What kind of shoes should I wear for indoor soccer?
Whereas outdoor players require spikes or studs to grip the grass, indoor players need soccer shoes with flat outsoles. These Nike and adidas soccer shoe options feature synthetic or leather flexible uppers that hug the foot for fast-paced indoor action.
Generally, your soccer cleats should have a snug, sock-like fit on your foot, but with enough room in the front to comfortably wiggle your toes. In well-fitting soccer shoes, you'll have freedom of movement, enhanced touch and control of the ball, and stability for your feet and ankles.
As you probably already know, indoor soccer and futsal shoes are very different from soccer cleats. The main difference is in the outsole: while outdoor soccer cleats have studs, futsal shoes lack studs and come with a durable rubber outsole. The reason for this big difference lies in the pitch.
Outdoor, grass fields require players to wear standard soccer cleats. For indoor, artificial surfaces, players should select shoes that are engineered for the environment. Kids' soccer boots for indoor play are specially crafted for the type or artificial turf that they'll be playing on.
While traditional running shoes can work for indoor soccer, they shouldn't be your first choice. Running shoes lack the extra protection of indoor shoes that are designed specifically to play indoor soccer. Blocking shots with regular running shoes wouldn't be ideal.
So, to answer the question if you can wear tennis shoes when playing indoor soccer, yes you can and nobody will stop you, but indoor soccer shoes are specialized shoes for the said sport and it is labeled as it is to specify its main function.
Shoes that are on the tighter side are likely to rub, and since this friction can cause blisters, it's best to have a bit of wiggle room. The ball of your foot should fit comfortably in the widest part of the shoe, and at the heel make sure that you have some room for slight heel slippage.
Generally speaking, a soccer cleat will fit true to regular shoe size. That said, some players (especially elite-level athletes) prefer their boots to fit much more snug than, say, a pair of running shoes. This is because elite-level athletes tend to prefer a more sensitive touch on the ball.
While you can sometimes use regular cleats for indoor soccer, it's not a good idea. Many indoor soccer locations ban regular cleats entirely as the playing surface for indoor soccer is incompatible with standard soccer cleats.
You'll still get the benefits of an artificial turf field, but the cleats won't function the same. This can unfortunately lead to injury, so you're better off ditching hard surface cleats in favor of something made specifically for artificial turf play.
What do you wear to indoor soccer?
Equipment. Players wear T-shirts, soccer shorts or sweatpants, and tennis shoes (w/ non-marking soles). Shinguards are not mandatory, but are strongly recommended. Special indoor soccer shoes are available at soccer stores.
Indoor Soccer Apparel
The only required protective item you must wear is your shin guards, which is the same for outdoor. We think these pieces offer a bit of off-field style with on-court/turf protection.

Soccer cleats are usually not essential for a five-year-old to play soccer. However, they do have some benefits that will include a reduced risk of injury and maintaining foot health. But they are not a requirement in most instances.
It is not a good idea to play on turf with indoor soccer shoes because they don't provide the necessary traction for that surface. If you do it, you will probably play in disadvantage in comparison to other players that are wearing the correct shoes. Indoor soccer shoes are made for indoor DRY hardwood surfaces.
Frequently Asked Questions about Indoor Soccer Shoes
Their flat rubber outsoles grip without cleats or studs. The ball moves faster on indoor surfaces, so the sport is played faster there than outdoors.
Turf shoes are ideal for indoor turf surfaces. The extremely durable rubber outsole is designed to create traction on turf pitches. These shorter, mini-cleats are typically made of rubber and are found in higher quantities than the firm ground shoes.
Indoor soccer shoes have specially designed uppers that give you a better touch on the ball. The upper, which contacts the ball, is made of synthetic and natural materials, including leather, calfskin and kangaroo skin, which assist in gripping for better ball control.
No. Running shoes will be terrible for indoor soccer because they don't have the support you need. Although they are excellent on straight-line runs, they will have poor performance on side-to-side movements, quick cuts, turns, and full stops.
As a rule of thumb (or toe), you should have about 3/8″ to 1/2″ of room from the tip of your longest toe to the end of the shoe. Your big toe is not automatically your longest toe. Pick the shoes that match your foot shape.
Is a Half Size in Shoes a Big Difference? A half-size represents a 1/8” difference. It may not seem significant but is enough to distinguish between comfort and discomfort. Because there is no standardisation for shoe sizing, a half size difference will also depend on the brand of shoe.
Is it better to get shoes too small or too big?
Buying a sneaker that is slightly larger than your foot allows for better circulation which minimizes swelling. If one foot is slightly larger than the other go for the bigger size and always consider the kind of socks you plan to wear with your shoes.
In most cases, a tighter fit is recommended for soccer cleats, so your standard shoe size may not be the size you end up in with a soccer shoe. Your soccer cleat should fit as close to the end of your foot as possible, without touching your toes. A 1/4 to 1/2 inch gap is ideal.
All materials will typically soften up after some wear time, but stretching is not so much a concern with synthetic boots as it is with leather ones. Overstretching doesn't tend to happen with synthetic boots as with leather models.
