Flag Football Cleats for Kids – Don’t Buy Baseball or Soccer Cleats for Flag Football

Football is a sport that imposes an enormous amount of stress on your child’s feet and legs, making your child more susceptible to injuries. Wearing the correct type of football cleats is really important as they help support your child’s muscles and joints and serve as a means of protection for your child’s feet. I have put together a selection of the best flag football cleats for kids, and I will show you this list shortly.

The “growth plates” in kids’ bones don’t finish closing until they reach the ages of 15 to 17, and when these “growth plates” are stressed during a particular activity or sport, they become more susceptible to injury.

When kids start to get bigger and faster (around 7 or 8 years of age) they need cleats to protect their feet and improve performance. If your child is younger than 7 years old you can always ask the coach whether your child should wear cleats or regular sneakers.

What Kind of Shoes Should Kids Wear for Flag Football?

According to the rules of the American Flag Football League (AFFL), there are no restrictions on what type of footwear a child should wear for flag football. However, cleats essentially vary from sport to sport due to the nature of the terrain and the individual demands of the game.

I strongly recommend that you provide your child with a pair of football cleats, as you will notice that when children play flag football they tend to step on each other’s feet quite a bit. Football cleats will offer better protection to your child’s feet.

Should Your Child Wear Sneakers to Flag Football?

If you allow your child to wear regular sneakers you will notice a lot more falls due to the loss of traction. It’s important for your child’s football shoes to provide good traction considering that football requires lots of running and the ability to be incredibly agile.

If you already bought a pair of soccer cleats you can allow your child to wear them to flag football, but next time consider buying a pair of football cleats instead of soccer.

Wearing the wrong type of football shoes can lead to your child developing foot and leg pain. I have also seen several children experience blood blisters below their feet and around their ankles:

Why Should Children Wear Football Cleats to Flag Football?

Cleats for football are longer than other types, to give your child better traction on the field.  Football cleats are all about durability, movement and protection.

You need to provide your child with the correct cleat size to allow your child to get the full benefits that the cleats have to offer. Wearing football cleats in the wrong size can contribute to foot and ankle pathology.

My Experience Fitting Children’s Shoes – Over a Decade of Shoe Fitting Experience

I have been helping children find the correct pair of shoes for their feet for the last 10 years. I work for a specialized children’s shoe store that focuses on helping children with “complicated” foot shapes and foot conditions such as flat feet, rolled ankles, and low muscle tone. Over the years I became familiar with the best football cleats for kids.

How to Order the Correct Shoe Size Online

Do you know whether your child has narrow, medium, wide, or extra wide feet? Do you know if your child has a high instep or not? These are all important factors that help determine what type of shoe your child can and cannot wear.

If you are unsure of your child’s exact foot shape I suggest that you take a look at a different article in which I help parents determine their child’s exact foot length and shape:

How to Measure Your Kids’ Foot – 2 Simple Steps to Determine Foot Length and Foot Width

Now that you know your child’s exact foot size let’s take a look at the best flag football cleats for kids.

Before I forget, one thing that can be confusing to parents is how football cleats come in different heights: low, mid and high. Mid- and low-cut cleats are the best for speed, depending on the position that your child plays. The cut that you should choose for your child depends on how much ankle support you’re looking for.

For flag football, I always recommend either low or mid-cut football cleats. The football cleats below combine great traction and comfort as they provide extra padding around the heel area to prevent blisters around your child’s ankles.

All of the football cleats that I recommend are made of synthetic material with a mesh lining that lets the child’s feet breathe. Disclosure: Keep in mind that we may receive commissions when you click our links and make purchases.

Flag Football Cleats for Kids ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Take a look at the description below each football cleat to find out whether it can accommodate your child’s foot shape or not.

What Shoe Size Should You Order?

It’s important to allow certain space between your child’s longest toe and the end of the cleats to prevent your child’s toe from rubbing against the front part of the cleats. Also, keep in mind that football socks are thicker than regular socks and will take up extra space inside the shoes.

To allow for growing room, I highly recommend that parents order these football cleats a whole size larger than their child’s current foot size. This translates to 3/8 of an inch or 0.8 centimeters of space between your child’s longest toe and the end of the cleats.

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These versatile football cleats feature a heel cup that helps keep your child’s feet in place when running. It’s important that your child’s feet don’t move too much inside the cleats as that constant friction between the feet and the shoes can lead to blisters.

Does Your Child Have Wide or Extra Wide Feet?

 If your child happens to have wide or extra wide feet I suggest that you go to the article below:

Wide Football Cleats for Boys – They DO EXIST!

If your child happens to have wide feet stay away from Under Armour cleats as they tend to fit extremely narrow.

One common question I get asked by many families is whether children can wear their baseball or soccer cleats to flag football. While there is nothing in the rules of flag football that restricts a player from wearing soccer or baseball cleats, I strongly advise parents to provide children with specific football cleats. Let me elaborate on the reason why.

Are Baseball Cleats Okay for Football?

I don’t recommend children wearing baseball cleats to football due to the simple fact that they provide little protection from contact. Football cleats provide better support than baseball cleats and offer much thicker padding or material all around the foot.

Are Soccer Cleats Okay for Football?

Several children already own a pair of soccer cleats and parents wonder whether they can be used for flag football. Soccer cleats are specifically designed to allow children to move quickly around the field while at the same time maintaining good traction, which are ideal for children who play flag football.

The only reason why I recommend football instead of soccer cleats is because of the protection factor. Football cleats provide better padding and protection compared to soccer cleats. However, if your child already owns a pair of soccer cleats it’s okay to allow him or her to wear them for flag football, but next time consider buying a specific pair of football cleats.

Football Socks for Kids – Extra Cushion for Your Kids’ Feet!

Football socks are important and they play a key role in keeping your kids’ feet healthy. The correct type of socks can prevent your child from getting blisters around the heels or on the bottom of the foot. Several children who play football tend to develop blood blisters from the contact friction between the shoes and the feet.

Football socks act as a protective barrier between your child’s feet and the shoes. I have fitted certain football socks that provide targeted cushioning on the footbed for shock absorption and to help reduce the friction between the foot and the cleat.

It’s important that your child’s football socks are breathable and dry quickly. If you want to keep your kids’ feet cool and comfortable when they are out playing on the field, there are certain socks that come with Dri-fit fabrication that wick sweat and moisture away from your kids’ skin. Below you can find a selection of the best football socks for children:

Always make your children try the football cleats that they will be playing on with the same exact type of socks that they will wear on the field.

Don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any other questions about your child’s football cleats. I am going to leave you with an article that teaches parents how to tie their kids’ sport shoes:

How to Tie Your Kids’ Sport Shoes – Let’s Support and Protect Your Kids’ Feet!

I learned this shoe lacing technique from a coworker who has 30 plus years of shoe fitting experience. This shoe lacing technique pushes your child’s feet back, supporting and securing them against the back of the cleats.

Providing your child with a well-fitting cleat will help keep your child’s feet comfortable and healthy. I also like t emphasize to parents that choosing the correct athletic shoe means that their children can focus their full attention on playing the game and having fun!

Let us know in the comments section below whether your child wears football cleats or regular sneakers when playing flag football.