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3 things to consider when buying football shoes
Football shoes for indoor games are designed entirely differently from outdoor shoes:
Indoor courts have hard surfaces, so the shoes need good cushioning and a durable sole. You'll often see the designation IC or IN, which stands for indoor. The sole is typically made of non-marking rubber that offers excellent grip without leaving marks on the surface.
When it comes to outdoor football, various shoe types are tailored for different surfaces. One thing they all share is having some kind of studs. Depending on whether the shoes are designed for artificial grass, natural grass, or gravel, their construction varies.
Shoes for artificial grass are designed with rounder and shorter studs that provide better grip on surfaces harder than natural grass. The studs are called AG (artificial grass).
Shoes for natural grass have the longest studs and should only be used on real grass surfaces. The term for these studs is FG (firm ground).
Gravel shoes have many small studs to ensure better contact between the foot and the hard gravel surface. This type of shoe can also be used on drier artificial grass pitches where the surface has become hard. Gravel studs are called TF (turf).
Choosing the material for your football shoes is a personal choice. The top priority is comfort, durability, and easy maintenance:
Leather shoes have the advantage of easily moulding to the shape of your foot, which usually makes them very comfortable.
Synthetic shoes are more common and are often more durable and easier to maintain than leather shoes.
Researching and reading reviews, such as the Solesuppliers big guide to football shoes, can be helpful when making a purchase decision for football shoes.
FAQ
While you can technically play with any boot in any position, your movement is different depending on your position, and therefore having boots that play to your position’s needs is always a good idea.
- Goalkeeper: It needs to be comfortable, offer a great strong strike and good traction. SG (soft ground) and FG (firm ground) boots are always a safe bet.
- Central defenders: A solid, durable boot that can handle flying into tackles. It’s a tough position, so boots with a little cushioning can’t go wrong.
- Full backs & wing backs: A lightweight feel with good touch control, while still offering sufficient protection.
- Central midfield: With a lot of direction changes, you need a boot that has excellent traction, aides control but is light enough for you to sprint across the pitch.
- Wide midfield: You’ll be zooming up and down the pitch, so a lightweight shoe with a tiny bit of grip will get you past the defenders.
- Striker: It’s all about agility, speed and power. You need a boot that is light, offers control and power to take shot after shot after shot.
Getting new boots can be a hassle because it always takes a while to make them fit like a glove (in this case a boot). There are a couple of things you can do to make breaking in your new football boots a bit less painful:
- Ease your boots in. Wear them around the garden, for a walk in the park with them, or just walk around the house.
- Wear them in the bath. Yes, that’s right. This helps the boot mould after your foot. Make sure the water isn’t too hot. Fill them with newspaper and dry them naturally.
- Wear them to training before a game. Gradually introduce your new boots by wearing them to training, if you feel any pain, immediately switch to your old ones. Keep doing this and every time you’ll be able to keep them on for a little bit longer.
They stand for what type of pitch the shoe and its studs are designed for. Most leagues have rules and regulations when it comes to studs, so make sure you know them before you buy a new pair of boots.
SG: Soft ground - Metal studs that you screw in.
FG: Firm ground - Moulded, built-in studs that are often shaped like blades.
AG: Artificial grass - Rounded and moulded studs.
HG: Hard ground - Shorter studs but more of them, distributing your weight more evenly.
IN: Indoor - A flat sole with high grip sole that allows quick-paced turns and twists with loads of grip.
If you’re playing regularly, once every season is a good rule of thumb. But if your boots feel fine, don’t have any visible tears and you’re happy with how they perform, keep kicking about in them until you feel it’s time for a change. Just keep in mind that the state of your boots does play a big part in your performance and safety, so make sure they are in good enough shape to keep you playing your best.
There are endless shapes, materials, designs and features for football shoes out there. Knowing what type of pitch you’re playing on, your position and your budget will inform what type of football shoe is best for you.