If you feel the need to have the lightest boot possible, or don't want to be constantly adjusting the laces on your boots during a match, you'll want to find the best laceless football boots on the market.
Having the right boots can make a huge difference to a player's game. That's why FFT has been dedicating itself to categorising designs to make boot shopping easier for you - if you're simply looking for the best football boots out right now, or are in need of the best football boots for strikers or even the best football boots for wingers, be sure to check out our other reviews.
But here you'll find the best laceless football boots on the market...
The quicklist
An improved heel shape has helped to create a boot that offers unrivalled comfort fresh out of the box. A difficult design to fault.
It may be a far cry from the traditional laced and tongued models of yesteryear, but the new laceless design on the Predators is a thing of a beauty.
The F50 model has been reintroduced to warm reception, with a laceless version of the speed boot also returning.
Lotto's modern speed boot - the Solista - offers a snug fit, are suitable for a variety of surfaces and retail at a lower price than the competition.
The most expensive laceless boot on the market does come with advanced technology - notably the lightstrike cushioning within a double soleplate. It results in a boot that feels totally unique.
Best overall
The lockdown on the New Balance Tekela V4+ Pro is at a level that no other laceless boot on the market can compete with. They fit snugly, wrapping your foot tightly and providing the feeling of a second skin in a way that only the very best laceless pairs are able.
They are instantly soft and flexible, requiring no time to break in before achieving a level of comfort that no other laceless boot and few non-leather boots in general can compete with. What's great is that they can also battle with the best football boots with wide feet, because New Balance offer a wide fit version of all of its football boots.
If you are interested in the laceless boot experience, then the New Balance Tekela V4+ is about as good a bet as is available.
Best for style
Adidas have released quite possibly the best laceless Predator to date with the Predator Elite Laceless, and certainly something that competes with the best Adidas football boots.
The revamped design is lighter, sleeker and carries an all-round much lower profile than the foldover tongue Adidas Predator Elite, Elite laceless also comes with a lower cut in a shape that is now a lot closer to what you might expect from the best football boots for speed due to the much narrower fit, particularly in the toe box.
From an aesthetic standpoint this boot is the best around. While it is a far cry from the traditional laced and tongued models of yesteryear, the throwback colourways in addition to the rubber striking elements on this sleeker take on the Predator make them a great option.
Best lightweight
One of the best lightweight football boots, the Adidas F50 Elite Laceless offer minimal fuss for speedy players. If you are someone who is already sold on a laceless experience and looking for a new pair, the F50 Elite Laceless will not disappoint.
The Sprintweb 3D texturing adds grip and feel when dribbling with the ball, while the comfort has been improved upon when compared with previous versions. The upper is comfortable enough out the box and softens up quickly, too.
Adidas is the brand that has committed most to the laceless concept and this continues with the steady improvement shown since.
Best value
The laceless boot pioneers are back with a no-frills, yet shrewd, design that comes in at a lower price point than their competitors. One of the most comfortable football boots, they're also incredibly fast.
Comfort is achieved through padding inside of the boot, helping them feel pretty good straight away before softening up further during play. The Lotto Solista 100 VIII Gravity pair is also by far the most suitable to wear on artificial grass.
Value for money is a prerequisite for those buying the boot. The Lotto Solista retails at £180 and can frequently be found cheaper. In comparison, the elite laceless pairs from other brands will cost at least £220 in the case of the New Balance Tekela and as much as £250 for the F50+.
The price also makes them a great option for those who are looking to dip their toes into the laceless experience.
Best technology
Adidas has implemented lightstrike pro into the soleplate in a fashion not completely dissimilar in principle to the air zoom unit now employed by Nike in its Mercurial models.
The result is a unique, technology advanced boot that is expensive but provides performance. It does feel different to anything else on this list or the market generally with the F50+ raising your toes from the ground in a way that nothing else that you can buy currently does.
This will take getting used to for most, but for some players will give their game an extra edge. The extra bounce provided by the lightstrike pro can certainly be felt, while the significantly stiffer soleplate is more response than every other laceless boot on this list.
How we test football boots
Here at FourFourTwo, our boot testing procedure is all about getting boots on our feet and personally trying them out in kickabouts, training sessions and matches. All of our reviews are honest (despite working with brands, nobody can "buy" a good review from us) and we always have real footballers in mind when giving our recommendations.
For this guide, we tested every single laceless boot available on the market, helping us ascertain which ones we'd actually wear during important game and which ones we'd leave on the sidelines.
How to choose the best football boots
When selecting the right pair of football boots, there are a number of options to consider that don't just centre on what they look like.
Each brand may champion the latest piece of technology as something that will enhance performance, but that isn't always the case. Finding a pair that you like and work well with is always the best bet, so taking all of the technologies with a pinch of salt is of paramount importance.
Getting the right fit
The single most important factor to take into account is how a pair of boots fit. Laceless boots are a lot riskier for players prone to developing blisters, so ensuring they fit correclty first of all is the most important factor. Because after all, no one is at their best when hobbling about on blistered feet.
You don't want your foot sliding around in the boot, or being too tight either. We'd therefore recommend going into a shop and physically trying boots on, finding which models work with your feet and which ones don't.
That's because some options can be extremely narrow, while others are a bit wider and offer more space. Some football boots also feature different shapes in the forefoot - there are so many subtle differences that could have a negative impact in the long run if you don't choose the right pair.
