccer Cleats 101 Soccer Cleats News and Reviews
Name: Chris Loftus
Position: Forward
Team History: Duke University 03-06,
New England Revolution 07-08,
Limhamn Bunkeflo (Sweden) Current
Cleat size: 12
Sneaker size: 13
Preferred cleat? Adidas Predator
In one sentence why? I like to Adidas Predator because it fits my foot best and is a comfortable cleat.
Chris, thanks for taking the time to share advice with our readers.
First, What do you look for when choosing a cleat?
I have very narrow feet so Adidas shoes have always fit me best. The first and most important thing for me when having a cleat is comfort. I also like the end of the shoe near the toe to be more narrow and pointed like the end of a foot so that I can feel the ball. I’ve found that many shoes like Nike are wide and rounded so it makes it harder to feel the ball. I also prefer leather shoes as opposed to the synthetic shoes because I feel that the leather molds and forms to your foot better. I’ve also always been a fan of black shoes, but having a comfortable shoe that you can feel the ball and
have a good touch with is most important.
How much would you pay for the ‘perfect’ pair of cleats? $200
From your experience, what advice would you give to people choosing new cleat?
I think it’s always important to have at least one pair of cleats for hard grounds and at least one for soft grounds. What I do when I first get a pair of cleats is to put them on and wear them in the shower. Once they have gotten really wet I wear them around for about 20-30 minutes so that the leather has a chance to stretch and mold to my foot. Alot of players don’t break in their soft grounds until the first time they wear them. This can cause blisters and also hinder your touch on the ball. This shower technique has always worked for me. In terms of taking care of your cleats…if they do get wet make sure to leave them out to dry so that the stitching in the leather doesn’t get too lose. Sometimes I will put newspaper
inside of them to dry them out. Most importantly though when buying a shoe is to buy the one that feels most comfortable.
Finally, are there any other tips you would like to give our readers?
Whenever I get a cleat I usually have it one size smaller than my regular shoes. I do this because it
helps me feel the ball better. I’ve found that when the cleats get wet, especially leather cleats, they will stretch a little.
I would like to personally extend a huge “thank you” to Chris for taking time out of his busy professional schedule to supply great advice for other soccer players!!
