Types of Cleats Explained: Football, Soccer, Baseball & More

You wouldn’t wear a high-top pair of football cleats for a track meet. You wouldn’t try to lug out a double on the baseball field with soccer turf cleats on your feet, either. Each sport is played on unique surfaces and conditions, and has unique requirements. Some days you’ll find yourself playing a football game in grassy, natural conditions. Others you’ll be planting your feet in artificial turf. The gear that you’ve got laced up on your feet can make or break your performance depending on what those cleats are specifically designed for. We break down the types of cleats you’ll find for the main sports that require them: football, soccer, baseball, softball, and lacrosse. 

Types of Football Cleats

Every player on a football field brings something different to every position. Some quarterbacks are pocket passers, while others can turn on the jets and use their legs. You’ll also have dual-threat quarterbacks that’ll be able to do both. Your wide receivers and running backs are shifty, cutting and maneuvering their way through routes and traffic after the catch. Same goes for defenders like cornerbacks and safeties. Linebackers help man the defense, while your linemen on both sides of the ball fight in the trenches for an upper hand every play. All of this is to say that every position does something unique, and in turn might fare better with certain types of cleats compared to others. Here are the different types of football cleats: 

• Low-cut cleats: These types of cleats are choice that most receivers and cornerbacks will make due to the importance of speed, quickness, and explosive movements. 

• Mid-cut cleats: These still bring the speed, but are designed to help support your ankles. That means you’re getting more support for the stability a position like quarterback, running back, tight end, and linebacker might require while still being able to move efficiently. 

• High-top cleats: Linemen, these are your best bet for comfort on gameday. High-cut cleats usually rise slightly above the ankle, and are designed for support and stability. They’re a bit heavier than other cleat options as well. 

Types of Soccer Cleats

It goes without saying that there’s a ton of running involved when you’re on the soccer field. On the pitch, you’ll be running laterally, vertically, and spinning your body around—every direction you can think of moving. Your soccer cleats are built to support that, plus having to handle the ball at the same time, plus going in for slide tackles, and much more. Here’s the different types of soccer cleats you’ll find when looking for your next pair: 

• Firm ground cleats: These are your most common soccer cleats, and it’s not hard to find why. They’re solid to wear on natural grass fields with dry surfaces, and feature conical or bladed studs, which are skinny and stick into dry ground for better traction. You’ll see that the stud pattern on a pair of firm ground cleats provides soccer players a bit more extra stability and traction on firm, natural ground surfaces. They’re dynamic. They’re filled with traction. They’re what you’ll probably wear most games. 

• Soft ground cleats: Also known as “soft grass cleats,” they’re designed for natural grass surfaces that are damp, wet, or muddy. They fight against bad conditions like this by using wide, conical studs that are longer than those on firm ground cleats. It’s generally not recommended to use these on firm ground surfaces because they can slow you down, while the studs might bend or break since there’s really no “give” for them to dig in to. 

• Turf cleats: You guessed correctly. These are soccer cleats for turf fields. Shorter studs evenly placed across the soles of these cleats give you traction without damaging the playing field. That being said, trying to use turf soccer cleats on a natural grass field? That probably wouldn’t go your way. These cleats are designed for when practice or gameday moves to turf and turf only. 

• Indoor soccer shoes: It might be a rarity, but the weather could either totally derail your practice or game plans and have you play indoors on hardwood or smooth concrete. Whatever the case, indoor soccer shoes made for these surfaces have a completely flat sole with tread that give you traction without damaging the surface. Coupled with a low-profile design for more agility and speed, they’re not designed for outdoor fields because they’re built for traction on smooth surfaces.

