Now that the 2014 2015 football season is over, are you ready to get outside and start playing some soccer of your own? Whether you play as part of a school team, a recreational league, or just in pick-up games with friends, you'll want to make sure you have the proper gear, and one of the first items on your shopping list should be a good pair of football boots (or soccer cleats). Choosing football boots isn't as simple as picking your favorite color, or the cleats worn by your favorite player. This handy guide will help you choose the perfect boots for you!
We have a selection of official, name-brand boots available at Soccer Box, from the Adidas F10 Red football boots, to the Puma Esito Finale FG men's cleat, all the way to the Nike CTR360 Libretto III FG football boots. You can check out our in-house selection, as well as learn more about each boot style, by visiting our online store and stopping by the football boots section.
Football Boot Terms: A Glossary
Before you start shopping for the perfect pair of football boots, you'll need to understand some of the jargon that is typically used to discuss different pieces of soccer footwear. You'll recognize brand names like Puma and Nike, and will sometimes even see a player-branded shoe (like the Messi Adidas boot line), but other terms might be more confusing if you haven't shopped for football cleats in the past.
The most important thing to know about football boot classification is that there are different categories of footwear depending on the style of pitch you will be playing upon. These classifications include letter combinations like "FG," "SG," "AG," and more.
The most common of these classifications-not just at the Soccer Box store, but everywhere-is FG, which stands for "firm ground." Firm ground soccer boots are ideal in most situations because they are versatile. You can play with them on natural grass pitches, but you can also wear them on artificial turf. In other words, when in doubt, go for FG boots. (The Adidas F10 Red football boots, as well as the other Adidas, Nike, and Puma cleats available at Soccer Box, are all FG.)
Of course, you will be the best judge for whether or not your default soccer pitch can be classified as "firm ground" or not. If you don't think it is, you might consider looking for one of these other cleat classifications:
- SG: Soft Ground
- AG: Artificial Ground
- HG: Hard Ground
- IN: Indoor
Know Your Position and Read the Product Description
Beyond knowing the terms associated with soccer cleats, there are really two primary things you can do to make sure that you end up choosing the perfect style and brand for you.
First of all, make sure you know which position you will be playing. Are you an attacker or defender? A midfielder or a winger? Or perhaps you are most interested in playing goalkeeper. Whatever the case, make sure you consider your talents and interests as a player before choosing a pair of soccer cleats. Not all cleats are designed in the same way, and certain design hallmarks work better for some positions than others.
Secondly, make sure you read product descriptions and reviews for football boots before choosing which pair to purchase. These descriptions should provide a number of keywords that should help you decide whether a specific cleat is right for you and the position that you want to play. Different boots can be built for power, speed, control, and other play factors. Watching for those keywords can tell you everything you need to know about a boot's usefulness for your position.
For example, control is incredibly important for midfielders, since such players need to be consistently able to formulate quick and accurate passes. Speed and maneuverability are key for the dexterous work of a winger, while boots emphasizing power will give forwards the added juice they need to propel their shots into the net.
For instance, the Adidas F10 Red football boots available from Soccer Box have been designed "for acceleration, comfort and enhanced traction"-characteristics that will be especially attractive for wingers or goalkeepers.
