If you're in need of the best soccer cleats for artificial turf, then look no further.
Astro soccer is an experience a world away from turf - meaning the best soccer cleats for firm ground will do you no favours. Not only does artificial turf have its advantages: your kit doesn't get quite so muddy and everyone feels a little faster on that kind of surface, but having the correct footwear is simply of paramount importance.
Indeed, it's absolutely essential to use specifically manufactured cleats for artificial turf, rather than turf or soft ground, because they help to elminate the risk of injury. With FG cleats, some studs are more bladed and, therefore, more prone to getting caught in the ground when playing on artificial turf. That's bad news for your knees and ankles, because it could potentially lead to serious injury.
Fortunately, some of the best soccer cleats around have been adapted into artificial turf versions, with Nike, Adidas, Puma and Mizuno all making waves in these 'turf wars. If you're looking for the best soccer cleats for comfort, the best soccer cleats for strikers, or even the best soccer cleats for wide feet, then be sure to check out our other guides.
The quick list
Gripknit is simply my favourite upper material of any cleats available on the market, and it features on the Phantom GX 2 Elite in abundance. They utilise the conical studs that work brilliantly on artificial turf, but it's all about the upper for me.
Handcrafted with premium materials in Japan, the quality of the Mizuno Alpha II Made in Japan is certainly striking, though it does come with a pricetag to match. I particularly love the soleplate, which works brilliant on artificial grass.
Rubber fins litter the top of the Predator Elite, helping with control of the ball, passing and shooting, while the upper material has improved to become softer and more comfortable. The soleplate has been reinforced to become more durable on artificial surfaces, too.
While Nike has added conical studs to the Mercurial's AG soleplate, they still maintain the speed and aggressive traction that is synonymous with the model - with hollowed out studs making them agile, too. They also have a great barefoot feel.
Puma has finally done something I have been calling for for years now, and that's release a cleat that is actually suitable to wear on artifical turf. The Ultra 5 Ultimate AG is just that, and works brilliantly on and off the ball.
An extremely sophisticated AG-specific option that Adidas has refined over the years. The soleplate feels fantastic underfoot with the mixture of conical and bladed studs, while the upper retains the feel that makes it so exceptional on turf.
The best soccer cleats for artificial turf
Best overall
An upgraded version of one of my favorite soccer cleats in the past few years, the Nike Phantom GX 2 Elite takes everything great from the first iteration of the Nike Phantom GX Elite and improves it ever so slightly.
The unbelieveable gripknit covering the entirety of the upper made controlling the ball that little bit easier, and is one of my favorite materials used by an brand on the market right now. This is essential for artificial turf because the movement of the ball can sometimes be a little more unnatural than on regular turf, so the extra grip the material provides is a welcome addition. I did find it can sometimes be a bit too sticky in warmer conditions, but it generally works perfectly.
Featuring safer conical studs than the more-aggressive option found in the best soccer cleats for firm ground, the AG version of the Nike Phantom GX 2 Elite aids in twisting and turning on the field. This doesn't diminish the cleat's ability to offer great traction, with smaller blades on the outsole enabling a quick getaway.
Best quality
While I thought the Mizuno Alpha Made in Japan was one of the best soccer cleats for speed, the lack of an AG option for a long time after its release always irritated me somewhat. Fortunately, the Japanese brand has come straight out of the blocks with an artificial grass-specific cleat for the release of the Mizuno Alpha II Made in Japan, which builds on its excellent predecessor.
Boasting, in my opinion, the best AG soleplate currently on the market, the Alpha II features a generous helping of differently sized conical studs spread across the soleplate that provide evenly-spread comfort and great rotational support.
The build-quality is fantastic, too, thanks to them being handcrafted in Japan. This does mean they come with a more premium price tag, but they're worth every penny.
Best for passing
Opting against reinventing the wheel with the follow-up to one of the best received cleats of recent years, The Adidas Predator 25 Elite AG is very similar in look, fit and feel to the Adidas Predator Elite 24 it replaces.
The main difference I found between the two cleats was the upper being softer and slightly more comfortable straight out of the box on the newer version, with Adidas upgrading the Hybridtouch material to a second generation. This provides even more flexibility on artificial pitches specifically, with the rubber elements for improved grips remaining largely the same.
