What are the best football boots to buy? The choice in 2024 is vast. Sure, Nike and Adidas are still the big boys – with Puma taking up the third spot, but other brands are making waves in the sports footwear market as well. So, how on earth do you decipher the waffle and pick a pair of football boots that are suited to you and are going to elevate your game?
Luckily, we’re here to help. At Football Boots Guru, we’ve tried and tested hundreds of boots over the years and after putting each and every one under intense scrutiny, we know exactly what to look out for.
We’ve already have a page for the cheapest football boots, but here is our complete top 5 guide to the best football boots to buy in 2024.
The Top 5 Best Football Boots in 2024
- #5 Adidas Adizero (£79-£180)
- #4 Nike Air Zoom Mercurial Superfly 9 (£88)
- #3 New Balance Furon V7 (£37-£53)
- #2 Puma Future Z 2.4 (£70 – £120)
- #1 Nike Tiempo Legend 9 Elite (£74 – £200)
Top 5 Best Football Boots of 2024
| Name of Boots | Brand | Price Range | Value for Money | Look + Style | Features | Durability | Overall Rating | Buy Now |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adizero | Adidas | £80 - £290 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 3/5 | 5/5 | 4.25/5 | See Cheapest Price |
| Air Zoom Mercurial Superfly 9 | Nike | £85 - £135 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | 4/5 | 4.5/5 | See Cheapest Price |
| Furon V7 | New Balance | £70 - £210 | 4/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4.5/5 | See Cheapest Price |
| Future Z 2.4 | Puma | £70 - £120 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | 4.75/5 | See Cheapest Price |
| Tiempo Legend 9 Elite | Nike | £85 - £200 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4.75/5 | See Cheapest Price |
5 – Adidas Men’s Adizero Football Boots (£79-£180)
The Adidas Adizeros are our fifth pick for the best football boots of 2024, and for good reason too.
Comfort is the name of their game for a few reasons. Firstly, some are a real struggle to get on. The Adizeros have a lock-in feel that is necessary to make sure your feet don’t move in the boot, but the heel tabs added make it easy to pull the boot onto your foot. The mesh upper also makes these lightweight and allow air to pass through more easily. However, one of the best things about these boots are the studded configuration of the outsoles, that allow for absolute movement.
All round, these boots are very good to use and we recommend you giving them a go – you won’t regret it.
4 – NIKE Air Zoom Mercurial Superfly Football Boots (£88)
NIKE Air Zoom Mercurial Superfly Football Boots – best football boots 2024
Well, we just had to include the Nike Mercurials in the list of the best football boots, didn’t we?
The detail in the Nike Air Zoom Mercurial Superflys are INSANE! What other boot has an entire Air Zoom unit in the sole? This essentially makes it feel like you’re walking on clouds rather than a mud-infested pitch. Its Speed Cage adds to this lightweight feel – being a thin but incredibly strong piece of material that secures your foot to the outsole. The grippy mesh of the upper is Vaporposite+, which allows for delicate touches and absolute ball control.
The Mercurials are 100% worth a buy – you will feel the difference.
3 – New Balance Furon V7 Football Boots (£37-£53)
New Balance Furon V7 Football Boots – best football boots 2024
Is it a Nike boot? Is it an Adidas boot? Is it a Puma boot? No! There are other brands out there and while this trio definitely dominate the market, some of the other players definitely create some nice boots as well.
These New Balance Furons have a dynamic, Hypoknit upper that is specifically designed to stretch in certain areas where more flexibility of the foot is required. It also has an off-set laces configuration, which is a fancy way of saying the laces aren’t in the conventional centre of the boots. Rather, they are towards the outer part of the boot, leaving a greater strike zone for you to connect with the ball. Finally, the Hypoknit ankle collar is unintrusive yet effective in providing sufficient support to the ankle.
All round, we were shocked at just how good New Balance were in this case at producing an innovative, top quality pair of football boots.
2 – Puma Future Z 2.4 Football Boots (£70-£120)
Puma Future Z 2.4 Football Boots – best football boots 2024
Puma never used to really challenge Nike and Adidas, but in the last few years they’ve pushed the Big Two and part of their innovation has lead them to designing these worldies – the Puma Future Zs.
Engineered 3D textures at specific contact zones enhance striking and control capabilities of whoever’s wearing these. The thing we liked most about these, though, was the lightweight sockliner that uses NanoGrip technology to ensure the foot doesn’t move in the boot. If that’s not your thing or you wear your own grip socks, it’s removable, so you can have it either way.
