We’ve got soccer on the brain now that the latest in Nike and Adidas lines are out. Whether your kids need cleats for their school’s soccer season or you’re looking for cleats for your after-work soccer matches, we’ve got the best specs and styles for your best soccer season yet. But finding the perfect pair can be harder than scoring a tie-breaking goal. That’s why we’re going to give you the play by play on what kicks are best for your kicks.

Socks and Sizing

First things first: wear your soccer socks when trying on cleats. They’re thicker than regular socks and will ensure you’ll get the right fit since that’s what you’ll be wearing on the field. Now that you’ve got those on, make sure your cleats fit snugly when trying on a new pair. Soccer cleats will stretch and mold slightly to your feet, so if they’re too big from the start they won’t adjust correctly. Try on different shoe sizes until you find a pair that fits as close to your toe as possible without actually touching it. If they’re too big, you could get a jammed toe while trying to score a goal.

Firm Ground Cleats

Adidas Nemeziz Messi 17.3 FG

Adidas Youth Nemeziz Messi 17.3 FG

Adidas Youth Goletto VI FG

Firm ground cleats are the most popular and versatile type of soccer cleat. They’re made for playing on natural, grass-stain giving fields. These shoes have long, rubber studs and cleats that provide intense traction to get you moving through the grass. The newest Adidas Nemeziz Messi 17.3 cleats give you that traction while still giving you enhanced ball touch and control. And who doesn't wanna look like Messi?

Artificial Ground

Nike TiempoX Ligera IV TF

A lot of soccer fields are switching over to turf since they’re easier to maintain year round and many of them don’t allow you to use traditional firm ground cleats. Artificial ground cleats are much lower to the ground than firm ground cleats since the “grass” is much shorter. Artificial ground cleats have more studs on the bottom and are much smaller than traditional cleats so you don’t get stuck while stealing the ball from your opponent. Nike’s TiempoX Ligera provides traction with lots of smaller rubber studs while a kangaroo leather upper helps with ball touch and control.

Indoor

Adidas Youth Samba Classic

When our bay area weather makes it a little too wet to play outside, keep the game going with indoor cleats. Unlike other cleats, the bottoms are completely flat to let your kids run smoothly and play safely across flat surfaces. While they look like regular sneakers, they have a slimmer upper to keep feet from moving around too much. Adidas’ Samba Classic's gum outsole allows them to move without slipping and kick without missing. The retro style takes their look from class to recess effortlessly. Plus, now you can match with your kids! (They love that.)

Head to your local Sports Basement and give a few a test run. We’ll help you find the right shoe with the right fit for the right field (don’t worry, we’ll make sure you get a left shoe too). When you take the field, share a picture and tag us on Instagram! What cleats are you sporting?