Soccer Shoes

 

Shopping for the right soccer shoes can make or break your next soccer match, as they have a significant impact on how you perform in different conditions.

But as you’re shopping for new soccer shoes, there can be confusion surrounding the type of cleat to get. Your decision should be directly related to the surface where you’re more likely to practice soccer.

There are different types of soccer cleats that you can choose from, so what is the difference between SG and FG shoes? And in addition, should you stick to one pair or alternate between both kinds depending on the circumstances? Keep on reading to find the answers to these questions.

What are Soccer Cleats?

To start at a very basic level, soccer cleats refer to the footwear worn by soccer players and compared to regular sports sneakers, any cleats get their name for the small protrusions on the shoe’s bottom, which are also known as studs. These provide traction when the players are running around the field to minimize slipping and protect players from serious injuries.

Over the past decades, soccer cleats have come a long way. Their main purpose is to stabilize players as they change direction suddenly when running after the ball or accelerating past an opponent.

Soccer cleats become especially important when the weather conditions get more challenging, like in the case of sudden rain or an unexpected frost. Wearing cleats will support the player’s feet and help them move confidently.

The studs dig into the ground, whether the ground is muddy, hard, slippery, or dry. As a result, regardless of the challenging conditions, players can avoid serious injuries and falls. The protrusions provide a better grip and increase the friction against the ground, regardless of the challenging conditions.

What is the Difference Between SG and FG Soccer Cleats?

The main difference between SG and FG soccer cleats lies in the different outsoles, as they’re designed for different playing surfaces.

Soft Ground (SG) Cleats

SG or Soft Ground cleats feature an outsole with screwed-in removable metal studs. They’re designed to be used in wet grass fields, especially after rain.

In most cases, professional players will prefer to use soft ground cleats, as their pitches are usually better treated. However, some amateur players will also buy these cleats if they’re likely to play soccer on wet pitches.

Since professional players are more likely to play their games on soft ground fields, they will need to buy these special cleats to provide an adequate level of stability and control.

These soft fields usually have a layer of gravel and sand that provides the right level of cushioning. On top of this layer, there’s a layer of grass, which should be regularly watered and fertilized to maintain its condition.

If you’re an amateur player, you might need a pair of SG cleats if you play soccer on muddy fields. These pitches become too soft when it rains, and you need the unique studs to provide the needed stability.

Compared to FG cleats, SG cleats are slightly heavier. This is due to the presence of the metal studs on the outsole. However, the difference in weight isn’t that significant.

Since the studs are screwed in, you can remove some of the metal studs and replace them with softer plastic studs if you don’t need that much traction. These cleats aren’t recommended for use on artificial grass.

Firm Ground (FG) Cleats

FG or Firm Ground cleats feature an outsole that should be used on dry natural grass pitches, where the surface is more rigid and drier. There are plastic protrusions on the outsole, but they’re not strong enough to penetrate the surface.

These cleats are more versatile and can work in wet and dry conditions. Most amateur players will choose a pair of FG cleats because they’re more likely to work on a hard soccer pitch. The pitch is also easier to maintain than a soft ground field.

Although FG cleats work for multiple surfaces, they’re not suitable for playing soccer on artificial grass. As a matter of fact, they can cause a severe injury in case of a slip.

Unlike SG cleats, these ones don’t have metal studs on the outsole, so they might feel a little more comfortable and easier to maneuver, especially for amateur players.

What if You Play Soccer on Multiple Surfaces?

This is the situation that most of us face, as long as you’re not playing soccer professionally. If you’re usually playing on multiple fields, you should invest your money in a high-quality pair of FG cleats.

These can provide good traction on both soft and hard surfaces to provide a decent grip and protect you from accidentally slipping as you suddenly change your direction when you’re running across the field.

Do You Have to Wear Cleats if You’re Playing Soccer?

Surprisingly, the answer is no. There’s no official requirement to wear cleats while playing soccer.

The rule is that players should wear footwear, but there’s no law that names cleats as the only accepted footwear for professional or amateur soccer games. This means that even a professional soccer player can take part in a professional game even if they have forgotten, misplaced, damaged, or lost their cleats.

However, wearing cleats will significantly impact each player’s performance and accordingly affect how the game progresses. Cleats provide the needed stability, especially on wet ground where there’s a higher chance of slipping.

As a matter of fact, in rainy weather or if you’re playing a game on soft and wet ground, there’s a little chance that you can master your moves and become a better soccer player wearing turf shoes or indoor shoes.

