Now that your kid is playing soccer, what kind of cleats should you get? You go to the store with your child and see that there are a lot of options. Different colors, different, brands, and different price points. Which one should I choose? Is there a big difference between shoes? Does it make my kid better if they wear one or another? How much should I spend? All these questions run through my head when I take my children the store? Here are some questions that I believe you should ask when purchasing cleats?
Do cleats make a difference?
Yes, they do. I know I had this question in mind when first choosing cleats for my child. First, they are playing a sport where they are constantly running, in the games and in practice. So, a good cleat is helpful. Secondly, they are playing a sport where they are constantly touching the ball with their feet. Good touches on the ball are a really important quality in soccer. Now, am I saying a good cleat will make your child better at soccer? No. However, they will allow your child to run comfortably and maximize the skills they already have.
How old is my child?
This would be my first piece of advice when purchasing cleats. How old is your child? Are they 6 years old or are they 16? A younger player probably does not need the world’s best cleat to compete (although, you can splurge if you want to). A comfortable cleat should work just fine. After all, they are just learning the skills of soccer and the type of cleat will not make a huge difference. As your kids get older and start taking soccer more seriously, a good cleat will make a difference, as they will be playing more, running more, and their touch on the ball will become much more important.
How should the cleat fit my child?
Cleats should have a snug fit on your child. They should be comfortable, but not loose. Your child should feel great running around in them, but they should be tight enough to where they are able to get a good “feel” of the ball on their feet. Some players as they get older even choose to have the cleat a ½ size to small. When I am checking a soccer cleat on my child, I will check the fit a lot more than if they were wearing everyday sneakers.
How much should I spend on a cleat?
This is really a personal preference. I have noticed a lot of companies that make soccer cleats are coming out with the same shoe design at a couple different price ranges. They usually will have a high level ($180+) cleat, a mid-level ($80-$140) cleat, and a lower level ($60 or below) cleat. This is where you need to take a hard look at the level your child is playing at, and how serious soccer is to them. When they are younger a cleat that is not as expensive may be better, but when they are older and playing year-round, a good pair of cleats may be just necessary. I would usually buy the mid-level cleat for my child, until I knew that they were “all in” on soccer. Then I purchased a good high-level cleat for my child for games, and a pair of mid-level cleats for practice.
How long should the cleats last?
Hopefully, they cleats will last a soccer season. However, kids grow, and things happen. I would usually look at the cleats that we had from last season before each season began. If my kid liked them and they still looked fine we would use those. But most of the time we would get another pair.
By no means am I an expert on soccer cleats. These are just my experiences that I have had over the years and questions that I had to research online, ask around about, or do it the wrong way before learning how to do it the right way. Hopefully, this was helpful to you. For a more detailed look at cleats, and the different options, I found this Adidas Soccer article to be helpful, as well as this article from Soccer.com
Good luck with your search for cleats and keep on kicking it!