The Best Soccer Cleats for Kids – The Secret for Your Child to Play Better
Are you looking for a good pair of soccer cleats to keep your child’s feet and legs healthy? Did you know that when children are playing soccer they stress their feet and legs at a whole different level? I have put together a selection of the best soccer cleats for kids that can fit different foot shapes such as narrow, medium, wide, and extra wide feet.
Most children are not wearing the correct pair of soccer cleats. I know this because I have been working for a specialized children’s shoe store for over 10 years now that focuses on helping children with foot and leg problems, but provides regular shoe fittings as well.
Pro Tip: If you’re pressed for time, you can go straight to the selection of soccer cleats for kids.
Are All Soccer Cleats the Same?
Certain soccer cleats are going to be more effective in keeping your child’s feet healthy, and wearing the right type of soccer cleats is important if you want your children to perform at their best.
The soccer cleats that you provide for your child must provide a firm heel counter for lateral support and a substantial outsole to reduce the impact on your kids’ feet and legs. Soccer cleats with firm heel counters also help prevent ankle injuries. Take a look at the image below to visualize where the heel counter of the shoe is located:
You will notice that the soccer cleats that I recommend also provide extra cushion and padding around the heels, which is going to help prevent the formation of blisters.
In addition to providing good support, your kids’ soccer cleats must fit the shape of your child’s feet perfectly, no matter how narrow or wide they might be.
There is a myriad of options out there when it comes to children’s soccer cleats, but I will make things simple for you and provide you with a selection of the most popular ones in terms of comfort and support.
At What Age Should Children Start Wearing Soccer Cleats?
There is no set age for when a child should start wearing soccer cleats, but the team’s coach will let you know as soon as your child is ready to wear them. You will notice that as soon as the level of competition gets more intense, the coach will require your child to wear a pair of soccer cleats.
This will help your child learn proper form since if you pay close attention, you will notice how most sneakers have a wedge, while most soccer cleats are flat. Soccer cleats also have a different shape that emulates the shape of a foot and produces a better feeling every time your child kicks the ball.
Soccer Cleats for Kids – Can They Help Your Child Play Better?
While the correct type of soccer cleats will not make your children better soccer players, they will definitely help them improve their skills and move more easily around the field.
Providing your child with the correct soccer cleat size and width allows your child to play and run comfortably around the field. Soccer cleats that mold to the shape of your child’s feet will allow them to get a better feeling every time they come in contact with the ball.
These are the 5 most important features that the soccer cleats I recommend provide:
1️⃣ Ankle Support: These cleats come with a firm heel counter to minimize the impact that your kids’ ankles take every time they come in contact with the ground.
2️⃣ Supportive Outsole: This feature helps provide underfoot cushioning and comfort.
3️⃣ Durability: Your child will outgrow these cleats before they are ready to be replaced as they are extremely well-made.
4️⃣ Lightweight: This feature helps prevent your child’s feet and legs from easily getting tired.
5️⃣ Specially designed to penetrate the ground surface for traction.
Without further ado, let’s take a look at a selection of the best soccer cleats for kids. Disclosure: Some links in this post may be affiliate links and we may receive a small commission (at no extra cost to you) when you click our links and make purchases.
The Best Soccer Cleats for Kids
Take a look at the description below each soccer cleat to find out which type of foot that particular cleat is capable of fitting — narrow, medium, wide, or extra wide.