Puma has also worked hard on the upper. The FUZIONFIT360 consists of stretchy knit, PWRTAPE support and tailored dual mesh, all of which combine for extra comfort and stability.
We couldn’t wait to try these out and weren’t disappointed. Get yours now!
1 – Nike Tiempo Legend 9 Elite Football Boots (£74-£200)
The Nike Tiempo Legend 9 Elites are the best football boots of 2024
Here it is! The big daddy of all football boots and our No.1 pick for the best football boots of 2024.
We love the fact that the Nike Tiempo Legend 9 Elites aren’t too complex. They’re simplistic but do a hell of a job on the pitch. The raised texture of the upper with small, soft phoam pods allows for precise dribbling and enhanced shooting. There have been several versions of the Tiempo Legends, but these ones are the very lightest version. This is aided by their redesigned, lightweight soleplate, that ensures you can speed around the pitch. Furthermore, the insole is lined with adaptive mesh technology that provides some of the highest comfort we’ve seen in a football boot.
All in all, we absolutely LOVED the Nike Tiempo Legend 9 Elites, which is why they are our top pick. Good job Nike, you’ve done well.
Looking for something a little cheaper? Here’s our top 5 picks for the best cheap football boots in 2024. Check out the cheapest deals for the best boots – all under £30!
What Makes a Football Boot the Best?
There are several aspects to all football boots, and each and every one impacts a different area of your game on the pitch. Therefore, it’s crucial to buy a top quality football boot, to give you the best possible chance of performing to your maximum potential every time you play.
So, here is what you should look out for in a football boot that makes it one of the best boots to buy.
Soft Upper
These Puma King’s have some gorgeous soft uppers
The upper, as the name suggests, is the upper part of the boot where the laces sit on. It’s perhaps the most important part of the boot, as it’s the area that will be used when striking or playing a long ball. It also covers the largest are of the foot, and thus has a huge significance on how comfortable a boot can be.
A soft upper, therefore, will do several things. Firstly, it ensures that the ball can be cushioned down more easily. If the upper is soft, there is more flexibility so the ball won’t cannon off your foot. Instead, it will sink into the boot. It also helps to nullify the space between your foot and the boot. If the gap is large, it’s going to make it more difficult to accurately strike the ball in the direction you want. However, a soft upper allows the ball to better mould to your foot, meaning you’ll experience better accuracy when striking and passing the ball.
Finally, a soft upper provides enhanced comfort and protection felt around the foot. If the upper is rigid and robust, it might do wonders for longevity but it won’t be too comfortable. Alternatively, a flimsy, thin upper won’t provide the stability needed. Synthetic uppers tend to be the best of both worlds. They’re soft and comfortable, yet also provide the stability to be robust enough to properly protect your feet.
Flexible and Sturdy Soleplate
Sondico football boots with a stunning sturdy soleplate
The soleplate is the foundation of the boot, located at its bottom where the foot rests. Given this last point, the soleplate is crucial in determine just how good a boot is.
It must be sturdy first of all. If not, then it could fall apart. We often see boots with splits between the soleplate and the upper, particularly at the front of the boot. This is where that annoying thing happens where water gets into your boots and makes your feet wet.
However, a little flexibility is also important – you don’t want a soleplate to be too rigid. If so, it may cause rubbing and discomfort in your feet. It must be flexible enough to mould around the shape of your foot and also to allow your foot to move in different directions.
A Good Fit
Adama Traore knows a good fit when he feels it
We realise this is fairly vague, (if you want more info we’ve written an article on how tight your football boots should be) but a part of what makes some of the best football boots as good as they are is the fit. Of course, the size you buy will determine how well they fit, but there’s more to it than that.
For instance, some football boots, like the Puma King Tops, are more suited for wide feet than other models. Also, the materials used for the inside of the boots will either accentuate or reduce comfort levels. Another factor that determines whether or not boots are a good fit is extras like ankle collars. They can make boots harder to get on, but once they’re on they can provide a real lock-in feel.
All these aspects of the boots combine to create either a good or a bad fit. It’s something to consider when choosing your next pair.
Value for Money
New Balance Furon V7 (Destroy) Football Boots are good value for money hurrah!
I initially wrote price for this section’s header, before swiftly crossing it out. Price is important, but so too is quality. If you find a pair of boots for £5, that may be a great price but the quality will more than likely be very poor. Similarly, if you find a pair of boots for £400, they should be decent but you have to evaluate whether or not they’re worth that much.