Wrap Up

Cleats provide the needed stability on a soccer pitch, whether you’re an amateur or a professional player. The difference between SG and FG cleats refers to the difference in the pitch where you’re more likely going to play your soccer games.

SG cleats are more suitable for professional players, although some amateurs might need them. However, FG cleats are more versatile and should definitely be on your list if you want to enjoy a longer game of soccer without the risk of accidentally slipping.

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Finding a pair of good shoes isn’t always the easiest task, and the difficulty level increases exponentially as you look for a decent pair of sports shoes. Also, good quality doesn’t necessarily come cheap.

That’s why many of us have favorite shoes that we like to use for multiple activities. Sometimes this works, like a nice pair of tennis shoes which can be great for a jog or a bike ride. But can you wear indoor soccer shoes on turf? Let’s take a look.

How Is a Soccer Turf Different from Grass and Floors?

Turf is a special type of ground that many people confuse with artificial grass, but it’s not. It’s a rubber base that’s designed to have a rough texture and a bit of elasticity. It’s rather thin though, and that comes as a surprise for first-time users.

It’s also worth mentioning that indoor soccer can also be played on hardwood floors, and another variant is the cement floor usually found in playgrounds. In certain areas these are the predominant surfaces that players play on.

Running on soccer turf requires durable footwear with good traction and high grip. On the other hand, it’s best to use flexible shoes that provide traction on hard floors. And since they aren’t subject to the roughness of the turf, they could be made from various materials.

The common aspect between hard floors and turf is that both become slippery when they get wet. A little rain would make the field feel like playing ice hockey instead of soccer.

The Differences Between Indoor Shoes and Turf Soccer Shoes

Footwear comes in a wide variety of designs to accommodate the various floor types and sports requirements. There are usually two letters on each model to summarize its best usage. For example:

• IN: Indoor soccer shoes
• FG: Firm ground grass
• SG: Soft ground grass, also, wet or soggy ground
• HG: Hard ground
• AG: Artificial ground
• AT: Astroturf, or simply turf soccer shoes

Indoor soccer shoes are often flat with rubber soles. These shoes often have parallel striations or grooves. This setup provides high flexibility, dependable grip, and helpful traction.

Contrary to that, turf soccer shoes are characterized by pointy dimples in their soles, which provide a better footing for the player. And they’re often made from a rugged material that can handle the aggressive material of the turf.

Generally speaking, top of the line indoor soccer shoes can be quite expensive, while turf shoes often come in at a lower price. There are exceptions, of course, and budget-friendly options are always available for any product, as well as high-end brands with tons of bells and whistles.

So Can You Wear Indoor Soccer Shoes on Turf?

In theory, any sports shoe can be used anywhere. However, in reality, this couldn’t be further from the truth. Wearing the wrong shoe would be uncomfortable, inefficient, and potentially dangerous.

Using an indoor soccer shoe out on the turf would be a bit hard for the following reasons:

• The absence of the dimples and protrusions that characterize turf shoes makes indoor soccer shoes quite unstable on the turf.
• It would be extremely hard to stop, change direction, and stay balanced.
• Repeated bumps and falls on the semi-hard turf has the potential to cause serious injuries.
• The grip and traction of indoor soccer shoes are rather useless on the turf.
• Indoor shoes are often made from soft leather, which can be damaged very quickly by the aggressive turf.

How to Choose the Right Soccer Shoe?

First of all, you need to specify the intended usage to be able to buy the right soccer shoes. As we saw in the previous discussion, every type of floor has its own specific requirements. If you can spot the two letters that serve as a guide to optimal usage, then you can look for the attributes that best serve your intent.

Next, you should look for a shoe that feels comfortable, fits well, provides perfect support for your whole body, and endures the rough grounds well. If it looks good as well, then that would be great.

In Conclusion

Always buy footwear that suits the activity you’re doing, and the environment around you. But don’t let the glam look of some big-name brands lure you into buying something that you won’t need.

And more importantly, avoid buying a pair that doesn’t feel as good as it looks. Gimmicks are the name of the game when it comes to athletic wear, but smart shoppers know better than that.

And speaking of smart, wearing turf soccer shoes on an artificial grass field is a wise choice, as they have similar attributes. But wearing indoor soccer shoes on turf might not be just as clever.

Soccer cleats, whether purchased for yourself or for someone else, can be a challenging proposition.

As with any shoe you want to make sure you choose the appropriate size for the activity at hand. And soccer shoes bring with them some specific requirements for optimal performance.

In fact, soccer cleats should be worn differently from even your running shoes. This article will take a look at the reasons why.

