First, you should determine what sort of surface the player will be playing on, and if at all possible, what sort of conditions usually exist at those locations. General field and scheduling information are typically available from the Coach or governing Club. Lastly, determining what price range is most desired can be helpful in deciding if the proper spectrum of products is available at any particular sales location. I. Types of soccer shoes There are five basic types of soccer shoes, with varying specialties within some categories. This will be discussed later.
Molded shoes are the most common type of shoe used on varying types of fields.
They consist of twelve or more cleats that provide traction on loose surfaces such as grass or dirt. The intent is for the cleats to bury themselves in the surface, providing general stability and support to the actual sole of the shoe, NOT just the cleat surface. There is a new, bladed shoe that is a type of molded cleat that can be used on both firm and soft ground. The harder surfaces present no problems because there is increased surface area in the bladed cleats. On soft ground, or muddy fields, the wider blades provide far more lateral stability, lessening the sideslip common with the round shaped cleats.