Soccer Cleats vs. Baseball Cleats: What’s the Difference?

One of the most important pieces of equipment for baseball and soccer players is their cleats. A good pair of cleats can make you “feel” like you're in position to play your best on the baseball diamond or soccer field. Soccer players put miles on their cleats during practice and games. Baseball players need to have comfortable cleats that will help stabilize them during the many stops and starts of a 9-inning game. There’s a lot of standing on the baseball field so having a pair of cleats that are comfortable when you’re not moving is important, too. Below is a look at the differences between soccer and baseball cleats.

Key Differences Between Soccer and Baseball Cleats

Cleats for soccer and baseball are designed to offer protection for your feet while maximizing your on-the-field performance. Both sports require a substantial amount of movement. One of the key differences between the sports is field composition. Soccer fields are all real or artificial grass or turf. At least half of a baseball field—the infield—is composed of dirt. A major league infield is typically made of 55% sand, 30% clay, and 15% silt. Because dirt is less stable than grass, baseball players require cleats that are built solidly. Below are some features of soccer and baseball cleats.

Soccer Cleats

The spikes on soccer cleats are typically made of rubber or plastic. They’re designed to support the players’ ankles and feet on grass.

Toe Spike: Soccer cleats don’t have a toe spike, or a protrusion found on the top of a shoe which helps a player grip the ground. Toe spikes are common for baseball cleats. The spikes on their shoes are shorter, which keeps their feet closer to the ground. Cleats for soccer need to be grippy, but they can’t get stuck in the turf.
Weight: Soccer cleats are lighter than baseball cleats. They’re built for speed and traction. Soccer players must run up and down the field and be able to turn quickly.
Flexibility: The material of the cleats, typically some form of leather or synthetic material, is more pliable for soccer players, who need to kick a ball. This allows for soccer players to feel the ball, which can help them control it.

Baseball Cleats

Spikes: Baseball cleats have a toe spike. A toe spike helps players elevate, and it’s also useful for when baseball players must jump to try to catch a ball or a high throw.
Lower Cut: Baseball cleats are cut closer to the ground. This allows players to zigzag more and move from side to side effectively.
Weight: Baseball cleats are heavier than soccer cleats. Some players who are fast might wear a lighter pair of shoes, but most baseball players value shoes that give them more protection.

Types of Soccer & Baseball Cleats

All playing surfaces for soccer and baseball aren’t the same. Because of the differences in the firmness and height of different playing fields for both soccer and baseball, there are different types of shoes and cleats that baseball and soccer players use. Often, they’ll wear different shoes on different surfaces to make sure they’re best prepared for a game or match. Below is a description of the different kinds of cleats.

Soccer

Firm Ground: Firm ground (FG) cleats are designed for grass fields. A description of the cleats will indicate if it’s an FG cleat. There’re different types of FG cleats. For example, an FG soccer shoe could have conical cleats on them. Conical cleats are longer than the flatter, tubular-shaped cleats that you sometimes see on “faster” shoes. Faster shoes are designed for players who are generally attackers. Strikers and wingers might prefer the faster shoes while defenders could opt for the conical studs, which are designed to provide stabilization for your feet. One advantage of conical studs is they can also be used on different surfaces.
Artificial Grass: Artificial grass, which is like regular grass, is typically between1.5 and 2.5 inches tall for a soccer field. AG cleats typically use a medium-sized conical stud. They’re shorter than a conical FG stud. This type of cleat is designed to provide support on surfaces that are harder than real grass.
Turf: Turf is neither real nor artificial grass. Turf is made of synthetic products like nylon or polyethylene and is designed to mimic grass. Turf is typically around 1.5 centimeters high. Because turf is shorter than real grass and artificial grass, you’ll want a pair of shoes that have short studs. Turf shoes should be grippy with rows of short studs. AG and FG shoes typically have between 10 and 15 studs on the outside heel. The bottom of a turf shoe has a similar look to the bottom of a spikeless golf shoe.

Baseball

Baseball cleats are available in low-top, mid-top, and high-top designs. Low-tops end below the ankles, high-tops above it, and mid-tops in between. Low-tops use less material and are built for speed. Mid-tops are designed to give more support for your ankles. High-tops provide the most amount of ankle and foot support. They can allow batters to dig in at the plate, giving them more leverage to uncoil and create more power.

Metal Cleats: Metal cleats are allowed for use in Major League Baseball, but not in college, high school, or little league. Metal cleats provide the maximum amount of traction for players, helping them stop and turn on the dirt. They’re particularly effective when the infield is wet. Metal cleats can be hard to use in a grass outfield, where they tend to sink into the ground.
Molded Baseball Cleats: Molded baseball cleats are made of pliable rubber or plastic. They’re lighter than metal cleats and more versatile. They’re just as effective in grass or the dirt.
TPU Baseball Cleats: TPU baseball cleats are similar to molded baseball cleats, but they’re made of hard plastic. They’re like a mix of metal and molded baseball cleats.
Turf Shoes: Turf shoes have small nubs on the outer soles that help players grab the turf. They’re often used as training shoes.

Care & Maintenance of Soccer & Baseball Cleats

It’s important to clean your cleats every time they’re used. Cleats aren’t designed to be washed in a machine. Using a washing machine can damage the composition of the cleats. Instead, they should be hand washed with warm water and mild soap. To properly wash your cleats, remove big clumps of dirt or grass by tapping on your shoes. Using a soft brush with soap, scrub the bottom of your cleats. Repeat the same process on the body of your cleats after you’ve removed your shoelaces. Wash your shoelaces using the same technique. Gently soak up the dirt that’s loosened with a damp towel and then let your cleats air dry.