If you're struggling to find soccer cleats that fit you comfortably while also providing you with the peace of mind that they've been created specifically for women then you're in luck, because we've detailed all of the best soccer cleats for women.
Having the right cleats can make a huge difference to a player's game, from both a performance and safety stand point. That's because women players are more susceptible to injury, which is largely down to manufacturers biasing cleats that are more ergonomically designed for men's feet. There may be a range of best soccer cleats around, but not many will provide a comfortable playing experience for women.
With that in mind, we've taken it upon ourselves at FFT to bring you the best soccer cleats for women on the market...
Quick list
Nike designed the Phantom Luna Elite with women specifically in mind, with an anatomical shape and cyclone 360-degree soleplate to help make rotating safer for women on the pitch.
With Puma's Dynamic Motion System Soleplate and studs configured in a way to make twisting and turning safer, the Pwrtape also helps keep the foot stable in sharp changes of direction.
The newer version of the Future Ultimate sees the Pwrtape in a different place on the great - improving lockdown and keeping the foot even more secure. The upper is great at offering stability, too.
The internal layer of auxetic material provides extra padding and protection, acting as a fake leather to cushion any impacts. There's a shock-absorbing insole and heel support as well.
Lightweight and thin, the Puma King Ultimate features K-Better, Puma's synthetic alternative to leather. This creates a barefoot feel in the upper, while underfoot the soleplate has been specifically designed for women.
Best overall
Released ahead of the 2023 Women’s World Cup, the Nike Phantom Luna Elite became the first cleat designed by Nike specifically for women – and they're among the best options from the brand.
With ergonomic design aspects that are more accommodating for women's feet, such as the anatomical flyknit collar shaped for ankle support, these are cleats that will improve performance and reduce the risk of injury. Indeed, the flyknit collar helps produce better lockdown and a more responsive fit, making the Phantom Lunas feel like an extension of your body.
What particularly stood out to me, though, is the cyclone 360-degree soleplate, which helped to reduce rotational traction. Pivoting in the Luna Elite certainly felt a lot easier than many of the other cleats I've extensively tested on turf, and it's clear to see that Nike's focus is on reducing injuries in women's players with this option.
Men's players also wear them, too, meaning there are plenty of other elements on the cleat that will help improve performance that aren't just focused on injury prevention.
Best for turning
Engineered specifically for women, the Future Ultimate specifically matches the anatomical shape of a woman's foot. The cleat focuses on volume and instep height to ensure that they're more comfortable for women, with the soleplate and studs configured in such a way that injuries are less of a risk, too.
The Dynamic Motion System Soleplate helped with twisting and turning, providing the energy return I wanted. With Puma's PWRTAPE featuring on the cleat, the Future Ultimate does a great job in keeping your foot locked-down. I found this meant they initially fit quite snug and narrow, but eventually expanded to the shape of my foot - they're certainly suitable for players with wide feet, but might take a bit of extra break-in time.
I would, however, recommend going half-a-size down if you want something slightly better fitting, because the Future Ultimate is a bit longer than I expected straight out of the box and let me with more space than I would have wanted in the toebox.
Best for lockdown
Building upon the previous Future Ultimate generation, the Future 7 has changed the shape and placement of the PWRTAPE. This secured my foot in place even better than before, while the dual mesh FuzionFit360 upper provides a super flexible adaptive fit to easily conform to the shape of women's feet.
The soleplate remains largely the same to the previous generation, ensuring consistency is applied to match the anatomical shape of a woman's foot, but the overall length of the cleat does mean these fit a little on the larger side.
I personally had to go half-a-size down in order to get the full benefits of the cleat, otherwise I found my foot slipping around a little too much than I would have liked. Testing the FG/AG model, it also became apparent that these cleats aren't best suited for artificial turf, due to the long studs. They worked perfectly on natural turf, though.
Best for protection
While not one of the most prominent players in the soccer cleat market, Under Armour does have its own women's specific cleat, aimed at improving comfort and performance.
With a thick, shock-absorbing insole, the impact running will have on your body is lessened, while the leather-like upper material provides a cushioning that also helps with protecting your feet during games. There's plenty of support in the heel area, too, aiding in twists and turns on the field.
What I found most striking about the Magnetico, though, was the internal layer of auxetic material. Under Armour has designed these cleats to ensure they mould specifically to the shape of your foot, and this didn't take very long for me.
Women's players sometimes find it difficult to find a good-fitting cleat, so look no further than the Magneticos if you want a true one-to-one feel.
Best for speed
Featuring K-Better, the Puma King Ultimate's upper is thinner, lighter, more water resistant, more durable and more stretchy than traditional kangaroo leather - perfect for women's players looking to find the best fit for their new cleats.
The knit lace closure and collar also helps to provide a seamless fit with good lockdown, while the padded heel enhances comfort, too. I did find the King Ultimate fits a little narrow straight out of the box, but once broken in it should conform to the shape of your foot.
With an anatomical soleplate design, these cleats are best-suited to the shape of women's feet, with the conical studs ensuring safety when players are making sharp changes of direction, especially on artificial surfaces. Bladed studs are more likely to get caught in the ground and cause an injury, while conical studs can pivot a lot better around the same position.
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 specific aspect of the soleplate makes twisting and turning easier or a newly-curated material on the upper will provide a better fit, 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.
How to choose the best soccer cleats
The soccer cleat market can be a a minefield at the best of times, as manufacturers throw marketing jargon around championing the latest tech that will supposedly make you ten-times the player you currently are.
But while we'd all love to choose the cleat which looks the best, that's not necessarily always the best option available to us. Choosing the best soccer cleat should focus on how it feels and feels, with the looks coming as a secondary consideration.
Are women's soccer cleats different to men's?
Plain and simply, yes.
Men and women have different body shapes and sizes, meaning that the pressure loads through our feet aren't the same. That means soleplates and stud configurations are altered, because otherwise there is a greater risk of injury.
In addition, the shape of the cleat changes from men's to women's. Generally, a woman's foot arch height is different to a man's, therefore impacting the entirety of the rest of the foot shape. Wider toe boxes are therefore needed to support this, meaning there are lots of subtle changes in a woman's cleat compared to a man's cleat that isn't necessarily noticeable at first glance.
Can women wear men's soccer cleats?
We wouldn't advise women to wear men's soccer cleats, because the way they are designed is completely different. This is because men's and women's feet ergonomically aren't the same, so how they sit in the cleat is affected. There's a greater risk of injury as a result, while it's likely they'll cause discomfort regardless.
In the past, women didn't have any option but to wear men's cleats, but there are an increasing number of options available to women on the market now. How women move compared to men is different, and these anatomical changes are now being incorporated into cleats to ensure the safety of players.
Getting the right fit
We would always recommend trying a pair before buying because making sure your cleats are the perfect length and width is key.
Try before you buy is FFT's motto. We'd always recommend you try on a pair of cleats to make sure they fit correctly before parting with your money, because sizing often varies between brands - and even across models. That means you could be a size 8 in a Nike cleat, but a 8.5 when it comes to Puma.
On top of that, some cleats are much narrower than others, so foot shape certainly needs to come into your consideration, too. This is especially important if considering a pair of laceless cleats as the lack of laces means there is very little adaptability – they will either work for your feet or they won’t.
