It is certainly reasonable to be a bit confused when buying indoor soccer shoes as there are a variety of options. But, unfortunately, picking the wrong pair of shoes can be the sole cause of your poor performance.
If you want to avoid that, you should learn about turf shoes, futsal shoes, and AG cleats, which are the three primary types of indoor soccer shoes. This will help you identify which option meets your needs most effectively.
The first section of the article covers the surfaces most commonly found indoors. Following that, we describe the three types of soccer shoes available for indoor soccer. Let’s start.
Contents
Indoor Soccer Surfaces
Indoor soccer is not limited to a single surface. Each indoor stadium has a different type of pitch that requires specific footwear. Once you learn about all the surfaces, you will understand why there are multiple types of indoor soccer shoes.
1. Turf
The turf has a rough surface (similar to the roughness of a carpet) that does not have a noticeable depth to it. In addition, you can compare turf with green sandpaper, which is quite rough and scratchy. If you fall due to a foul, you will feel a sharp rubbing on the spot that touched the ground.
About the shallow depth of turf, it is a result of the surface not containing the tallest blades. Moreover, the blades are soft and have the same feel as natural grass.
2. Futsal
Although futsal is not entirely similar to soccer, it is fundamentally a form of soccer.
For futsal, hardwood is an ideal surface. It can be very slippery when you are not wearing the right shoes. Since all other surfaces in soccer consist of grass, the hardwood one in futsal requires players to adapt in a different manner. The adaptation may not be straightforward unless your shoes provide adequate grip and traction.
3. Artificial Grass
While artificial grass is not the most common surface for indoor soccer, it is still possible to come across one.
This is perhaps the most natural grass lookalike surface. However, the feeling you get from the AG surface is not the same as what you get from actual grass. It is because AG has much harder blades. The density of the grass is also considerably greater than other pitches such as turf.
The Types of Indoor Soccer Shoes
As there are multiple indoor surfaces, each requires its own shoes based on the characteristics of the surface. We gathered all those indoor soccer shoes into one place so that you could determine what pair would be right for you. Let’s talk about them.
1. Turf Shoes / Artificial Turf Shoes
As the name specifies, turf shoes are the proper footwear for an indoor surface. The bottom of these shoes is filled with countless studs. These are not as hard or as long as metal studs, so perhaps calling them nubs is a better choice.
There are a lot more nubs on turf shoes than on any other soccer shoes. It allows them to work together for a firm grip, which means it puts less pressure on the individual studs.
As for the material of artificial turf shoes, it is rubber. People often use these boots casually because the rubber is incredibly comfortable.
Apart from indoor turf, you can wear these shoes on natural dry grass surfaces. Several turf shoe models are also suitable for long-bladed grass.
2. Futsal Shoes / Flat Soccer Shoes
The list of indoor surfaces would not be complete without mentioning the futsal surface. Futsal shoes are the way to go if you need a pair of boots for this surface.
One of the defining features of futsal kicks is the flat sole. To put it simply, you cannot play futsal without these soles. This is because the sole ensures a superior level of ground contact. No other sole can guarantee this. With more contact with the hardwood surface, you gain more grip and the chances of slipping decrease.
Furthermore, futsal shoes are designed with low profiles and patterns like the honeycomb that increase traction even more.
If you intend to use the same shoes for soccer and everyday use, you should consider futsal shoes. The low profile, lightweight build, and flat sole make these sneakers ideal for casual wear.
3. Artificial Grass Shoes / Artificial Grass Cleats / AG Cleats
When playing on indoor AG surfaces, soccer players wear artificial grass cleats. The cleats of these shoes are super helpful to let athletes thrive on these pitches. However, there is a smaller amount of studs compared to turf shoes.
The cleats or spikes on AG boots come in a round shape. They are longer compared to the ones you find on turf soccer shoes. A combination of their size and shape enables the AG shoes to grip into the long blades of an artificial grass surface.
AG soccer cleats are made of hybrid firm ground outsoles. Those are almost the same type of soles that you typically see on firm ground cleats. Furthermore, the soles provide enough support and comfort for you to perform those tricky movements for 90 minutes.
You should not use artificial grass cleats casually since they have long studs. The studs make it difficult to walk comfortably. On the other hand, the last thing you want is to step on someone with these big rounded spikes and have them come at you.
Additional Resources
By the way, if you are looking for indoor soccer shoes and you have wide feet, then you should read this article: buying guide of Indoor Soccer Shoes for Wide. In this article, you will find our recommended products and buying checklists.
Final Words
You should not blindly buy a pair of shoes just because they are “indoor soccer shoes.” It is crucial to remember that although all three above options are great for indoor soccer, they have different specifications depending on the surface they are meant to be used on.
Find out what the surface is like in your indoor venue. Then, you should examine which of the above pairs corresponds most closely with the surface of your indoor facility. This allows you to choose the right indoor soccer shoe out of the different types of indoor soccer shoes.
Were there any indoor soccer shoes missing from our list? Please let us know in the comment section if you would like them to be added.