Kid's Soccer Shoes Guide- It's a Good Thing!!

As soccer season kicks ahead, soccer moms and dads watch their kids soccer shoes disintegrate in front of their very eyes with in a short few months. All too soon, it seems we all have to run out to buy new soccer cleats and more than half of us aren’t quite sure what we are doing when it comes to buying them! Help is here!

Most of your run-of –the mills athletic stores carry 4 major brands: Brava, Adidas, Puma and Nike. Lets talk about them individually.

Brava: This is the cheapest line but, to some degree, you get what you pay for! The material will fatigue and breakdown quicker than the other brands. Not recommended for the teenager who has been playing for a while. The leather is not as soft but still very comfortable for the right foot type. This is the only brand my son wears right now and he loves them! A Brava soccer shoe is great for a younger child with a wider foot type. This shoe will not take you more than one season, but then again, no shoe will with a growth spurt! Fortunately, this is a most affordable shoe! This brand tends to run wider and is pretty true to size. Even still, go a half size larger so you get about a thumbs width at the end.

Adidas: This brand also tends to run wider and true to size. If your child has a narrow foot but you like the Adidas softer feel, stick with the F5. The price is right for this shoe (on the lower end!). The F5 has a softer leather and is light weight and narrower than its counter parts. Keep in mind with the Adidas brand that their shoe also tapers more at the toe and has much less wiggle room. If your child complains that it “feels tight” even though the size is spot on, it is probably on account of the tapering in the toe box. Try a different brand in this case.

Nike makes a soccer shoe that is on the narrow side. It also runs a little smaller in length. I recommend going a full size bigger in this shoe.

A big trend is to see the laces running off-center. Again, this is a good option for your more experienced players. By having the laces off-center, there is more intimate contact of the top of the foot with the ball. The most popular side-laced soccer shoe is the Nike T90 (Total 90). It is also light weight and soft.

More helpful tips:

Standard with the Brava, Nike, and Puma to get a half size larger than your child’s foot size so you get about a thumb width at the end of the shoe. Remember as we run, we push our feet towards the end of the shoe. If the shoe is less than a thumb width, your child will be more prone to getting an ingrown nail or nail trauma from the pressure.

Always bring your child with you when you buy shoes. Shop and size your child’s foot at the end of the day. You will get a more accurate fit. Our feet tend to swell more towards the end of the day.

Not all soccer cleats are the same. There are indoor soccer shoes which have a shorter cleats or even a gum rubber sole in lieu of cleats for better traction on indoor turf. Nile, Adidas and Puma all make indoor options

If the size and width are right, have your child run up and down the aisle a few times and get their opinion. Remember, it is not only ours or the sales person's opinion that counts!