Types of Baseball & Softball Cleats

Two sports that share the same ideas, baseball and softball cleats are similar when it comes to what they’re made of and the surfaces they’re built for. Here are some of the types of cleats you’ll find for baseball and softball: 

• Metal cleats: Metal cleats are going to offer you the best traction you’ll get when playing on a traditional field with a dirt infield and a grass outfield. The metal spikes dig into those surfaces for grip, and the stiff soles they come with keep them supportive, yet can be a little less comfortable when compared to hard plastic cleats. Don’t wear these when you’re playing on artificial surfaces like turf, though, since they’ll rip it to shreds. It’s also crucial you check in with league officials to see whether or not they allow metal cleats in your league. They’re typically going to be banned in youth leagues because of the risk of spikes injuring players, especially those that are just getting the fundamentals of the game down. It’s important to maintain these thoroughly, since the metal spikes can rust. Keep them in dry places when you store them. 

• Rubber molded cleats: These are the popular choice amongst many ballplayers at every age and skill level. They use durable rubber studs on the soles to give you traction on all surfaces without sacrificing additional weight. You can use them on artificial turf surfaces. They’re safer for children and players in general compared to metal cleats because of the studs.  

• TPU/MCS cleats: If you want the long version of these, they’re also called thermoplastic polyurethane cleats. They’re close to the rubber molded cleats, except their studs feature a hard plastic for better traction. The plastic soles give players the flexibility and safety of rubber molded cleats, while providing the support and traction of a metal cleat. Don’t wear these on turf surfaces because the studs can get caught in them.  

• Turf shoes: Turf shoes refrain from damaging the surface by using small rubber nubs or treads that give you the traction you need to move on it comfortably without harm. They’re lightweight and versatile, giving players a choice to also wear on natural surfaces.  

Baseball Cleats vs. Other Types of Cleats 

Baseball cleats vs. softball cleats: Though they might come with the same variety of spikes and studs, there are some differences between baseball and softball cleats. Baseball cleats might be a little less flexible since they’re given more support for players to cover more ground. Since the fields in softball are smaller, softball cleats can be more flexible to allow for players to move better at shorter distances. Softball cleats are generally built with shorter spikes and studs to accommodate for the difference in field size. 

Baseball cleats vs. soccer cleats: As noted above, soccer cleats are created for speed and maximum agility. You also won’t find soccer cleats with metal spikes since the dangers of slide tackling with a set of metal spikes facing your opponent, well, speak for themselves.  

What to Look for in Lacrosse Cleats

There’s no shortage of lateral, dynamic movement in lacrosse. To accommodate for that, lacrosse cleats are designed for those quick turns and sharp cuts. Lacrosse cleats prioritize stability, and are built for extra ankle support. These are cleats that’ll have a broader base with more prominent studs that help with support on lateral movements. Some have bladed studs. Some have conical studs. Some even have both. They help lacrosse players hit the brakes and step on the gas fast. 

Lacrosse cleats can also be surface-specific. Molded ones have hard plastic or TPU studs that don’t need as much maintenance as detachable ones since dirt and debris can’t get under the studs. Turf shoes use small rubber nubs in place of studs, giving you better traction on the artificial surface without damaging it. They’re light, comfortable, and have the support you need to make those quick movements. 

Like football cleats, lacrosse cleats come in low-cut, mid-cut, and high-top options. Technically, football cleats are allowed in lacrosse. They’re made for similar field conditions and have options for both molded and detachable studs. They even feature that same toe stud that helps with quick stops and starts. 

How to Choose the Right Cleats  

When looking for cleats, it’s important to match your next pair of cleats with the sport you play, as well as the position, to really get the most out of your gear. Keep in mind of the surfaces you play on, too. If you have an idea of what your practices and games will be on before-hand, possibly from a pre-season schedule, you’d be able to plan out your needs a bit better. If not, it might be smart to invest in multiple pairs that are better on specific surfaces. Your athletic level plays a role as well. On a youth scale, you’re not going to find players using metal cleats. Things can and do change once you begin to rise the ranks of organizational sports. To cap this off, here’s a good look at a chart that can further help your decision on the next pair of cleats you’ll add to your gear collection.