Turf Shoes & Cleats

[Shu's Daddy]

So now that Shu is heading to high school and her foot is no longer growing, I'm willing to spend a bit more money on shoes. Anybody like a particular outdoor turf shoe better than any other outdoor turf shoe? How bout cleats? I know when I played, way back in the early 80's, the "in" thing was the screw in cleats. Now they make cleats out of kagaroo skin or whatever. Someone educate me please!!!!

[Anon y mous]

Never skimp on the boots

My DD has always liked the top end of the Adidas Predator line of cleats, for grass or turf. I generally shy away from buying expensive things for kids that they are just plain going to abuse, but it's football (soccer) after all so no sense skimping on the boots. She's had the kangaroo and good old cow, either have been fine. They protect well, feel good, are pretty tough and once they are on her feet and cinched down, she doesn't have to think about them and concentrates on the ball. Compared to how darned expensive club soccer is, they almost seem like a bargain. Find somebody who can get them for you at the employee store.

[Shu's Daddy]

Yeah, my thinking is generally the same... don't waste the money, but now that she's getting older, I figure it's time to spend a little more on the shoes.

[thebes20]

My son, who is in college now, went though so many cleats, I would hate to tally up the cost over the years. None of them made a difference in the way he played. I'll just tell you a couple of things to think about. When he was growing up the selection and cost was all about the same. (Meaning from about $30. to $90. I did not buy cheap boots, he played too much. I usually bought an upper end brand. When the price really took off, in the early 2000's I sprung for a top of the line really soft kangeroo boot. (About $180 back then). The selling point being, the shoe was so light that it could not help but increase his speed. I fell for it. A trainer I knew looked at them one afternoon when he was breaking them in and said, "better hope you do not get your foot stepped on". He was right. The leather was so soft, that he really had no protection at all, and the speed thing was a joke. He ended up going back to the standard black copas. Not fancy, but always a good choice.
Another thing, is always travel with a couple or even 3 pairs. If your child really finds a pair and brand that they love and feel comfortable in, then either buy two, or buy another pair before the first one wears out. Rainy tournaments take a toll on boots and having a back up pair in the bag is a really good idea. I do not care how many newspapers you stuff in them, they are still wet the next day. AND, you also never know when some idiot kid on your team shows up at the field to play with no cleats. We tried the "back up" screw in cleat idea for a while, for different ground conditions, but found the downside for him was that they dug into the ground too much and he would lose his footing. Screw ins are susposed to enable you to turn quicker, my son, did turn quickly, but then fell over. Maybe it was him, the fact he wasn't used to playing in them, but he did not like them, and never used them after a couple of attempts.
Also don't buy a new pair before a big tournament. I remember going to southern regionals with a team, that I swear over half of the player, at least the starters came with new cleats. Now, they were too old, U18, and should have known better, but after the first game, the blisters were really having an effect on the game. It seemed like five of the starters were hobbling around on the field. Maybe the first time I have ever known parents, when asked why the team did not win, not say "the refs"!, but say in unison "blisters".
A funny aside in regards to this topic, is that my son always bought his boots tight. One of his first coaches that he admired said, that they gave him a better feel for the ball. (This guy played on the top level for a time), and while I think it was just an off handed comment he made on the field one day, and not a recommendation, my son remembered. I have no clue if that comment had or has any merit, but my son never varied, and he wore his cleats tight, real tight, for years. (Probably the reason we went though so many). Anyway, today the top part of of every toe is growing sideways. I think if he had worn a pair of cleats that were actually his size, he would probably be an 11 instead of a 10.

[Shu's Daddy]

thebes20 - thanks for the info! Good to see you hangin around this forum :)~