For the most part, the more expensive the boot the better they are, but this isn’t always the case. But you should ensure that you’re at least getting value for money when you purchase boots. That means they’re some of the cheapest football boots around, or they’re some of the best football boots on the market (or somewhere in between).
How do we Rank Football Boots?
Several different factors are taken into consideration when we rate and rank our football boots. This ranges from feel and appearance, to effectiveness on the pitch. We pick different aspects of football boots, rank them out of 10 and then get an average for all points that we assessed. At the end, we’re left with a final score out of 10 to rate the boots as whole. Scientific? Not really. But it’s honest, effective and at the end of the day just our personal opinions on how good we think a boot actually is.
- Effectiveness on the pitch
- Features
- Comfort
- Value for money
- Appearance
Ranking the Best Football Boots by Effectiveness
A key ranking factor for us is boots’ effectiveness on the pitch. This is ultimately the most important aspect to any football boot – how they perform when you’re wearing them. Some boots look nice, or boast many different technologies, but the best football boots do the business on the pitch.
Ranking the Best Football Boots by Features
Another important factor for football boots is the features they have. By features, we’re talking about ankle collars, stud formations, type of soleplate, upper material, tongue over the laces – anything that isn’t typically found in every other pair of boots. Things that make the boot unique or stand out.
Ranking the Best Football Boots by Comfort
Comfort is another ranking factor, and a hugely important one at that. If a boot is not comfortable and causing rubbing, blistering or irritation on the pitch it will severely impact a player’s game. On the other hand, if a boot it secure, comfortable and provides adequate stability, it’s going to make a real difference.
Ranking the Best Football Boots by Value for Money
Of course, the most expensive boots are likely to be better than the cheaper versions, but that’s not difficult to understand. Therefore, we don’t judge boots based on their price, but rather their value for money. In other words, is what they offer to a player on the pitch worth the amount you have to pay for them?
Ranking the Best Football Boots by Appearance
While appearance has no bearing on the performance of a boot, everybody wants to look good. So, appearance is another factor we judge boots by. We don’t give it as much weight as other aspects, but we do considering how a boot looks when we determine if it is one of the best of 2024.
Who Ranks the Best Football Boots?
The person who ranks all these boots and who came up with this definitive list of the top 5 best football boots of 2024 is me – Ben, FBG founder! I have over 10 years’ experience trying out, testing and writing about different football boots.
I’ve also played my fair share of football, being in academies when I was younger (‘I coUlD hAvE GonE PrO’) and playing at a semi-professional level as well. I know exactly what’s needed from a good, solid football boot. I also know what makes a bad boot, or one that is not good value for money.
I hate tooting my horn (let’s get this straight, I was never anywhere near good enough to make it as a pro footballer despite what my mum told me), but I like to think that I have a decent amount of experience and knowledge testing football boots. So, while my opinion is just that – an opinion, it’s backed by real, first-hand experience.
What Type of Football Boots Should you Buy?
AG, SG, PG, R2D2… SO many different abbreviations, so little time to understand them. Well don’t worry, if you’re not sure which type of boots you should buy, we’re here to help.
| Type of Stud | Abbreviation | Pitch Type | Stud Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Soft Ground | SG | Wet, muddy, boggy grass pitch. | Long, metal studs. |
| Firm Ground | FG | Dry, hard grass pitch. | Long, plastic studs or blades. |
| Artificial Ground | AG | Artificial surfaces like 3 and 4G pitches. | Long, plastic studs or blades. |
| Multi-Ground | MG | Dry, hard grass pitches or 3 or 4G pitches. | Short, circular, plastic studs. |
| Astro Turf | AT | Sand (2G) or gravel-based pitches. | Grippy, rubber indents. |
What are SG Football Boots?
SG football boots are ‘Soft Ground’ boots that are suited for wet, slippy grass pitches. SG boots give the most grip in challenging, heavy and boggy pitches. So, when it’s mid-December and you rock up to your Sunday League game amidst an epic downpoor, grab your SG football boots.
What are FG Football Boots?
FG football boots are ‘Firm Ground’ boots that are suited to hard grass pitches. They don’t have metal studs, as the resistance with the firmer pitches would cause extreme discomfort to your feet. Instead, they use smaller plastic studs or even blades give you the sufficient grip on a harder surface. You’re playing in the first game of the season after a long, dry summer – FG boots are the ones to choose.
What are AG Football Boots?
AG football boots are ‘Artificial Ground’ boots that are perfect to wear on synthetic 3 or 4G pitches. Again, similarly to FG boots, they have plastic studs to grip to the artificial surface without causing any discomfort. If you’re playing one of those keen tika-taka-wannabe teams on a 4G pitch, bring out the AGs!
