How To Choose the Perfect Football Boots

“Your boots carry your identity as a player. They have to feel right, like an extension of your foot.” – Cristiano Ronaldo

Buying football boots is a big decision. With so many styles, soleplates and brands available, it is completely normal to feel unsure, whether you are choosing your first pair or buying for a family member or friend.

The right football boot starts with two decisions: the surface you play on and how the boot fits your foot. Once those are right, consider your budget, preferred feel and playing style. Your position can help narrow down the options, but it should be a secondary consideration rather than the deciding factor.

Your Football Boot Checklist

• Match the outsole to your playing surface

• Find a secure fit without painful pressure

• Choose the right price and performance level

• Decide between lightweight responsiveness, control or comfort

• Consider your playing style, position and personal preferences
  
  

With years of experience playing football and fitting players into boots for every type of playing surface, the Ultra Football team knows which questions matter when choosing a new pair.

This guide will explain the key differences, help you narrow down your options and give you the confidence to choose the right football boots for your game.

The Surface

To choose a boot, the first thing you need to think about is the surface on which you’ll be playing.

Indeed, you can find yourself playing on very different surfaces, so your boots need to be adapted.

The Position

Another thing that might influence your choice is your position on the pitch. Players are looking for boots that fit their role and improve their performance.

If you don’t know it, don’t worry! Some boots are ideal for beginners, give you the confidence to get started, or fit several styles, like the Nike Tiempos or the adidas Copa.

• If you’re a goalkeeper, you’ll want comfort, protection and agility. We usually recommend boots like Nike Tiempos and adidas Copas.
• If you play in defence, you’ll be looking for comfort, control and precision that can be found in Nike Tiempos, adidas Predators and New Balance Tekela.
• If you’re a midfielder, you’ll be looking for control, precision or speed. For that, adidas F50, Nike Phantoms and New Balance Furon.
• If you’re a striker, you’ll be focusing on speed, agility and power and in that case, we recommend adidas F50s, Nike Mercurials and Mizuno Morelias.

The Style

We’ve associated some styles with positions, but you can have your own style regardless of your position. If you’re looking for speed, you might consider lightweight options. But if you’re looking for control, maybe grip and precision are more suited.

Again, if you aren’t too sure, some boots are adapted for any style.

We usually have three categories:

• Speed: focus on light and thin boots like the Nike Mercurial, and adidas X.
• Power & control: you want a boot that offers power and grips like the Nike Phantom, adidas Predator, Mizuno Rebula or New Balance Tekela.
• Touch & comfort: usually made of leather, you’ll pick from Tiempos, Copas, or Mizunos.

The Materials

Either you want leather for comfort and protection or synthetic for lightweight and durability, you will need to think about what feels the best on your feet and works the best with what you are looking for. You might consider knit too, as it is the perfect balance of comfort, speed and lightweight. Have a read at our article on boots materials if you want more details.

The Fit

For your comfort and performance, the fit of the boot is crucial. Each brand and each boot have different styles; some are wider than others, some have a sock where others stop under the ankle, and some have laces while others don’t. Have a go at several to see which one is made for you. 

The Brand

Like with everything, we have our favourites. Nike, adidas, New Balance, Mizuno… many brands are available, but which one is your favourite?

It might sound easy to choose a brand, but you also have a wide range of styles. It’s all about which look is yours and where you feel good! Check our guide: Boots by brands for more info.

The Price

Last but not least, what is your budget?

Many options are available at different prices and you won’t have to break the bank to find your fit. Usually, brands like New Balance are the cheapest but some Nike and Adidas models aren’t too expensive.

Think about what price you’re willing to spend and which features you want to prioritise.

And don’t forget to check our “SALE” page, you may find some great deals there!

Last Words!

It might be a lot of information here and we totally get you, there are so many options! You can find out more on boots by brands here.

To make it simple for you, we’ve created a decision tree that might guide you to the boots that are perfect for you.