- Shoe style Furon Dispatch by New Balance
- Available in medium and wide widths
- Lace-up closure for a secure fit
- Comfortable lining to improve the first foot feel
- Order this shoe a whole larger than your child’s current foot size
- Shoe style Furon Dispatch by New balance
- Available in medium and wide widths
- Lace-up closure for a secure fit
- Comfortable lining to improve the first foot feel
- Order this shoe a whole larger than your child’s current foot size
- Shoe style Tekela Magique by New Balance
- Available in medium and wide widths
- Synthetic laceless upper
- TPU outsole designed for use on firm ground surfaces
- Order this shoe a whole larger than your child’s current foot size
- Shoe style by Zephz
- Available in wide and extra wide widths
- Padded collar to increase comfort and prevent blisters
- Lace-Up closure
- Order this shoe a half size larger than your child’s current foot size
- Shoe style by Zephz
- Available in wide and extra wide widths
- Extra padding around the ankles
- Lace-Up closure
- Order this shoe a half size larger than your child’s current foot size
- New Balance shoe style Tekela V4
- Available in medium and wide widths
- Synthetic laceless upper
- Lightweight TPU plate with TPU stud tips for an optimum performance on firm ground pitches
- Order this shoe a whole larger than your child’s current foot size
- Adidas shoe style Goletto VIII
- Not available in wide widths but fits naturally wide
- Cushioned heels
- Firm heel counters
- Order this shoe a whole larger than your child’s current foot size
- Adidas shoe style Goletto VIII
- Not available in wide widths but fits naturally wide
- Cushioned heels
- Firm heel counters
- Order this shoe a whole larger than your child’s current foot size
Are Any Other Shoe Choices Available?
If you will rather provide your child with soccer shoes with velcro closure simply scroll down to find a link that will take you to a selection of the best soccer cleats with velcro closure. Do not hesitate to contact me directly at my e-mail if you have any further questions or if you need a different pair of shoes for your child. My e-mail address is:
fittingchildrensshoes@gmail.com
Make sure that your child tries the soccer cleats with the same socks that he/she will wear on the field.
How to Retrieve Your Child’s Exact Foot Length and Shape
Are you 100% sure of your child’s foot size? You won’t be able to order the correct shoe size if you don’t know your child’s foot size to begin with. There is a different resource that describes the simplest, yet most effective way to figure out your child’s exact foot size from home.
In that article I help parents determine their child’s exact foot size and whether the child has narrow, medium, wide, or extra wide feet. I also will be able to tell you whether your child has a high instep or not.
Do Soccer Cleats with Velcro Closure Exist? – Let’s Find Out!
The majority of soccer cleats are only available with shoelaces. The main reason for this is that shoelaces provide better support and stability than velcro closure, since they will hug your kids’ feet more tightly. This is important because when children are playing soccer they are running faster, and they need as much stability from their shoes as possible.
The tighter that you make the shoelaces, the more stable your child will feel. However, there is one soccer cleat style that comes with velcro closure in case your child is not ready to learn how to tie his/her shoes yet.
If you want to provide your child with a pair of soccer cleats with velcro closure then you are luck as I created a different resource that covers that subject.
Keep in mind that as soon as your children start getting more serious about playing soccer, you should switch them to a pair of cleats that come with shoelaces.
Wearing the right type of soccer socks is also really important if you want to keep your kids’ feet healthy while playing soccer.
The Best Soccer Socks for Kids – Prevent Blisters!
Socks act as a barrier between your kids’ feet and the shoes, preventing the buildup of bacteria inside the shoes as well as the formation of blisters.
Certain soccer socks provide extra cushioning and padding to targeted areas of the feet. If your child is having blisters after playing soccer, try a good pair of soccer socks and you will see what a difference they will make. I have put together a selection of the best soccer socks for kids:
- Socks made by TeeHee
- 3 pairs
- 80% Acrylic, 17% Polyester, 3% Spandex
- Machine washable
- Socks made by WinterLace
- 6 pairs
- Enhanced level of breathability
- Features high elasticity allowing for better fitment as well for wearing with shin guards
- Machine washable
Foot and Leg Pain After/During Soccer – Let’s Find Some Extra Support!
I have actually helped several children who were ready to quit soccer because their feet and legs were hurting after soccer games or practice. I will say that 80% of the time the pain comes from wearing the wrong pair of shoes. The other 20% comes from your child needing extra support inside their shoes.
