What Are the Best Baseball Cleats for Kids? – Maximize Performance and Prevent Injuries!

The main reason why parents should provide children with the correct type of baseball cleats is for safety and protection. Baseball cleats help prevent common baseball injuries like ankle rolls or sprains, but with so many options on the market, how do you know which are the best baseball cleats for kids? I am a shoe fitter with over a decade of experience fitting children’s shoes, and I will help you find the perfect pair of baseball cleats for your child.

Can Children Wear Any Type of Cleats to Baseball?

I want to start by saying that not all cleats are the same, and I strongly suggest that you provide your child with a pair of cleats specifically made for baseball to maximize performance and avoid injuries. The reason why your child should not wear soccer or football cleats to baseball is that a cleat made for baseball has something called a “toe cleat”:

Simply stated, there is a cleat that aligns with your child’s big toe. This helps young players push off, which is more important in baseball than other sports as that toe cleat helps when throwing, hitting, or in the first few steps as a player runs. Baseball cleats are also more lightweight compared to soccer or football cleats.

What Makes the Baseball Cleats I Recommend the Best Choice for Kids?

The baseball cleats that I recommend have a midsole that provides exclusive protection from any kind of shock or foot injury. If your child happens to fall while playing baseball, the cleats are designed to disperse the impact on their feet thus protecting the feet or toes from fracture or serious injury. Proper cleats also provide the necessary traction on grass and dirt, helping prevent slips and falls.

In addition to being lightweight, flexible, and supportive, the baseball cleats I recommend provide two key additional features that help maximize comfort and performance:

1️⃣ Extra Depth: The baseball cleats I recommend provide extra depth, which allows the child’s feet to fit deeply inside the cleats. The foot of your child will not function properly if the foot is not seated properly with the ball of the foot in the correct place in the shoes. Some baseball cleats are deeper than others. For example, take a look at the image below.

2️⃣ Rounded Toe-Boxes: Your kids’ baseball cleats should fit snugly but they shouldn’t make your kids’ toes overlap one another or rub against the side of the cleats. Let’s take a look at the difference in toe-boxes between two baseball cleats that are the same length and width.

Baseball cleats come with three different options for ankle support; high tops, mid tops and low tops. For most children, I recommend mid-top baseball cleats as they help balance mobility but still provide good ankle support.

Low, Mid, or High-Top Cleats for Children?

• Low top baseball cleats prioritize speed over stability, and they don’t offer good ankle support.

• Mid tops baseball cleats are a good option for players looking to balance mobility and this option offers good ankle support.

• High-top baseball cleats provide the most ankle support as they completely cover the ankle but they restrict movement.

As I mentioned before, I believe most children should wear mid-top baseball cleats. The mid-top cleat it’s a middle ground option that balances the others. A middle cleat is taller than a low-top which means it’s a little bit heavier but does offer more support and stability.

Best and Worst Baseball Shoe Brands for Kids

Just so you know, Nike and Under Armour are among the worst shoe brands when it comes to manufacturing baseball cleats for children. Their shoes don’t provide as much support or protection, and several parents told me how the shoes fell apart only after a couple of games. Another downside of Nike and Under Armour baseball cleats is how their shoes fit on the narrower side, and they might end up pinching and squeezing your child’s toes. There are other shoe brands such as New Balance and Adidas that offer baseball cleats that are lightweight, flexible, supportive, durable, and capable of accommodating different foot shapes.

Now that we’ve highlighted what to look for, let’s dive into some of the best baseball cleats for kids available today. 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.

Youth Baseball Cleats for Kids

These baseball cleats will significantly boost your kid’s efficiency as they will definitely allow them to play at their best. Take a look at the description below each baseball cleat to find out what specific foot shape it can accommodate.

Find Out What Shoe Size You Should Order Online

Making sure that your child’s baseball cleats fit correctly helps decrease the risk of injuries, increases stability, and allows children to play with more confidence. To buy the correct baseball cleat size for your child, you must first know your child’s exact foot length and shape.

Since most specialized children’s shoe stores are closed now, I created a virtual shoe fitting service that helps parents determine their child’s exact foot shape and shoe size from home.

Contact Me for Specialized Shoe Recommendations

Let me know if you rather receive specific baseball cleat recommendations based on your child’s unique foot shape. Whether your child wants the cleats to be made of a specific color such as red or has a specific style in mind, I can help you find them:

fittingchildrensshoes@gmail.com

Baseball Cleats for Kids with Wide Feet

Finding the right baseball cleats for kids with wide feet can be challenging, but it’s essential for their comfort and performance. If your child happens to have a “complicated” foot shape such as wide feet I created a different resource that has a list of wide baseball cleats for kids.

The Most Effective Way to Lace Your Kids’ Baseball Shoes

My coworker who has over 20 years of shoe fitting experience taught me the most effective way to lace baseball cleats. This shoe lacing technique gives additional support and helps prevent injuries. Something so simple such as how you lace your kids’ sport shoes can go a long way in improving your child’s stability.

Baseball Socks for Kids – Let’s Cushion and Protect Their Feet!

Baseball socks are important as they act as a barrier between your kids’ feet and the cleats, preventing the formation of blisters and other foot issues. When children are running fast, there is constant friction between their feet and the shoes, so it’s important to wear a pair of socks that helps minimize this friction. The baseball socks I recommend provide targeted cushion to key areas of the foot and they are also breathable. Below you can find the best baseball socks for kids:

These socks are great because while they cushion your kids’ feet they don’t take up a lot of extra space inside the baseball cleats.

Finding the correct pair of baseball shoes for children can be a time-consuming experience. Remember that fit should always remain your top priority, as if the shoes don’t fit the shape of your child’s feet properly your child won’t get any of the benefits that the shoes have to offer.

Can My Kid Wear Baseball Cleats for Football?

Yes, but please keep in mind that baseball cleats typically have different types of spikes and traction patterns, which may not provide the same grip as football cleats, especially on grass or turf. Additionally, football cleats often offer more ankle support, which can be important for safety.

Parents should not look at baseball cleats as just another pair of shoes but rather as a product that will help their children achieve their best and unleash their full potential. Let me ask you something: Could you perform well in shoes that make you feel uneasy? I surely couldn’t! Shoes are one of the most powerful pieces of equipment your child wears on the field.