Why I Recommend Cleats—and Keep the Budget Simple

A couple of seasons ago, I had a player who started the season without cleats. He was the only child on the team without them, and he slipped and fell quite a bit—even on dry grass.

That made catching difficult. He was trying to track the football while also struggling to keep his footing.

Partway through the season, his parents got him some cleats, and I noticed a real difference in how he played. Catching was still something we needed to work on, but he could run and make little cuts with better traction. He started getting some really good runs in.

That experience is a big reason I recommend cleats for our grass field. For that player, getting his footing made it easier to participate and practice the skills we were teaching.

Let your child try them on

My son’s first pair of cleats was red, with a mid-top design. When he outgrew those, his grandmother bought him a pair of low-tops. He preferred them quite a bit. He liked having less pressure and restriction around his ankles.

He also has some higher-cut cleats that were handed down to him. He may try wearing them if he gets comfortable with how they feel, but right now, they are not his preference.

That is why I recommend taking your child to try cleats on. Let them walk around and, where the store allows it, try a little movement. Ask how their feet and ankles feel. A pair that looks great on the shelf may not be the pair they enjoy wearing.

I want kids comfortable out there, with shoes that fit properly and are appropriate for our playing surface and league rules. The height my son prefers is his preference; another child may feel differently.

Get comfortable in them before the first practice

I recommend getting your child’s cleats ahead of time so their first practice is not the first time they run in them. Take them into the backyard or to a grassy area at the park and let them walk, jog and try a few little changes of direction.

Give them a little time to start breaking the cleats in and getting used to how they feel. Keep those first outings short, and ask whether anything rubs or pinches. I want them arriving at the first practice already comfortable moving in their shoes; breaking them in should not mean pushing through an uncomfortable fit.

Keep the cost in perspective

Our kids are not playing football every day. For my team, a typical week means a 35-minute practice and a 40-minute game. After that, the cleats usually go back in the bag until the following week.

Our season lasts seven weeks.

With that amount of use, I do not want parents feeling like they need to spend a bunch of money. My recommendation is to find a suitable pair that fits comfortably and works within your budget.

Hand-me-downs can be part of that conversation, too. We have them in our own family. But having a pair available does not automatically mean it is the right fit or feels good to run in—as my son’s experience with higher-cut cleats shows.

Give them a comfortable place to start

Cleats did not instantly teach that player to catch. We still had work to do together. What changed was that he could run and cut without the frequent slipping I had seen earlier.

That is what I am looking for when I recommend them: footwear that helps a child feel comfortable moving around our field.

Let your child help choose. Pay attention to fit and how they feel moving in them. And keep the purchase in proportion to the short season they are playing.

See the footwear entry in our gear guide for what to check before buying, or browse the full gear guide for players and coaches.