What are MG Football Boots?
MG football boots are ‘Mixed-Ground’ boots that act as a hybrid between AG and FG. The big difference is that these studs are shorter and a circular shape, while still being made of plastic. These are versatile boots that we’d recommend if you’re on a budget, but not if you want to get optimum performance out of your boots for a specific surface.
What are AT Football Boots?
AT football boots are ‘Astro Turf’ boots that can be worn on old-school astro pitches like 2G surfaces. These are pitches that if you went to ground, you’d come back up missing four layers of skin. The pain WAS real. So while your parents talk to you about the hardships they’ve suffered in life, if you’ve played on a 2G pitch you can say you too have been in the proverbial trenches!
The Top 5 Best Online Sites to Buy Football Boots
Not set on our picks or want to browse for some other football boots online? No worries, we’ve got you. Of course, you can go to Nike and co. to get your boots direct from the retailers, but you already know that. Plus, you can often get better, cheaper deals when shopping at a third-party retailer. So, here are our recommendations for the best online sites to buy football boots.
#5. Sports Direct
#4. JD Sports
#3. Lovell Soccer
#2. Pro Direct Sport
#1. Amazon
5. Sports Direct
The face of a man who knows how to sell the best football boots
Any Newcastle United fan won’t need us to tell them that the man behind Sports Direct, with their former owner founding the company in 1982. But since then, when it was called Mike Ashley Sports, it’s grown into one of the most popular sports-goods retailer.
Nowadays, Sports Direct operates both on the high-street and online, and offers a great selection of football boots. What’s more, you can get some very good deals for all the top football boot brands, such as Nike, Adidas, Puma and many more.
Why we loved Sports Direct:
- Cheap football boot deals
- Wide range of boots
- In-person stores as well as online
4. JD Sports
As a huge English sportswear retailer, with over 3,400 stores in the UK and internationally, JD Sports knows what it’s doing. Its site is easy to navigate and you can use its various filters to find a football boots that exactly suits you.
You’ve also got student discount, free delivery on orders over £70 (at the time of writing, don’t come for us if this has changed when you’re on the site please) and, of course, a whole host of different top-level football boots at a decent price.
Why we loved JD Sports:
- Same day click and collect
- Easy-to-navigate site
- Range of different filters to help you find the right boots
3. Lovell Soccer
We’re not in love with the name, but the range and quality of boots on offer at Lovell Soccer certainly make up for it. We particularly loved the ‘Same day dispatch’ guarantee (*when ordering before 8pm), meaning we didn’t have to wait to lace our new boots up.
Add in some great deals and offers, flexibility on payment options and personalisation capabilities, and Lovell Soccer really is an all-inclusive site to shop for the best football boots.
Why we loved Pro Direct Sport:
- Multiple payment currencies (Inc. JPY, AUD, EUR, USD + GBP + More)
- Fully personalise your boots
- Military, student and health service discount
2. Pro Direct Sport
Pro Direct Sport is an online catalogue full of more boots then you can shake a stick at. What started out as any other boot retailer sites has since become possibly the largest online boot room on the entire internet. It’s a true heaven for any football lover and you can’t go wrong checking out Pro Direct Sport if you have a boot in mind – they WILL have it.
If you’re unsure on what boots to get, either check out our many football boot reviews or simply go to Pro Direct Sports and browse until your fingers are numb.
Why we loved Pro Direct Sport:
- It’s the world’s largest boot room
- Over 1,500 different football boots stocked
- Search by types (Laceless, Indoor, Anti-clog, FG etc.)
1. Amazon
Jeff Bezos gives a thumbs up to cheap football boots
Okay, we’re sorry first of all for being capitalist slaves and adding Amazon to this list. But in the spirit of honesty and integrity, it just is one of the best sites to buy football boots.
We don’t need to overly preach the benefits of Amazon Prime, where you can order football boots one day and be playing in them the next. This is great if you have a last-minute, boot-related emergency on a Friday night.
If you’re looking for some of the cheapest football boots online, Amazon is also a great option. They offer all the top brands, but also include some low-key brands that you wouldn’t have heard of from Asia and the Americas. These are white-label type boots that your teammates might not recognise, but carry all the same qualities as the top-end boots. Amazon also has size guides, so it’s easier to get it right and buy a boot online that actually fits.
Why we loved Amazon:
- Fast delivery
- Cheapest lower-level boots
- Range of real-customer reviews