First and foremost, cleats should fit comfortably enough to allow your foot to flex and make swift movements. Cleats that are too tight will be uncomfortable and cleats that are too loose will pose an injury risk to your foot.
On average it takes three days to break in soccer cleats. The speed of this process depends on the material the cleat is made of, how much time a player is prepared to spend breaking them in, and if a player is following a recommended technique for breaking them in.
Hot Water Trick (break in cleats naturally) If you are trying to break in your cleats quickly, a trick that some professional players use is to soak their cleats in hot/warm water with their feet inside. This softens the material quickly and reforms around their foot shape.
- Wear them around the house.
- Put them in the freezer.
- Leave them in the sun for a bit to get them heated.
- Massage your shoes to stretch out specific areas.
- Buy some gel pads, inner soles, or shoe cushions to put inside your shoes.
It is recommended that all players wear legal, molded-sole soccer shoes or turf shoes. Metal or metal-tipped cleats are not allowed. Shoes with toe cleats are not allowed to be worn (typically found on softball or baseball type cleats).
Yes, you can wear shoes or soccer cleats on synthetic turf.
Interchangeable cleats and molded cleats are best used with natural grass surfaces, where your shoes have to bite into the ground in order to create traction. Indoor soccer cleats and shoes are best used on sport courts, asphalt, concrete and gym floors.
This is where baseball turf shoes really shine. Although they lack the deep-biting traction of cleats, their aggressive textured soles excel at gripping turf, helping to prevent slipping and sliding just like cleats do, without the need for the blades and cones.
Can you use indoor soccer shoes on concrete?
For optimum performance though, we would recommend going for indoor football shoes, as they offer a better level of grip on flat concrete.
All players must wear athletic shoes. No sandals, boots, five fingered footwear or bare feet. 3) All players must be dressed in appropriate athletic apparel – shorts, sweats, t-shirts, with no exposed metal.
The traction on the bottom of a pair of ice cleats is very aggressive, made from materials designed to penetrate ice and hard-packed snow. But when worn indoors across hard surfaced floors -- think things like tile, ceramic, linoleum, sealed concrete or epoxy -- these cleats become an extreme slip hazard.
Up to the age of 8 or 9, a child doesn't even need soccer shoes and will do perfectly fine in any type of athletic shoe, as long as it fits and provides good support (note: shoes which have been handed down too many times may become unstable and no longer capable of providing the support a young player needs).
There aren't major differences between youth boys' soccer cleats and girls' soccer cleats, except for the colors.
They should know and be able to touch the inside feet, instep, outside, heel , and sole. They should be touching the ball 80-100 times in a 20-35 minutes of technical practice. Keeping the ball under body and in control should be comfortable in non-pressure training.
Soccer cleats should fit closely, and it's better to buy soccer shoes that fit children at the time of purchase rather than getting a larger pair and planning that the child will "grow into them". Too-big soccer cleats, like shoes everywhere, will slip and rub, causing blisters and affecting stance and balance.
Indoor Soccer Apparel
Along with style, you'll also want to protect yourself from turf or court burn with compression shorts or warm-up pants. The only required protective item you must wear is your shin guards, which is the same for outdoor.
It is not a good idea to play on turf with indoor soccer shoes because they don't provide the necessary traction for that surface. If you do it, you will probably play in disadvantage in comparison to other players that are wearing the correct shoes. Indoor soccer shoes are made for indoor DRY hardwood surfaces.
What is special about indoor soccer shoes? Indoor soccer shoes are specially designed for stability on artificial turf and hardcourt surfaces, without leaving marks. Their flat rubber outsoles grip without cleats or studs. The ball moves faster on indoor surfaces, so the sport is played faster there than outdoors.
What do girls wear to soccer games?
Shorts and sneakers are a no-fail option, but if you want something a bit dressier, a dress is a great option.
Soccer shoes can be worn for Little League baseball, but baseball shoes CANNOT be worn for soccer. If you're going to buy your child one pair of shoes for both sports, buy soccer shoes. In our youth soccer league, referees are instructed to check the cleat pattern of each player's shoes before a game.
Indoor soccer shoes have a gum rubber flat outsole. This outsole is perfect for hard court surfaces used to play indoor soccer or futsal (on both indoor and outdoor courts). These have a lower profile fit and look like a lightweight sneaker, so you can even wear these casually on the street.
The most obvious difference between indoor and outdoor soccer shoes is that outdoor soccer shoes have spikes on the sole, whereas indoor soccer shoes have textured rubber soles to provide maximum traction for hard surfaces.
You can wear trainers on artificial turf if you prefer and they give you enough traction but turf cleats will grip the ground more effectively.
For most artificial turf fields, a traditional pair of hard surface cleats will be acceptable to wear, but investing in a pair of synthetic field cleats is a good idea if you'll be playing on artificial turf regularly.
Expensive soccer cleats are definitely worth buying if you don't mind spending over 200$ on one pair. Expensive soccer cleats are made of more high-quality materials and are heavily tested before the release. They are made to help you perform better, become faster, more accurate, and precise.
But the flipside is that the right pair of cleats becomes extremely important. There's a reason, after all, that most of the world calls it “football.” If you don't protect and support your feet appropriately, comfort and performance will suffer.