Most types of soccer shoes, both outdoor, indoor and even turf, are meant to have a little room in them, especially when you are younger.

And most people like to have a little room in their shoes. And something like winter boots should be worn at least half size bigger than normal because you want room for thick socks with a little extra room.

Take a look at the reviews of the best-selling soccer cleats to see how they size up

How Should Soccer Cleats Fit: Tight or Loose?

When buying soccer cleats, in contrast to other types of shoes, you want to make sure that they fit very snug.

This means buying cleats a half size smaller than what you normally wear.

For example, if you normally wear a size 10, then you would buy a size 9 ½ for your soccer cleats.

You want to have snug fitting soccer boots for several reasons.

For one, the shoes will stretch some and form to your foot no matter if the material is synthetic or leather.

Your big toes should be right up against the material of the cleat. This will most likely feel a little different at first but remember that the material will stretch some once you wear it a few times.

Do Soccer Cleats Run Small or Large?

Each shoe company makes cleats a slightly different size and fit.

Some cleats by top soccer brands can run smaller or larger than normal.

(As a general rule of thumb, Nike shoes often are said to run small while Adidas is more often true to size or even slightly large, but as with any generalization you need to figure out which cleat type fits you the best.)

And also, importantly, it’s not just small or large but also how tight or narrow the shoes are that determines the best fit for your foot.

So it’s not as simple of a question of how much wiggle room your toes have.

Overall, however, the less the amount of material and room in your shoe the better.

You don’t want your foot to be super squished in or to feel pain after a soccer game, and sizing down just a half size should not do this.

Wearing slightly smaller soccer shoes has plenty of benefits on the field as well, such as allowing you to feel the touch of the ball better.

This helps in areas as diverse as dribbling the ball, receiving a pass, and properly weighting your passes to teammates.

So next time you’re out shopping for cleats, always remember: think a half size small!

And remember to wear your actual soccer socks when you’re trying on shoes so that you aren’t getting an inaccurate feel compared to what you’ll actually experience on the field.

Also, be sure to put on any ankle socks or other double pair if you choose to wear them, although often this is done to avoid blisters or to make an ill-fitting pair fit better, so getting properly sized soccer shoes may remove the need.

Still, some players may still prefer to wear a double pair for a particular reason.

What size do you prefer for your soccer shoes compared to your other pairs? And have you found any particular soccer cleat brands sizing differently than others?

Read more reviews of the most popular soccer cleats on the market to see how they size up

 

 

 

 

These days, shoes are getting more and more expensive. Each brand is constantly trying to out-do each other with exciting new styles and designs. Soccer cleats tend to be one of the more expensive sports shoes to buy, with top of the line cleats at around $200 or higher. Does shelling out the extra dollars for these expensive soccer cleats actually help you play better?

Soccer cleats are increasing in price mainly because they are on the cutting edge of style and design. Overall, today’s cleats are made lighter and with better materials. But is an ounce or two difference really going make or break your speed? I do not think so.

Is better material really going to help you receive and strike the ball better? It may make some difference, but you still need to strike the ball fundamentally and no cleat can teach you how to do that.

So are the cheapest soccer cleats the answer? Not necessarily.

The cheapest cleats are made poorly and feel more cumbersome. They often look like the expensive soccer cleats, but are not made with the same material and quality. They often do not have a quality feel to them and might even fall apart on you before very long. Choosing the absolute cheapest cleats won’t save you money in the long run if you need to pick up another pair later in the same season.

Mid-level soccer cleats, then, give you higher quality material with a more reasonable price tag. They are more similar the high end soccer cleats than the cheapest ones. The soles seem to be slightly different at times, but the material used is of high quality.

There are also a variety of mid-level cleats so you can select one that is suited to your preferences. If your budget allows, I would recommend going with the mid-level cleats that are in the price range of $100-$150. If you are still growing and buying youth cleats, then you may have to get new shoes every year, so factor that in to your price calculations. Same if you need to get shoes for multiple environments, like turf shoes or indoor shoes.

You can browse some popular soccer shoes at different price points here.

Overall, fancy expensive shoes aren’t going to magically change your level of play all by themselves. No matter what you have on your feet, you still need to be able to perform the fundamental skills of soccer. The best soccer player in the world could wear the cheapest soccer cleats and still be the best. It does not matter what you wear, but rather how you perform.

Also, instead of obsessing over the materials or price tag, focus your energy on ensuring that your soccer shoes correctly fit your foot, a factor that does make a big difference.