If your child has outgrown their soccer cleats and are in desperate need of a new pair, then you're in luck as we've detailed all of the best soccer cleats for kids.
Having the right cleats can make a huge difference to a player's game, especially if they don't fit correctly or have been worn into the ground. FFT has been dedicating itself to categorizing designs to make finding the best soccer cleats even easier. If you're wanting the best soccer cleats for wide feet, or even the best soccer cleats under $100, then be sure to check out our other reviews.
But here you'll find the best cleats specifically for kids looking to take their game to the next level and emerge a world-beater.
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Soccer cleats for kids are increasingly featuring the same high quality elements that make top-end adult cleats so revered, and the Adidas Kids Predator Elite is the absolute epitome of that. Seeing the Predator's iconic rubber fins adorning the cleat is fantastic.
Lightweight and of high-quality, the kids version of the Adidas F50 largely resemble what the professionals wear in the elite model. They're super lightweight and offer a great touch.
In implementing a super-thin upper onto the kids version of the Vapor 16, Nike has created something incredibly lightweight. Your child will fly through the air like they're weightless in these cleats.
Coming in at a cheaper price point due to the lower-end version of the cleat, the Nike Kids Phantom GX 2 Academy is still a great option providing decent levels of performance for younger players.
Puma has made huge stride forwards in providing kids with a high-quality cleat option, with much of the same design elements from the adult version featuring on the Kids Ultra 5 Pro.
Best overall
Using the same premium materials of the adult equivalent Adidas Predator Elite, the kids cleats are of high quality and will feel fantastic for your child to play in.
With the soft hybridtouch upper, same folding tongue and decent rubber element coverage, the Adidas Kids Predator Elite has everything that makes the main version one of the best soccer cleats for midfielders - but still at a relatively cheaper price point, though not inexpensive. That folding tongue also means your kid's laces are less likely to come undone during games, leaving you without a job to do in tying them back up - result!
Underfoot the same stud pattern and configuration is also used, which is a soleplate I'm personally a huge fan of because it provides that bite I'm looking for as well as the manouverability I'm looking for when twisting and turning.
Best quality
Cleats for kids are quite often much lower tech versions of their adult counterparts. Kids feet grow quickly and the merits of splurging the kind of money that elite adult cleats cost are limited. With the kids version of the Adidas F50 Elite, though, we have something of a rarity: a junior’s cleat loaded with much of the cutting-edge technology available to the world’s best players.
Built with the brand's super lightweight Aerocage skeleton and the thin, semi-translucent Aeropacity upper, the Adidas Kids F50 Pro are lightweight but with adequate structure. So don't be surprised to see your young star flying away at speed with very little weighing them down - without sacrificing any support.
What's more, the soleplate is the snappy, ultra responsive one that Adidas use across the F50 range. A plastic insert through the midfoot gives it great energy return and a mix of bladed and chevron cleats provides significant traction and aggression.
Best lightweight cleats
Tailor-made for all those budding Kylian Mbappes, the Nike Kids Mercurial Vapor 16 Pro provide a true one-to-one sensation between foot and ball, thanks to the brilliant Gripknit upper and sock-like construction - the same materials used on the Nike Mercurial Superfly 10 Elite.
In the adult game, they're the best soccer cleats for speed as well as the best lightweight soccer cleats, with the aggressive soleplate offering great traction for your child to speed away from their opposition defender. The new soccer-specific Air Zoom insert introduced by Nike for the latest generation also means there will be an extra spring in their step when pushing off.
Fortunately, Nike's Speed Cage lining inside the upper ensures this lightweight feeling doesn't come at the expense of stability, providing the perfect level of structure so they can feel supported at all times inside the cleat. They're comfortable, too, with the cushioned insole reducing impact upon landing. A great option for those seeking cutting-edge technology.
Best for versatility
As an Academy tier cleat, there are other options in this list that feature better quality materials than the Nike Kids Phantom GX 2 Academy, but that's not to diminish the soft, flexible and comfortable upper that is balanced brilliantly with a decent soleplate.
A mixture of chevron and conical studs provides a balance between aggression and
stability when pushing off at speed, as well as ease when twisting and cutting. There's an agility line that runs through the soleplate, too, helping provide extra stability under foot, while there's plenty of flexibility in the outsole to improve comfort.
I love the Nike Phantom GX 2 Elite, so, even though this kids cleat is a takedown model, the main characteristics remain largely intact. If you're after a cheaper option for your young star in the making, I'd highly recommend these cleats.
Best for dribbling
Puma's upgrade of the Ultra model has certainly been one of the success stories in the soccer cleat market in the last year, with the latest release showing drastic signs of improvement on its predecessor.
What I found a key highlight on the Puma Kids Ultra 5 Pro is the grip control pro upper, which helps with ball manipulation in every situation. This has been incorporated with the brand's super-light ultraweave material to ensure that there's a true one-to-one sensation between foot and ball, though still retaining a decent element of grip at the same time.
The cleats also have wonderfully and uniquely angled studs that also form the snappy and responsive soleplate on the adult version of the Puma Ultra 5 Ultimate, highlighting the crossover between models. Puma's speedplate has a springy design that provides good energy return when pushing off from a standing start, too.
How we test soccer cleats
We put each pair through its paces for several sessions across all surfaces to determine their true level of performance across key factors including comfort, stability, fit and feel. This also allows us to balance them against the claims from brands about new features and technology.
If a brand says that a new aspect of its soleplate means you will be able to push off faster or a new synthetic upper is just as comfortable as leather – we will test to see how accurate this really is.
Each pair is tested by an expert member of the team who lives and breathes soccer cleats, and are therefore able to cut through the marketing minefield and provide simple yet detailed advice for all players regardless of level.
In-depth knowledge of the market means that factors that are important to consumers like value for money will always be flagged.
How to choose the best soccer cleats
The soccer cleat market can be a bit of a minefield at the best of times, with an array of options available and brands championing the latest tech that will have you jumping higher, running faster and never miscontrolling a ball ever again.
Ultimately, choices should come down to what best suits your child and their game. Below are some factors to consider when looking for their next pair...
Soleplate
The soleplate is where the bulk of the technology of a cleat lives, so it is very important to consider this when choosing a pair.
Firstly, the surface the cleats are intended for is extremely important. If your child plays the majority of their soccer on artificial surfaces, then it's no good buying them a pair of soft ground cleats, and vice versa.
Different cleats have more aggressive stud patterns than others as well, so it's worth considering what type of traction and comfortability your little one will want from their soccer cleats.
Getting the right fit
We would always recommend trying a pair before buying because making sure cleats are the perfect length and width is key. When it comes to cleats for kids, however, this is even more important.
Of course, kids' feet are constantly growing and changing size, meaning you'd ideally want a little bit of extra room when you first buy them so that your child doesn't grow out of them too quickly - after all, no one wants to see a good quality pair of soccer cleats discarded after just a month because they're now too small.
Plus, with pairs of the same size often varying slightly in length between brands and across models, it is important for cleats to be tried on first in order to know whether it is better to go a half size up or down for a particular pair or brand.