Children who have flat feet or rolled ankles tend to put extra pressure on parts of their bodies where they are not supposed to. The good news is that there are certain sports insoles specifically designed for children who have foot or leg pain due to flat feet or tight muscles.
Don’t let your children quit soccer just because they are experiencing foot or leg pain. There are steps you can take to reduce, or fully eliminate the pain that they have been experiencing.
Is there a specific soccer cleat that has worked well for your child’s feet? Let us know in the comments section below so other parents can benefit from your experiences.
Hi. Great article. My son plays a lot of soccer. Do you have any experience with the new soccer boots with the built in sock. He loves them but I worry that they may not be good for the development of his feet. He’s 8. Thanks
Sumaya,
I don’t have any experience fitting those type of soccer cleats. However, your main priority should be to make sure you provide your child with the correct shoe size and the correct shoe width. Do you know if your son has wide feet? Please make sure you provide him with the correct pair of cleats sicne every time we are playing a sport we are stressing our feet and legs at a whole different level.
Wow, the devil is in the details!!
I was a young soccer player and was pretty heavily into it. I never knew that the cleats you use can make such a difference. Even the socks can be important too!! I wish I knew this stuff when I was younger.
Of most interest to me was your tip on how to tie your cleats. I tied my own shoes like that and man! I love it! My shoes feel likes is hugging my feet much better, and it gives me more confident when I walk and run
Many thanks for the article!! Now I have 2 young girls and I am getting them cleats from the selection you offer!
Brian,
I tie my running shoes that way because I love how it feels too. Teach your kids’ to tie their new soccer cleats like that and ask them how they like it! If they don’t know how to tie their shoes yet, you can read this post: How To Teach A Child To Tie His Shoes – Follow These Easy Steps
Very informative article! I didn’t realize how much impact the wrong soccer cleats can have on my child and his performance. But it’s quite surprising that there’s only one company that makes the wide soccer cleats. I got a pair for my son and he looooves the! He said: mom these shoes don’t pinch anywhere!
Thanks for letting us know where we can find them! I may try the reverse shoe laces technique as well.
Madison,
I’m glad your son is happy! Wearing shoes that are the wrong size can be extremely uncomfortable and painful, specially when it comes to cleats! I know it’s frustrating to have only one company making wide and extra wide soccer cleats, but at least we have that choice!
Hi,
Such great advice for getting the best soccer cleats for kids! My son plays A LOT of soccer and I always think about this future as a soccer player. 😀 I love playing soccer and I always play with him but he always complains about his feet hurting and being too tight on him. I am glad you describe a shoe that fits wide feet.
Thanks for this awesome info! I will pass it on to aprents who have children that play soccer and probably don’t even know they make a cleat in wide width.
Moritz
Moritz,
It’s great that your child is active and likes playing sports. Doing so in the proper cleat will make all the difference for him! Imagine yourself wearing a pair of soccer cleats that were too tight on your feet, I am sure you will not be able to perform as well! Make sure you get your child the clet style I recommend for wide feet!
Hi Juan,
I certainly have learned something new today! Usually, whenever I came across the word “cleats”, I would assume it to be synonymous with studs. I honestly didn’t think that cleats are the same as boots.
I totally agree, though, that they need to be carefully selected and fitted to a child (or to an adult, for that matter), in order to get the best performance. Do they make cleats in wide wdiths?
Great article –
Steve
They do make cleats in wide widths! Actually, there is only one style that comes in wide and extra wide widths. You can find it here: Soccer Cleats For Kids – Finding an Extra Wide Boot That Fits
Great information! I am children soccer coach and I always tell the parents that all players must have a suitable soccer cleat. My son is starting to play now and the games are getting more competitive. I used to pay so much more for soccer cleats until I found your website! They are much cheaper in Amazon, thanks man!
Hello Collin,
No problem. Please try to get your kids’ shoes fitted at your local shoe store, I only recommend buying them online if you don’t have a local children’s shoe store that you trust.