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. Several parents seem to have one question in common: What are the best baseball cleats for kids?

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.

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.

My Experience Fitting Baseball Cleats for Kids – Over a Decade of Experience

I know which baseball cleats are better for children as I have been working for a specialized children’s shoe store for the last 10 years. We help children with “complicated” foot shapes and foot conditions find the correct pair of shoes for their feet. Over the years I became familiar with the best baseball cleats for kids.

Before I show you a selection of the best baseball cleats for kids I want to make sure that you know your child’s exact foot shape. You won’t be able to order the correct shoe size online if you don’t know your child’s exact foot length and whether your child has narrow, medium, wide, or extra wide feet. Another key factor that determines your child’s final shoe size is whether your child has a high instep or not.

How to Retrieve Your Child’s Exact Foot Length and Shape

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 an article that helps parents determine their child’s exact foot length and shape from home:

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

Now let me show you the most important features that the baseball cleats I recommend provide.

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.

In addition to being lightweight, flexible, and supportive, the baseball cleats I recommend provide 2 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. The baseball shoes are the same length and width, but do you notice how the shoe on the right is a lot deeper compared to the shoe on the left?

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. Do you notice how the shoe on the right has a rounder toe-box compared to the shoe on the left?

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 any 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 extremely narrow.

There are other shoe brands such as New Balance and Adidas that offer baseball cleats that are lightweight, flexible, supportive, durable, and are capable of accommodating different foot shapes.

I have made things easier for parents by selecting the best baseball cleats that I have fitted throughout the years. By the way, the baseball cleats below are available in wide widths (W) in case you have a child with wide feet.

You won’t have to worry about your kids’ toes being cramped inside the shoes, it’s time to realize that getting the right baseball cleats is critical for keeping your kids’ feet healthy and allow them to play comfortably. Disclosure: Keep in mind that we may receive commissions when you click our links and make purchases.

Best 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.

What Shoe Size Should You Order?

To allow for growing room, I highly recommend that parents order these shoes 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 shoes.

The Most Effective Way to Lace Your Kids’ Baseball Shoes

My coworker who has over 30 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. You can learn how to apply this effective shoe lacing technique in the article below:

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

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.

The baseball cleats I recommended are based on my 10 years of shoe fitting experience. I have fitted several different shoe brands and shoe styles for children and I know which shoes are better than others from actually having fitted them before.

Are Any Other Shoe Choices Available?

Let me know in the comment section below if you have found a specific baseball cleat that has worked well for your child’s feet and don’t hesitate to contact me if you are having trouble finding a specific pair of shoes for your child’s feet:

fittingchildrensshoes@gmail.com