How to decide which football boots to buy

The football season is now over and we’re thankful that there’s no international competition that England can embarrass ourselves in! Pre-season starts in a month or two so it’s likely you’ll want to be prepared and thinking of buying some new football boots to start the season off fresh. So we’ve put together this footy boots buying guide to give you genuine and helpful advice and tips for buying a new pair of football boots.

And once you know what to look for in your new footy boots purchase you can read our football boots reviews to find the best boot for you. Or you can check out our football boots buying guides for more help, advice and top tips. 

What to look for in your new pair of football boots

Colour

Nike Hypervenom Phantom 2 football boots

Colour doesn’t affect the performance of a football boot, but what it does affect are people’s opinions of you. It shouldn’t, but it is only human nature to judge someone on appearance. Certain coloured boots resemble types of players in football, and therefore you may want to avoid wearing a colour which doesn’t suit your playing style.

Brightly coloured boots are typically worn by wingers, and show that you know the difference between a Maradona turn and a Ronaldo stepover. All-black boots, on the other hand, are typically worn by defenders and they imply no nonsense and toughness. Often white boots are worn by particularly quick players.

It may be worth a thought as to which playing style and position you are before you fork out the cash for your football boots.

Appearance

Forget about everybody else, the most important thing is that you like the look of your boots. Obviously, the appearance has no bearing on the quality of the boots, but it does have an effect on you as a player in a similar way to dressing smart at work; you do it to feel professional and confident in yourself.

Make sure you’re happy wearing the boots that you choose so that you are not worrying about how they look while you are playing.

Style

Like snowflakes, no two football boot models are the same. Each one is tailored to a different type of player with a different playing style. Nike Hypervenom Superflys for instance, worn by Cristiano Ronaldo, are tailored for pacey forwards. Furthermore, different features of football boots are used to enhance certain aspects of a player’s game. The Nike Magista Opus IIs, for an example, have an embossed dotted upper, meaning that when the boot makes contact with the ball, the indented surface acts as a spring and helps the player to hit the ball with greater power – thus the boot is tailored to strikers.

Just do your research beforehand. Don’t be tempted to simply go for whichever boots look the nicest, as despite that being relevant, the most important thing is the boot’s performance and how it can assist your game.  

Longevity

Umbro Speciali Eternal football boots

Before you buy your footy boots, you should have an idea of how long you are wanting the boots to last. This will be affected by your wealth (can you afford to regularly buy new boots when you need them?), how many times a week you will play in them (will it be once a week or are you going to use them for daily use?) and what surface you are playing on (if you’re playing on poor or hard pitches frequently, erosion will be more likely). Some boots, Pepe’s Umbro Speciali Eternal for one, are made with the intention of withholding strong collisions. They are also made from leather, which makes them Theresa May’s favourite boots as they are strong and stable.

Others boots boast some of the latest and most advanced technology in the industry but as a result sacrifice strength. Clearly, not every boot is going to possess every new feature to enhance every aspect of football AND be able to be infinitely sturdy while lasting you decades. Just make sure you know the purpose of the boot before you buy, so you can make an informed decision.

Stud type

As our football boot guide states, there are a few different types of boots made for different playing surfaces. Make sure that before you buy, you familiarise yourself with all of the industry jargon as well as what stud type is appropriate for the playing surface you will be playing on so that you don’t go wrong.

Don’t ponder over what reviews say

Nike Magista Opus 2 football boots – both boots

Wait what? Hold on, but you’re a football boot review website… And you are now saying don’t listen to reviews? Correct.

A lot of reviews out there will be sponsored or written with the aim of selling the boot which they are writing about. Therefore, there may not be 100% transparency. They may accidentally forget to tell you about the fact that the boots disintegrate when coming into contact with grass.

Don’t worry, our reviews come without bias and we’re not paid by anyone to give a particular opinion, but not all come with such integrity. Be careful about what you read, or more likely, who you read it off.