Soccer Cleats 101 Soccer Cleats News and Reviews
One question I’m frequently asked is “What cleats should I wear?”, followed up with a story of related too sprained ankles, sprained knee ligaments, torn muscles or broken bones. Right now the main focus on the market today isn’t so much injury prevention or protection as it it creating a high performing boot with all the latest tech. There are a few options on the market however that can help reduce the likely hood of injuries.
WEAR THE RIGHT CLEATS
The most important step in finding a pair of cleats to reduce your risk of injuries is choosing a pair to match the surface you are playing on. Wearing firm ground cleats on turf dramatically increases the risk of tearing a ligament in your knees, rolling ankles and it puts more strain on the joints in general. Use turf cleats on turf! I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen guys go down because they were wearing the wrong cleats for the job!
Here is my top 5 list of boots that can help with injury prevention or protection.
5. Pele Trinity for ankle sprain prevention and muscle training
The Tri-stud tech we see in the Trinity and Galileo utilizes the natural movement of the foot and helps prevent inversion injuries, it also helps to train the muscles of the lower limb. As far as protection goes the only form of protection we see in the upper is a pad under the tongue which also adds to comfort. Here is a clip covering the benefits of the award winning stud configuration we see on the Trinity and Galileo. I’ve found that it does supply the benefits that they advertise!
4. Under Armour Spine Blur Carbon for ankle sprain prevention
What makes this boot ideal for injury prevention is the wing located on the lateral side of the boot that help prevent foot roll. Anything to help save the ankles! This feature is also found in the Spine Blur, the mid-tier version. The upper is thin however so they aren’t so great when it comes to protection.
3. Pele Sports Redeemer for knee and ankle sprain prevention and foot protection
Like I said in the intro, getting the correct stud configuration for the surface you are playing on is a critical part in injury prevention. The Redeemer comes in a FG, SG, AG and Turf/HG option making it very much versatile in this regard. That coupled with a solid leather upper with a decent amount of padding makes for a good all round boot when it comes to protection and saving your ankles and knees.
2. Asics Lethal Tigreor for over use injury prevention and protection
The 10mm heel rise may have a bit of an adjustment period but overuse injuries can take a big toll on the body and the 10mm heel rise can help prevent them. It has been proven to reduce stress on the joints and muscles and promote bio-mechanical efficiency. A solid leather upper helps to protect the foot and there are many other features to further decrease the likelihood of injury. Asics have made up a very informative video on how the 10mm heel rise works as well as the process of development. Skip to 7 minutes for the coverage of the 10mm heel rise and the other protection benefits.
1. Concave PT for top of the line foot protection
Though they aren’t in production anymore the Concave PT have to be the best cleats when it comes to injury prevention and protection. That is the main concept behind the boots! They also give additional shooting power in addition to these protection benefits so you are also getting a power boot. Concave have also included a few other features that further add to protection. Unfortunately there are limited sizes available and few sites where they can be found. Ebay, Amazon and a few other online stores still have some in stock.
Honorable Mentions
- Adidas Copa Mundial – Leather upper and low profile studs, tried and true formula. Other similar boots can be considered as well.
- Aspero Classic – Very solid boot, built like a tank with power in mind.
- Bomba Pro – Leather upper with synthetic overlay makes it a very well padded boot. It is also a very solid and reliable turf boot.
Are there any boots that you would use to prevent injuries and protect your feet?
The Umbro Geometras and Puma Powercats are pretty solid. They both have decently thick leather and good traction.
Pele sports 1970 fg and Mizuno wave ignitus II are both amazing and feel very protective
i have to disagree with the trinity 3E being number 5. first off, i own a pair, and have rolled my ankle twice with them while walking on hard ground between fields or getting a ball that was kicked off the field. 2nd, the boot weighs 5.6 ounces. the only protection is on the tongue. ive been stepped on when i had mine on and oh my good it hurt so much, i wish i had my tiempos or ctrs on instead
Thanks for sharing your thoughts about no2 supplement.
Regards