How To Choose the Right Football Boots for You
There’s a lot riding on your football boots.
They need to complement your natural style of play. They should be able to handle challenging conditions. They have to be comfortable all season long. And they should help you play better.
So, it’s super important to choose the right football boots for you. In this playbook, we’ve broken down the key things you need to think about when choosing your next pair.
1. Playing surface
Football boots are designed for specific surfaces, with outsoles and studs tailored to the ground or pitch material.
Firm and soft ground football boots
These boots are built for playing on traditional outdoor grass football pitches. They may use traditional conical TPU studs or carbon fiber studs for traction and to allow rapid changes of direction. Examples include the UA Magnetico Pro or UA Shadow Elite.
Artificial turf football boots
Engineered for artificial pitches, they use durable rubber outsoles with strategic lugs for maximum grip. Examples include the UA Shadow Turf.
Indoor boots
Specially designed for hard indoor pitches, they use gum rubber outsoles and herringbone patterns for ideal traction on court surfaces. You also get a little more underfoot cushioning to protect your joints when playing on hard ground. Examples include UA Magnetico Select Indoor boots.
2. Your style of play
Are you all about aggressive acceleration? Tight ball control? Or agile defending?
Think carefully about how you play, then choose football boots that complement your style.
If you’re a striker or attack-minded winger, a football boot like the UA Shadow Elite could be for you. It is insanely lightweight (coming in at around 8 oz / 225 g - depending on size) and features a ribbed knit for incredible ball control when dribbling.
For all-rounders, defensive players and goalkeepers, you’ll need boots with a locked in feel that enable multi-directional movement and excellent ball control. The UA Magnetico Elite is the boot for this.
3. Gender
At Under Armour, the only difference between our men’s and women’s football boots is sizing. Otherwise, they contain all the same technologies, including advanced fabrics, tough outsoles and comfortable fit.
4. How they fit
To play football at your best, you need boots that fit properly. Before buying football boots (especially when purchasing online), measure your feet to ensure they match the brand’s shoe sizes.
If your boots are too tight, they will rub - causing blisters and discomfort. If they’re too big, you could easily twist an ankle. If they’re too wide or loose, you’ll sacrifice ball control.
At Under Armour, we use advanced technologies to make your boots fit better:
- UA IntelliKnit: This upper material fits like a second skin, giving you unparalleled ball control.
- UA Clone: This upper delivers a truly customised fit, wrapping to every contour of your feet.
- Tongue design: We use asymmetrical tongue designs with additional space on the medial (‘inner’) side of the foot. That means better control for passing and shooting.
- Heel hold: We use internal foams to hold your heel in place and prevent slippage.
5. Upper material
Football boots can be made with all different types of materials. Traditionally, leather was the go-to, but it’s super heavy, and takes weeks to ‘break in’ before it feels comfortable.
Today, the most popular uppers for football boots are synthetic materials and knit-fabrics.
- Synthetic uppers: Unlike leather, they don’t absorb water. They’re also lightweight, won’t overstretch and require zero break-in. Examples include UA Magnetico Select and UA Shadow Turf.
- Knit uppers: The most premium option, knit uppers are the lightest material, making them especially valuable for bursts of speed. Examples include UA Shadow Elite and UA Magnetico Elite.
At Under Armour, we’ve enhanced the uppers of our football boots with even more innovations to help you play better. In UA Magnetico Elite football boots, we use an internal layer of flexible, auxetic material for a more precise fit. In UA Shadow Elite football boots, you get a ribbed knit that maximises ball contact. Or with UA Shadow Turf boots, you get a synthetic suede toe for added durability.
“I love everything about the new Shadow 3 boots. They are super comfortable, give me great ball control and allow me to change direction at speed. They make me feel like I am unstoppable on the pitch” - Fermin Lopez, Midfielder, FC Barcelona
6. Weather conditions
Football is an all-weather sport so, unless you play indoors, you need boots that can handle all conditions.
We built our football boots using our water-resistant Never-Wet treatment. It’s a coating on the upper that keeps your feet dry, even on ‘knit’ style boots. If you’re playing in the heat, your boots should also be breathable, keeping you cool (and avoiding blisters and chafing).
And of course, you need serious traction when playing on wet, muddy grass. We’ve enhanced our stud design to give you seriously reliable grip.
7. Comfort and cushioning
From Monday night practice drills to the cup final, you’re going to wear this gear for hours at a time. So it’s important to choose football boots that are comfortable, fit like a second skin, and don’t leave you sore and aching.
We’ve built our football boots to give you the support you need throughout the construction.
Studs
We’ve engineered the positioning and shape of studs in our firm and soft ground football boots to mitigate pressure on the soles of your feet.
Cushioning
This is particularly important for hard surfaces such as indoor pitches and astroturf. We use our ultra responsive Charged Cushioning® midsole to absorb impact and return energy.
Structure
We use supportive collars, textile knit tongues, internal foam heel holds and tough lace fabrics to give you tons of structure and stability.
Protection
We take the sting out of hard strikes and clearance kicks using 3D printed uppers that distribute the shock through the fabric, not into your foot. We’ve also included tough silicone strike zones for further protection.
Choose the best football boots for your game
There’s a lot to think about when choosing your football boots. By taking the time to learn about materials, designs and construction, you can make the best choice for your needs.
It’s not just your boots you should think about. Other football gear, including socks, base layers, tracksuits and performancewear can all influence your enjoyment and success with your sport.
