| Choosing the correct soccer shoes for a player is | | | | on the sole of the shoe. For players experiencing |
| dependent upon matching the type of shoe to the | | | | back, knee or ankle pain during play, a turf shoe will |
| playing surface and field conditions. Some shoes | | | | provide relief by dispersing pressure over the entire |
| perform well in certain conditions while others will not | | | | foot. Unfortunately, turf shoes are virtually useless on |
| perform at all and, in fact, may cause injury. There | | | | a wet field. Grass sticks to the closely placed cleats |
| are three main types of shoes to consider for | | | | thereby providing no traction whatsoever and |
| outdoor soccer. | | | | creating a hazard for the player. |
| Soccer Cleats | | | | Soft Ground Shoes |
| When people say they need soccer shoes, what | | | | Soft Ground soccer shoes are reserved for difficult |
| they actually mean is that they need soccer cleats. | | | | field conditions caused by rain or the most plush field |
| Soccer cleats have twelve or thirteen studs on the | | | | conditions - normally reserved for the nicest of |
| bottom are the foundation of the game and are | | | | professional fields. A soft ground shoe has only six |
| used by more than 95% of players in outdoor | | | | studs on the sole, which allows the shoe to sink into |
| soccer. These shoes are multipurpose and can | | | | the muddy ground for traction. These shoes are |
| perform on both dry and wet fields as well as grass | | | | definitely not recommended for hard ground fields as |
| or synthetic turf fields. The two dominant brands are | | | | the six studs will not support the player and will result |
| Adidas and Nike. Adidas soccer cleats lead the | | | | in potential injury. |
| marketplace in heritage and feature the Predator | | | | Within each of these shoe categories, there are a |
| shoes as their signature cleat. Nike has been a | | | | number of price points available from $20 to $350 |
| relative newcomer to the sport of soccer and | | | | per pair of soccer shoes. A higher price shoe will |
| highlight the Vapor, which are the lightest soccer | | | | integrate better quality materials, workmanship and |
| shoes on the market. | | | | technology. Knowing the playing surface and field |
| Turf Shoes | | | | conditions and blending that with your budget will |
| Turf shoes are mainly designed for play on artificial | | | | prepare you to tackle the field with the best |
| turf surfaces or hard, dry grass fields. The aspect | | | | opportunity to perform. |
| that defines a turf shoe is the small, numerous cleats | | | | |