Offering slightly more support underfoot, the soleplate has been constructed specifically for artificial turf to deal with slightly harder impacts and better traction. I thoroughly enjoy playing in Adidas cleats on artifical turf nowadays, with the brand having put a lot of effort into improving its offering.
Best for speed
While the turf version of the Nike Mercurial Vapor 16 Elite AG's older brother, the Nike Mercurial Superfly 10 Elite, features super aggresive studs, the AG version of the boot opts for a safer conical stud. These are placed around the outside of the soleplate, and have been hollowed out to add to the excellent rotational support naturally provided by the shape of the studs themselves. This makes the Nike Mercurial Vapor 16 Elite AG not only one of the best lightweight soccer cleats, but also one of the most agile, too.
In keeping with the aggressive nature of Mercurials, though, there are also a couple of bladed studs added to the waved studs in the midfoot to provide that bite in traction.
Gripknit also makes a welcome addition to these cleats, with the innovative material made slightly thinner than on the aforementioned Phantom GX 2 Elite in order to retain that iconic barefoot feel. Though extremely thin, this extra bit of grip made dribbling that little bit easier, especially in wet conditions on more abrasive surfaces like artificial turf.
Best all-rounder
Provided with a serious upgrade, the Puma Ultra 5 Ultimate now has a legitimate claim to be one of the best soccer cleats on the market, and certainly performs well in the artificial grass version.
Puma's insistence on referring to cleats that are clearly much better suited for firm ground as FG/AG is something I have been highly critical of in recent times, but with the Puma Ultra 5 Ultimate we now have a dedicated AG option. And it's one I'm a massive fan of.
It features conical studs throughout, concentrated around the outside of the plate with one in the centre of the forefoot area for ease in rotating – the most important aspect of an AG pair. I enjoy the upper as well, making them a great all-round option.
Best for dribbling
Though the cleat itself is quite a departure from the fit and feel of the F50s from the past, due to various shifts in technology, the Adidas F50 Elite manages to hit all of the right notes - and the dedicated AG verion is fantastic, too.
Coming with Adidas’ excellent AG plate, the F50 features predominantly conical studs with a few more triangular studs formed into a circle around the forefoot to help with rotational support and shorter, sharper changes of direction.
The Adidas AG range is the most diverse, also featuring an AG plate dedicated to older 2G and 3G surfaces. It is a shame that these options are not available for the elite tier of cleats as they were in the previous options but they are certainly worth looking at if these are the surfacesyou usually play on.
How we test soccer cleats for artificial turf
Each pair of soccer cleats goes through a vigorous testing process by one of our team, who leaves no stone unturned in their pursuit of the best cleats around. On this occasion, our tester wore each pair on a number of occasions during their 5-aside and 11-aside matches on artificial turf, giving them a clearer picture of what did and didn't work.
Some clearly worked well, as we mention above, while others are far from being our favorites. Factors we consider especially important are comfort, stability, fit and feel, with how safe they perform on artificial turf also another key consideration. After all, injuries feel a lot more common on the surface.
How to choose the right soccer cleats
There are an array of options available on the soccer cleat market, with each brand claiming they've produced the ultimate option featuring the best technology that you simply cannot overlook.
That's not always true, though. At the end of the day, your choice needs to take into account what suits you best and works best with your game. But there are still some important things to consider when making your decision...
Getting the right fit
We've all been there, finding what we think are the perfect soccer cleats only to find that they don't fit, the material creates blisters on your feet and you're dreading putting them back on again.
That's why we'd always recommend players go to a physical store to try cleats on, regardless of the surface they're playing on. Each cleat will fit the shape of your foot differently, which is pretty impossible to gauge online.
Styling
Once you've found a pair of cleats that fits snugly on your foot, it's time for the fun part: choosing the color and style you want to rock up to games in. So many different colorways of the same model are now released on a seemingly monthly basis these days, meaning there's always something for everyone.
After all, it's likely there will still be a number of options to complement exactly what you want - whether it be flashy and colourful or simpler and more traditional.
Leather or synthetic
Most artificial turf cleats are only available in synthetic, due to the way the soccer cleat market is heading and the costs involved adapting leather turf versions into AG. Still, there are a few leather-imitating cleats available, with other kangaroo leather options always reliably stocked.
