Get Your Child Geared Up With the Best Kids Soccer Cleats

Buying Guide: Kids Soccer Cleats

Soccer is a fun game, and it’s one of the first sports that many people are introduced to. If you want to start your child off on the right foot when it comes to playing fútbol (the Spanish word for soccer), they’ll need a good pair of cleats. A solid pair of kids soccer cleats will allow them to move around the field freely and easily, scoring goals and dribbling past defenders as if it was nothing.

While it’s great to see your child having fun and expressing themselves on the field in their new cleats, what’s not great is being bogged down by the countless — and confusing — options currently being sold on the online marketplace. To help make your life easier, here’s everything you’ll need to know about kids soccer cleats in 2024.

What Are Soccer Cleats?

For those who don’t have an inkling as to what cleats are, they’re essentially footwear designed specifically for playing sports like soccer. Cleats are worn much like shoes or sneakers, but they separate themselves from traditional footwear with the spikes/studs and molds found on the bottom of their soles. These spikes offer soccer players increased agility, allowing them to be precise with their movement as they run around the field.

The reason why soccer cleats are a necessity has to do with the terrain that soccer is played on. Soil isn’t like concrete or hardwood — it’s much softer, and you can dislodge the soil if you run on it hard enough. If the soil is wet, you can very easily slip and fall due to a lack of friction and stability that would otherwise keep you upright as you run.

Because of this, soccer players wear cleats to overcome the natural tendencies of soil. With the help of their spikes, cleats create traction and friction as soccer players run — they can make quick turns and abrupt stops without the soil getting in their way, as the spikes essentially dig into the soil as they move around. It’s a little more complicated than this, but that’s a bare-bones explanation of how soccer cleats work.

Why You Should Get Soccer Cleats for Your Child

They keep your child safe

Have you ever tried running over wet soil before? It’s not fun. Other than the fact that mud will get all over your shoes, you’ll likely feel like you don’t have solid footing — one mistake can easily cause you to slip and fall, which can result in a serious injury if you’re not careful. This can happen when playing soccer, especially after — or even during — a rainshower, as the soil is still wet from the water.

Because soccer teams can’t always wait for the ground to dry up, soccer cleats ensure you can move around in loose soil without a problem. The cleats dig into the soil, giving your child a good enough footing to move around without suffering an injury. In a game where running is what you’re going to do for the majority of the match, having footwear that will keep you on your feet at all times is extremely vital.

They give your child control over their movement

Other than keeping your child safe, a pair of kids soccer cleats will give them the ability to move in ways that they normally wouldn’t be able to. With cleats, you essentially have added traction and friction over any soil-based surface — this means that you can turn, stop, and move in ways that would otherwise cause you to fall over if you weren’t wearing them. This maneuverability isn’t something you can easily obtain without a pair of cleats, which is why they’re so highly valued when playing soccer.

And it’s not just movement — according to one study, cleats can actually affect your kicking accuracy and velocity, too. In a way, cleats give you a tiny advantage simply by wearing them, making it a no-brainer to get your child a pair. Even if you think that they might not need them, you should at least get your child a pair of kids soccer cleats so that they have a competitive advantage, at least to some degree.

They motivate your child to play

If you want to fire your child up and give them the motivation to play a sport, you can give them a pair of kids soccer cleats to get them started. Your child may not always share the same passions that you do, and you may need to give them a little push if you want them to be invested in the same things that you are. With a pair of kids soccer cleats, you can get them excited to go out and play the sport themselves.

Aside from motivation, giving your child something like kids soccer cleats teaches them gratitude. Gratitude is a concept that takes a while for kids to learn, and by giving them gifts, they can understand what it means to be grateful for receiving something from someone else.

Things To Look Out for When Buying Kids Soccer Cleats

Design

Soccer cleats can vary pretty heavily in terms of design. This is because different brands may have different ideas on what to prioritize, with some focusing on functionality while others care more about form. This is a little more apparent when it comes to kids soccer cleats than it is with adult soccer cleats, and that’s down to one particular feature — the strap.

Straps are a common alternative to shoelaces, and they’re often seen in children’s footwear. This is because tying shoelaces can be difficult for kids, so until they become familiar with the process, they can rely on an easy-to-use strap instead. Straps are also very convenient, as they make it easier to put on and take off the shoes.

Other than shoelaces and straps, the actual shape of kids soccer cleats can vary from brand to brand. This usually doesn’t have that much of an effect on the cleat’s performance, though some brands do claim that their particular shape provides some tangible benefit to your child’s performance. Whether that’s true or not, there’s no denying that these different designs can look interesting, and you may end up picking a certain design over another simply because it looks cool.

Size

The size of your kids soccer cleats matters, too. Just like any type of footwear, size is important to consider when buying cleats, as the right size will determine how well they fit when you put them on. If the cleats are too large, they can feel loose around your feet — you’ll likely feel a little wobbly and unstable when moving as there’s too much space inside for your feet to wiggle around. This is dangerous, and it can lead to higher chances of injuries.

If kids soccer cleats are too small, though, the resulting fit will be incredibly uncomfortable — if, that is, your child can even wear them at all. And even if your child can put them on, it’ll just be a painful experience — they’ll likely develop blisters on certain parts of their foot, and kicking the ball will simply feel wrong.

To avoid these problems, you need to make sure you pick the right size for your child when shopping for kids soccer cleats. You’ll ideally want to get the same size as their other footwear, but if that poses an issue, it’s always a good idea to let your child try kids soccer cleats on before actually buying them.

Color

Finally, there’s color. Color doesn’t affect the performance of your kicks and sprints, but it does change the way you look. If you want your child to stand out and look good on the field, then you’ll want to pay attention to color when shopping for kids soccer cleats. You can find kids soccer cleats in colors that match their team’s jersey or simply sport your child’s favorite color.