Do you remember the time when soccer players wore only black and white cleats and no one’s first thought about soccer was diving? We remember, and also can’t shake the feeling that the surge of cartoonish yellow, orange, and pink cleats affected the way players act on the pitch. You can’t be manly and take a hit while wearing something that matches your daughter’s Barbie outfit. In the times where the best sport in the world is accused of an acting epidemic, even though there aren’t many movies about it, wearing these best soccer cleats with a classic feel can be a small first step towards righting a wrong.
Puma Dragon Evospeed 1.3 Graphic FG
The only cleats on this list that are brightly colored and have an application. But the art style cannot be unmentioned as it doesn’t look cheap, cheesy as one might think when contemplating a boot with dragon graphic. The Far East art style is captured magnificently and you’ll feel like Radja Nainggolan tackling in these cleats which are primarily built for speed and are extremely light. It’s an extremely cheap pair, costing only $59.99 right now, and while it’s unique it’s an instant classic.
These oddly looking Adidas shoes appear futuristic and classic at the same time which is a great feature for whatever product. They boast a memory foam liner that molds to the foot and an outsole specifically designed for acceleration on firm ground pitches. Premium K-leather upper fill make you try to do the trivela Quaresma is famous for whenever you get a yard of space. Any shoe that does deserves applause as it is one of the most beautifully and underutilized moves in soccer.
Old school as they come. Diego Armando Maradona played in this type of boot at the 1986 World Cup in Mexico, although his participation in the tournament will be forevermore remembered for his hand, not his feet. Thirty years later Puma released this model with the original tongue, with Maradona’s contour face on it, and his callout on the side. They missed an opportunity to put Pibe instead of Puma on the tongue, though.
It’s all about the color. Only with the white base do this cleats look classic, otherwise they are just another pair of generic-modern neon colorful boots. The PURECUT laceless sock forefoot is there to exclude edges and overlays of getting between you and the ball and also to serve as a support to your ankle. Adidas advertises this as the cleat for the playmaker for whom ball control is paramount, is this is the right choice for commanding the pitch.
The only shoes on this list that breaks up the holy trinity of soccer cleats that is Nike-Adidas-Puma. And while Umbro has made a comeback to the world of shirt sponsorship pretty quickly, the cleats game hasn’t gone that well. Mostly because they tried to do the same as other manufacturers and go neon, but returning to their simplistic, classic routes is what brought them the most success. It’s all about the stability with this one, something that is imperative especially if you’re playing in England.
Both the black and the white version of this shoes have that 1990s feel which automatically puts it as one of the coolest soccer cleats on nostalgia value alone. But it also provides the comfort and the stability needed to be the midfield general every coach needs in his team through the synthetic lining. The white one looks so fly that you can almost rock it to the club, and you’ll feel sorry for dirtying them on the pitch.
This heaven-like cleat is made out of supple kangaroo and goat leather for state of the art comfort and genuine feel for the ball. The all-black version of the shoe looks like something that a stuck-in type of players like Nigel De Jong or Gennaro Gattuso would wear. Or at least that old men. This cleat has the full-length TPU plate for lightweight comfort and flexibility, so it’s not all about the looks.
If you’re living outside the United States this is what your dad and uncles wore when they were playing, updated, of course. The sheer look at the top of the cleat proves that you’ll have the great feel for the touch on the ball, thanks to the surprisingly well-crafted synthetic leather. But the best feature of this boot is that it costs just $45 which is a great ratio of price-quality, and a fantastic first choice for those just getting into soccer.
Their look might not give it right away, but these Niko Tempo Legends are one of the most expensive soccer cleats mass produced. It’s all about the inovative non-slip technologies implemented and premium leather to enable you the closest contact with the ball. Surely one of the best soccer cleats available, it has a snug fit feature – premium kangaroo leather upper and is is supported by a new internal midfoot cage for less slippage and unparalleled foot lockdown.
Another shoe that brings the modern and the classic world together, although, admittedly, this one is more futuristic than vintage, but the color justifies the pick. With just touches of venom-like red, this black and gray shoe has the outside that resembles the scale of a predatory animal like a cayman. It’s made especially for the clinical goal-scorer and it’s actually marketed boldly with the 30-day goal scoring guarantee gimmick. Fernando Torres needed these back in Chelsea.
Which models do you consider as the best soccer cleats and do you share our disgust with the neon-epidemic that has its grasp on the soccer world?
