Boots

[Unregistered]

My son has reached foot size for adult boots. Noticed price is 3x as much as junior options.

Experienced Parents, how do you handle selection of footwear considering a player is still growing? We are fortunate to have means but are thrifty as well. Our player is on elite team and plays a lot between training and games. Are boots good investment considering amount of use? Do you buy 1/2 size larger?

Thanks for the feedback.

[Unregistered]

Boots

I would not recommend buying them too big this can cause all kinds of issues blisters being the first. if you are wanting to save money buy last years close outs. My son goes threw a pair of boots every season and one during summer season. we just bite the bullet good boots are the only real expense we have every year for soccer and his feet are his tool. I spend the extra money because good boots seem to last longer as well

[Unregistered]

What happens first? Size or wearing out?

Wearing out can be solved by buying better leather that won't tear/separate and replacing the insoles/laces.

Size you have to bite the bullet or buy cheaper shoes or go 2nd hand. Check ebay to sell.

[Unregistered]

My son has reached foot size for adult boots. Noticed price is 3x as much as junior options.

Experienced Parents, how do you handle selection of footwear considering a player is still growing? We are fortunate to have means but are thrifty as well. Our player is on elite team and plays a lot between training and games. Are boots good investment considering amount of use? Do you buy 1/2 size larger?

Thanks for the feedback.

Equipment costs in soccer is far cheaper than most other sports played in America. Considering that boots are THE most important equipment in soccer I would suggest buying the proper size for your child and change them as they grow. In soccer its important to feel the ball. One pair for practice and another for games.

Consider yourself lucky your child is not playing Ice Hockey!

[Unregistered]

What happens first? Size or wearing out?

Wearing out can be solved by buying better leather that won't tear/separate and replacing the insoles/laces.

Size you have to bite the bullet or buy cheaper shoes or go 2nd hand. Check ebay to sell.

My son plays for an elite team as well as his high school team and goes through 3-4 pair of $300 shoes every year. He is very active and even the expensive shoes don't hold up well. We have tried all the major brands and have not found any shoes where either the uppers don't separate from the soles or the soles themselves don't crack.

Anyone with any more successful experience with specific brands?

[Unregistered]

My son plays for an elite team as well as his high school team and goes through 3-4 pair of $300 shoes every year. He is very active and even the expensive shoes don't hold up well. We have tried all the major brands and have not found any shoes where either the uppers don't separate from the soles or the soles themselves don't crack.

Anyone with any more successful experience with specific brands?

Buy him cheaper cleats.

[Unregistered]

Nike Legends if you can find his size. Every pair that my son has he had outgrown before they have worn out. Do your shopping as you can often find them on sale. I assume he is around size 6-7 as that is the transition stage for size normally. Check all the soccer sites. Dicks & Eastbay often have good deals.

[Unregistered]

My child wears out the cleats (the actual cleats) before the leather wares. We buy new cleats each season. We've also tried a variety of brands and types and some ware faster than others. My child likes Nike Tiempos which are relatively inexpensive in terms of boots so we usually buy the current size of the foot and the next size up if they are clearancing the prior model. We typically buy from the local sports shop as opposed to the big box athletic stores because the owner/managers are more inclined to tell you when a new model is coming out and when to expect the older model to be clearanced.

[Unregistered]

My child wears out the cleats (the actual cleats) before the leather wares. We buy new cleats each season. We've also tried a variety of brands and types and some ware faster than others. My child likes Nike Tiempos which are relatively inexpensive in terms of boots so we usually buy the current size of the foot and the next size up if they are clearancing the prior model. We typically buy from the local sports shop as opposed to the big box athletic stores because the owner/managers are more inclined to tell you when a new model is coming out and when to expect the older model to be clearanced.

You need to get your child to stop wearing his/her cleats on concrete - wearing the actual cleats out is near impossible on grass!

[Unregistered]

Buy him cheaper cleats.

Or buy High Price NIKE. Save the receipt and box have them blow out in a short period time and send them back to Nike. Will send you a credit for the shoe price to get a new pair. That should last the year out. Two pair for the price of one.

[Unregistered]

Stay away from Sports Authority, Dicks is not too bad as they will carry some of the better models. What I did do at theses stores is have him try on the shoes for sizing. Then I would buy them on line. Soccer.com seems to have the better prices, especially if you join the gold club. You can also check prodirect.com as well, they have a large selection and their closeout cleats are very cheap. I have never spent over 200.00 until now, because as one poster said, last years models are always on sale. This year he wanted a current model so we bit the bullet and purchased them. Make sure you take the time to do your research to find the best value, not necessarily the lowest price. As far as the shoe itself wearing out, there are a few things you can try to get a couple more months out of them. First, if your son prefers leather make sure you treat the leather to keep them soft. If you don't they will become stiff and start to crack. If the studs themselves start to wear out early, make sure he does not wear them to walk to/from the car. What I have done though, is I have started buying SG cleats for the past two years. He no longer has to worry about the studs wearing down, but if they do, he just changes them out. Also, if he does any training on turf, buy him a cheap pair of flats or turf shoes. We generally buy two pairs a year, one in January and the second in July.

[Unregistered]

I have found that SG shoes make a lot more sense in FL since there really is no FG here. Obviously need another pair when playing on turf.

[Unregistered]

Online shopping

Stay away from Sports Authority, Dicks is not too bad as they will carry some of the better models. What I did do at theses stores is have him try on the shoes for sizing. Then I would buy them on line. Soccer.com seems to have the better prices, especially if you join the gold club. You can also check prodirect.com as well, they have a large selection and their closeout cleats are very cheap. I have never spent over 200.00 until now, because as one poster said, last years models are always on sale. This year he wanted a current model so we bit the bullet and purchased them. Make sure you take the time to do your research to find the best value, not necessarily the lowest price. As far as the shoe itself wearing out, there are a few things you can try to get a couple more months out of them. First, if your son prefers leather make sure you treat the leather to keep them soft. If you don't they will become stiff and start to crack. If the studs themselves start to wear out early, make sure he does not wear them to walk to/from the car. What I have done though, is I have started buying SG cleats for the past two years. He no longer has to worry about the studs wearing down, but if they do, he just changes them out. Also, if he does any training on turf, buy him a cheap pair of flats or turf shoes. We generally buy two pairs a year, one in January and the second in July.

Above post is very accurate. If you shop online stay with the major websites. There are many sites selling fake cleats. Don't expect to buy the latest $200. boot for $80.00. Trust me, I have taken that gamble and gotten burned. Sharing this info so others don't make this mistake. Your local soccer store may cost more but should prevent costly mistakes.

Another option is an ****** Mall area. You can usually find a "last season" boot for much less. I have grabbed a previous season $245. boot for $75.00. in the Orlando area
There are many sites that have reviews, for example http://soccerreviewsforyou.com/
As always do your research to save a few $$
Good luck to the OP.

[Unregistered]

You need to get your child to stop wearing his/her cleats on concrete - wearing the actual cleats out is near impossible on grass!

I wish that was the case but it isnt for us. He runs heavy on the balls of his feet so his front cleats are always gone while his back cleats remain pretty intact. Doesn't matter if they are on the turf or on the grass throughout the season, by the end they're gone.

[Unregistered]

Or buy High Price NIKE. Save the receipt and box have them blow out in a short period time and send them back to Nike. Will send you a credit for the shoe price to get a new pair. That should last the year out. Two pair for the price of one.

Doesn't even have to be high priced. My daughter blew out a pair of $75 cleats in 6 mos, we actually paid about $48 with discounts. Nike sent us a $75 GC.