Soccer Cleats 101 Soccer Cleats News and Reviews
When you are looking for advice on new boots, getting the opinion of a wide variety of players is can be far more beneficial than from just one person. That is why I am cutting my comments on this post short and I am looking for you guys to do something instead.
Basically, all I ask is that you leave a comment below telling us:
Which boots do you recommend most to other players and why?
Real player feedback is the best kind of feedback. So, by taking a few minutes to add your advice, we hope to add a lot of positive value for other players to take advantage of. And I very much appreciate any personal insight you have to offer.
We did this a few years back and it was a fantastic success!
Well, I always say comfort is king. If you are not comfortable in what you are wearing, you CAN’T play your best. Wearing the adidas gloro right now, ones with the wrap around tongue. Such a great boot for their price and are as comfortable as any boot out there.
I personally like the Mecurial and Magista by Nike.. they are light so you barely feel them.. they are pretty durable and easy to strike a ball with. The size runs a little snug and allows minimal stretch so I’d purchase a half size bigger… they have decent durability, more on grass but they allow you to run up and don the flanks with out heavy feet… I’d highly recommend.
DO NOT go with gimmick boots, or think that because a pro endorses a boot and you happen to love that player that his or her boot will work for you.
There are a lot of companies out there that do not have the advertising budget that Nike, adidas, and Puma have, but they make boots just as good if not better than the big three. My two personal favourites are Mizuno and Asics. Made In Japan Mizunos go on a 24 hour last before they are finished, which provides a vastly superior fit to most mass produced boots, and the quality of them speak for themselves. yes, they are pricey, but not much more so than anything else.
Asking teammates how their new boots is also a recipe for trouble. They don't have the same feet as you so why believe the boots they just got will work for you too? If you really want solid advice, go and check with your coach if they've played to a decent level, or your technical director for the same reason. They've played the game a lot longer than you have, and they should have a decent idea of what makes a good boot.
Lastly and as Elliot already stated, go with whats most comfortable, your will wear those boots for 90 minutes frequently, so go with what works best for YOU!
I suppose I am more of a purist. I have, and will always be a wearer of Copas. I recently picked up a pair of the newer Tiempos on sale. The fit was good, and yes they are notably lighter than my trusty Copas. However, after a handful of games, the toe is already pulling away, and I doubt they will last the season. My Copas routinely last 2-3 years, and from the moment I put them on, they fit perfectly. Comfort and durability first.
From a price, performance, durability point of view I'm thankful that the Adidas Gloro 16.1 is still somewhat readily available up here in Canada (and often for about $100 CAD), because that's become my go to recommendation since shortly after its release. It's also fast become my personal go to boot in my bag because for me it has everything I'm looking for in a football boot.
That being said as Elliot said comfort is king. So you need to find out what types of boots the player you're helping out has worn, and what they've thought of them, to best advise them. But no matter the boot which works best for the friend/teammate make sure you get them scouring the sales, because there's no reason to pay full price when last weeks colourway is available for a substantial discount.
hi guys I write from Italy! First of all I must say THANK YOU BRYAN for all the great reviews!
As for shoes : if you want to perform the best, you should use the same boots during trainings and matches. You have to be used to those shoes, knowing perfectly how they respond to your movements, with and without the ball! That said, I agree that you need comfortable boots, so don't look at the color or the design, you should chose in a lightless room! If you want to have different pairs between training and matches (you could have some different stud configurations or other reasons) remember not to buy the cheapest boots : you will train more often and longer than you play games! Another thing I have learned quite recently is to buy great socks (and maybe sport insoles if your boot is "slim" like a copa) : why do you have to train and play in cheap 5€ team socks when you have 200€ boots? You don't need Trusox, just buy a good padded sport sock!
Again, great site! Greetings from Venice
My advice is Mizuno Morelia NEO…
KL, amazing fit, comfort and low weight
My opinion are focussing3 critical point areas : fit , comfort and touch…the best boot for you is always what fit you really precisely , all manufacturig and branded boot can simply produce as much design they can but in the end the people like us are determining which is best suited to our personal fit either narrow , flat or wide footed ..next us comfort ..cant be achieved completely until you can break in soccer cleat perfectly especially leather variation..nowadays most brand especially puma and under armour are focussing really next to nothing in break in new soccer shoes..it is most attracting aspect in a player or people who try on and simply found the most inevitably kind of aspect are how pliable thus irrestible soft and comfortable in give unforgettable first impression of the boot..lastly touch….this is the key area every kind of technology and research by designer all big branded are focussing for..how different the football boot in the past how differ in idea technology concept or marketing gimmick , clinical research to be proven player satisfaction , player needs , mental edges that truly benefecial in aid player mindset how to make soccer cleat as an enjoyable tool to play
A Little biased here but I will echo others comments in saying that you cannot go wrong with Mizuno's Made In Japan line. Quality, comfort and fit are all exceptional in every Made in Japan boot. The Morelia IIs in particular are an excellent go-to boot. They never make any crazy changes and every update serves to make the boot better – "Kaizen" which is Japanese for "continual improvement" is a word which Mizuno adheres to.
Outside of those I would say stick with K-leather. It is still the only material that provides a custom fit for your foot as synthetics – even knit boots – are based on a mold that is rarely the shape of your foot and will rarely form to your foot.
Lastly – and probably most importantly – comfort and performance don't happen unless the fit is right. I cannot stress this enough. In over 10 years of working soccer retail and selling boots the biggest issues people have with their boots have almost always come from a poor fit.
And lastly – don't believe the hype. Just because its marketed the most doesn't make it the way to go.
Personally I have owned many cleats the majority of which are from Nike and adidas. I was a fan of the predators growing up until I moved into the ctr360. The last version may still be my favorite cleat of all time minus the durability issues. I have found when I am confident in my touch while being comfortable then I am not concerned with what is on my feet. That being said the tiempos legend has been my favorite cleat over the past few years wearing the legend 4-6. Have owned the Nike premier as well and loved them. Looking forward to when I move into the tiempo 7 and to try the premier 2's. the mercurial vapor has always been a great looking clear line, but they never give me the same amount of comfort as the soft cleats.
Wearing the same Nike Mercurial boots i have been for 2 years… my main strengths are probably my speed and for a centre back i know this choice is a little odd.
However, the comfort of wearing them and not worrying about any drag and the natural fit to my feet means it offers me what I like.
For my next boots i'm looking at the Tiempo or after reading one of your articles, the Magista, but i just can't get over the Mercurial… they just fit so comfortably.
I looked at Adidas and had some a few years back but my personal opinion is that they are heavier… definitely more cushioning but that adds to the weight of the boot itself.
I can't look past Nike as they're my preferred brand and have been for a long time… hope this helps.
No matter what they come out with, nothing has ever been better than kangaroo leather.
I have a wide foot problem.. so tiempo has been my best boots all these years.
I just came back home after trying the tiempo 7, it feels right around my forefoot..
dunno should buy or not?