Soccer Cleats 101 Soccer Cleats News and Reviews
Street Soccer is any informal variety of association football/soccer. The idea of it is to provide a different spin on the traditional game, and it can help improve your skills in a variety of ways. Unlike the name leads you to believe, it doesn’t have to be played in the street. As with all different variations, the qualities and characteristics of the game make for certain boots that are ideal for the sport. Whether it be the crossbar challenge or some good old soccer tennis, find out what footwear to wear to what.
Remember that these are just recommendations about what footwear to wear. Player preferences vary and you may find that one boot is better for yourself. Also remember to watch out for traffic while playing in the street!
Soccer Tennis – A practice that is becoming increasingly popular, soccer tennis is a game that is a mix of… you guessed it… soccer and tennis! It is commonly known as foottennis and it is a game where two teams (one or more players) kick a ball over the net back and forth. Sort of like tennis or table tennis with your feet and a soccer ball. The great thing about soccer tennis is that it is so simple- just grab a friend, draw a line, and play! Unless you are looking to play barefoot, the go-to option for soccer tennis is the Adidas Mundial Goal. This boot is the indoor version of the legendary Copa Mundial and its thick leather upper is great for volleying back and forth. Also, the leather is nice and comfortable so you won’t be blistering after a short match. So grab a friend, draw a line, and pick a pair of the Adidas Mundial Goal at soccer.com for $94.99.
5v5 Pick Up – Good old 5v5 pickup or 5 a side soccer. It can be played almost anywhere- turf, indoor, even someone’s backyard. It is a fast paced game where both teams are trying to rack up the goals. This is a game where you want to show off your skill with dazzling moves and tricks so complex they leave your opponent wondering what happened. The most suitable boot for this sport is the Nike 247 Elastico Finale. It features a snug and breathable upper that features Nike Skin upper to increase control. Also, if all else fails you will go down in style! The purple/volt/electric green is a bold design that looks great on whatever surface you plan to play on.
Keepie Uppies – The ultimate test of ball control. Keeping up a single ball between a group of friends is harder than it sounds! And if you master that, you can even try it with a tennis ball. Yes, that little green ball that measure a little more than 3 inches across! The most important factor for your boots is how even the upper is. You want an uniform surface so that there is a clean strike when the ball hits your foot. For keepie uppies, you are going to want to lace up the Nike 247 Lunar Gato. It has a wrap around leather upper that will provide a great surface when juggling with.
Panna Match/Nutmeg Rush – Probably a variation that you have never heard of… the panna match is a game between two or more players in which one tries to nutmeg (pass the ball through the other’s legs) the other. A player wins when he successfully passes through the other players legs and retrieves it on the other side. This is perfect for all of you who like embarrassing other players on the pitch by megging them! For this game, you definitely want something bright, light, and bold. The Bright Yellow Puma evoSPEED Star II fits the profile. Weighing in at 9.0 ounces for a size 9 us mens, these won’t weigh you down as you do all the fancy moves that dazzle your opposition. And be seen! The bright yellow will stun the opponent that dare glances as your feet!
FootGolf – Although I haven’t been able to try this sport, Bryan has been hitting hole in ones and nailing long putts on the West Coast of the US. Even though you have to sport some old English attire, it is an exciting experience that provides a delightful twist on the traditional sport. This is a trickier sport to pick boots for, as most FootGolf courses only allow turf and indoor boots. Bryan’s choice of footwear for this sport is the Munich Gresca Indoor. He found that they are great for striking long balls and the sole is ideal for grass. There is also a FootGolf specific ball that you can use, if you choose not to use your own regular ball. Bryan recommends the Senda FootGolf Match Ball for the ball of choice. Read more about Senda’s match ball in Bryan’s comprehensive review.
Crossbar Challenge – A variation that is quite popular, the crossbar challenge consists of players competing to hit the crossbar first. It can be a nerve racking game that can become quite challenging at long distances. Accuracy is key and the Warrior Futsal Thrust has silicone rings on the upper to increase accuracy. It acts as a mix between a control and power element and there should be no issue with nailing the crossbar in these. You can find them at soccer.com for $69.99.
Goalie Wars – Two teams. Two goalies. Whichever team has scored the most goals after a certain time period is the winner. It is one of the most fun games I have played and it involves a great deal of skill. You need to be able to shoot and save goals! When a keeper gets scored the next in line is in, and if you aren’t careful, the other team will have scored before your goalie has even stepped up. With this sport the focus is on saving and shooting, so you want a boot that will provide excellent traction and a solid striking surface. The Pele Radium is the ideal boot for goalie wars because of its great rubber traction and solid upper.
What boots do you wear for these different variations? Let us know in the comments below!
So according to this article one should drop around 700 bucks on shoes in order to play all these different games?
So much for "the peoples sport!" lol…
You're being a little silly here, aren't you? The author was mentioning which boot he thought fit each of these games the best, not advocating that we go out and buy each and every one of them. The purpose of this article was to highlight a few indoor games and some of the different indoor boots out there, not to convince players to buy each boot on that list. Any of the boots will do for all the games, but Ethan's descriptions will help you pick the one that best augments your skills. Heck if you wanted, you could play wearing tennis shoes or barefoot.
Also, for what it's worth, I could imagine you could get these boots for far less than $700.
Hey Matthew,
Following up on Shyam's point… I want to illustrate the idea that these are the boots that I believe are best for these various alternates. However, I'm not saying that you can only wear these certain boots for these, because any regular tennis shoe would work. Think of it as "boots by position". Do you need a specific defender boot when you switch from an attacking role to one on the opposite end of the field? No, but perhaps the defender boot is a little more suitable towards that position's demands and needs.
Hope that helps,
Ethan
I love the lunar gato 2 but they have some serious durability issues, the rough sandpaper material right on the sweet spot started to peel off on both feet after one game. the leather is great though.