Nothing impacts your game quite like your soccer shoes

Score the right pair of shoes for your style of play.

Let's face it, soccer just doesn't require us to wear a lot of equipment ... so if you're going to splurge on soccer supplies, footwear is definitely the one place you want to get this right!

Your shoes are so important in soccer.  It governs your touch on the ball, it controls the comfort of your feet as you run.  In fact, having the right pair of cleats for the right surface of play can even help prevent injuries.

What kind of soccer shoes do you need?

The best way to start making decisions on what type of soccer cleats you need is by figuring out what type of surface (or soccer field) you play on ... and perhaps guaging the weather you'll play in.  This will help you figure out what type of traction you'll need underneath your feet, and what type of cleats you should be looking at:

Firm Ground Cleats

90% of us fall into this category.  These are shoes with molded rubber cleats on the bottom.  They increase traction on a firm grass playing surface, without sacrificing safety.  Molded rubber cleats are recommended in the majority of youth leagues in the US.

Soft Ground Cleats

These cleats are often referred to as 'screw-ins' because the soles have studs that can be removed and interchanged with a key.  They are recommended for improved traction on soft and wet playing fields, but often aren't comfortable when used on harder playing surfaces.

Turf Shoes

Turf shoes are recommended for artificial or very hard surfaces.  If you're going to be playing on astroturf, field turf, or rock-hard grass surfaces, this is your shoe.

Indoor Shoes

Whether you're going to be playing in an indoor facility or just want to walk around town saying "I play soccer," indoor shoes are what you're looking for.

After finding the right "type" of shoe, comfort should be your number one concern.  If your feet are uncomfortable, it doesn't matter how good your shoes look or how great the spin on the ball is, you probably aren't going to play well.  Make sure that the shoes you buy are comfortable and have a good fit.

What's a good fit?  A good fitting soccer shoe should be snug on both the heel and toe of the foot.  Depending on the leather, many players will even buy a half size smaller than normal shoes to let the shoe "expand" around their foot.  Unless you're buying a soft leather (like kangaroo leather) - don't follow this approach.  If you're buying a synthetic or harder leather, buy a shoe that is going to fit comfortably.  What you want to avoid is buying the shoe too big.  It can be very tough to kick a ball accurately when the front of your shoe reaches out well past your longest toe.

If you're buying cleats for a child who's growing like a weed, then you probably don't want to buy "too snug."  The snugness is to prevent the foot from sliding about inside the shoe when running and helping with touch on the ball, but we've seen a lot of young players overcome big shoes with an extra pair of socks.

What about buying online?  How do you test out a good fit?  This is a tough one, as everyone has a different preference.  If you have no idea what you like, or you don't have the patience to play the waiting game for your soccer shoes, then you might want to start trying on a few pairs of shoes before you begin shopping online for your soccer cleats.  Try a sporting goods store, try a friends pair of cleats.  Get to know exactly what you want before you click "buy now." 

If you know exactly what you want, or maybe are looking for a specific color or hard to get size, or if you've just got your eye on that one boot that you can't get ahold of at the local sporting goods store, then shopping online for soccer shoes is exactly what you need!  You can find ANYTHING, and have it shipped to arrive as early as tomorrow!

If you're not sure about sizing, most companies online understand that buying shoes via the mail is an imperfect science and are willing to work with you to make sure that you're happy with the product.  You may end up paying a small shipping fee to get your cleats exchanged for the right size, but most merchants appreciate your business and some will even send the replacement pair free of shipping charges.