Fashion & Design

How Soccer Cleats Can Improve Performance

Improvements in performance from cleats

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5lIngVqfu8c

By: Eric Ji, Journalist

Soccer is an extremely popular sport played throughout the entire world. It is played everywhere – streets, fields, and stadiums. This sport is so popular that most people tend to neglect the equipment that could improve their soccer performance and more importantly provide added protection. Professional soccer players use shin guards, gloves, and other gear. However, cleats are an utmost necessity for all professional and casual soccer players alike. Cleats are specific sports shoes designed to enhance speed, agility, and other basic skills.

A cleat can be comprised of prevalent materials including metal, plastic, and leather. Certain types of cleats are more well-suited depending on the surface they play on. For example, when playing on artificial turf, plastic or rubber cleats are preferred as metal cleats would damage the turf. In general, cleats improve basic skills including enhancing speed, strength, and ball handling.

Cleats are extremely useful and effective because they can provide better grip to the ball and ground for the player. According to Rookieroad, soccer cleats allow the player to have improved friction and traction when making clean sharp turns with the ball. Furthermore, it can protect soccer players from foot injuries. The additional friction, traction, and protection from cleats are the three major factors that can change the outcome for the player and game.

On average, many players must run seven miles in just one game which runs a total of 90 minutes plus stoppage time. Light-weighted soccer cleats become a necessity for any soccer player. If their shoes are not light, a soccer player’s feet might hurt just from running throughout the entire game. Due to the varying weights of footwear, if players were to use other types of shoes, such as sneakers, sandals, or tennis shoes while playing, more injuries may occur.

Soccer is a worldwide sport played in many countries. Many players, whether playing professionally or for leisure, practice and play every day. Therefore, they should wear the necessary gear to ensure that they can improve their speed, ball handling, and other basic traits of a good soccer player. Additionally, cleats provide better footing with their spikes and light weighted design. As stated previously in the article, these are a few traits provided by cleats that allow cleats to improve performance.