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Football season is upon us once again. Coaches are holding conditioning sessions, players are working hard to brush up their skills, and fans are eagerly anticipating going to see games. As the season draws closer, it is important to gear up with the best equipment to maximize performance and stay safe from injury.
In football, few pieces of equipment are more important than your cleats. A bad pair of cleats can ruin your game or cause unnecessary injuries that will hinder your performance. Whether you’re hoping to succeed as a running back, wide receiver, or another position, we’ve got the best football cleats to give you a leg up on the competition.
The Best Football Cleats - Our Top Picks
- Best for Receivers: adidas adizero Scorch Cleats
- Best Nike: Nike Vapor Edge Elite 360 Flyknit Football Cleats
- Best adidas: adidas Adizero Football Cleats
- Best for Running Backs: Nike Vapor Edge Pro 360 Football Cleats
- Best Budget: Nike Alpha Menace 3 Shark Mid Football Cleats
- Best for Linemen: UnderArmour Highlight MC Football Cleats
- Best Under Armour: Under Armour Spotlight Lux MC Football Cleats
- Best for Wide Feet: UnderArmour Spotlight Franchise Cleats
- Best for Speed: UnderArmour Blur Smoke MC LE Football Cleats
Why Trust Us?
ACTIVE.com’s editorial team relies on the knowledge and experience of fitness and wellness experts including competitive athletes, coaches, physical therapists, nutritionists, and certified trainers. This helps us ensure the products we feature are of the highest standard. Collectively, the team has spent countless hours researching equipment, gear, and recovery tools in order to create the most accurate, authentic content for our readers. Customer satisfaction is also a key part of our review process, which is why we only feature products that are highly rated. More importantly, each member of our team is a fitness enthusiast. Fitness may be our job, but it is also our passion. Therefore, we strive to bring you products that we trust and would personally use.
Best Football Cleats for Receivers - adidas Adizero Scorch Cleats
SPECS
- Height: Low-cut
- Width: Standard
- Features: TPU outsole, textile upper and lining
When you’re a receiver, you need to be sure your cleats will help you do two things: accelerate and change direction. To do this you need strong but flexible traction on a lightweight shoe that can also give you support to avoid injury. In fact, the adidas Adizero is known for being the lightest cleat in football.
The adidas Adizero Scorch is made with a textile synthetic overlay and textile lining to give the shoe durability and support. The mesh tongue and lace structure keep your foot secure during dynamic movements and the TPU studs are very strong for dependable traction.
What We Like
- TPU studs for flexibility and traction
- Lightest cleat on the market
- Textile synthetic lining and overlay for durability
- Snug fit to keep your foot secure
What We Don’t Like
- No included ankle support
- The lining is less comfortable than foam
BUY: adidas Adizero Scorch Cleats
Best Nike Football Cleats - Nike Vapor Edge Elite 360 Flyknit Football Cleats
SPECS
- Height: Mid-cut
- Width: Medium
- Features: Flyknit ankle, NikeSkin overlay
Football cleats come in a variety of types and each type serves a specific purpose depending on your play style, position, comfort, and other factors. For the best the best Nike football cleats, we were looking for a cleat that is versatile and can offer you the best of all categories.
The Nike Vapor Edge Elite offers you the mobility of a low-cut cleat with added support. The Flyknit ankle support rises slightly above the collar to give you that extra support and security without affecting the comfort. The cleat is comfortable and breathable but the NikeSkin overlay gives it durability that will stand up to use.
What We Like
- Breathable and comfortable
- Flyknit rises above the collar for additional support
- NikeSkin overlay for durability
What We Don’t Like
- Limited color options
- The external heel plate could become separated
BUY: Nike Vapor Edge Elite 360 Flyknit Football Cleats
Best adidas Football Cleats - adidas Adizero Football Cleats
SPECS
- Height: Low-cut
- Width: Standard
- Features: TPU overlay, textile lining
The adidas Adizero cleats are an excellent combination of the best production aspects of adidas cleats. The studs are made from TPU which is very light but very durable so you don’t have to worry about traction. The textile synthetic liner inside the shoe adds durability and helps keep your foot locked down.
The Adizero also has a TPU overlay on strategic parts of the shoe which protects the mesh and other comfort materials without compromising the breathability or adding much weight. This cleat is strong, supportive, and lightweight—the lightest on the list—to complement your game.
What We Like
- TPU overlay
- Known for being lightweight
- Breathable
- Very durable
What We Don’t Like
- Textile synthetic is durable but some may find it uncomfortable
- No ankle support
BUY: adidas Adizero Football Cleats
Best Football Cleats for Running Backs - Nike Vapor Edge Pro 360 Football Cleats
SPECS
- Height: Low-cut
- Width: Medium
- Features: Ghost lace system, internal chassis, wide stud placement
Nike is one of the world’s largest and most popular brands for all sports. The company is constantly innovating and maximizing the performance of sports equipment, particularly shoes. The Vapor Edge Pro is the next step in innovation for football cleats.
The Vapor Edge Pro has a ghost lace system, which does not mean it is laceless. The laces are hidden and are tightened by using a pull tab, which makes sure both sides stay even. The Vapor Edge also replaces the internal plate support system with a chassis that is much more mobile without sacrificing much stability.
What We Like
- Internal chassis system for mobility and support
- Ghost lace closure
- Wide-set studs
What We Don’t Like
- The outer material is soft but not durable
- Elastic liner could be uncomfortable for some users
BUY: Nike Vapor Edge Pro 360 Football Cleats
Best Budget Football Cleats - Nike Alpha Menace 3 Shark Mid Football Cleats
SPECS
- Height: Mid-cut
- Width: Medium, wide
- Features: Synthetic leather, front molding
If you’re looking to get the most bang for your buck out of a football cleat that is still budget-friendly, we recommend the Nike Alpha Menace 3. This cleat is mid-cut which means you get ankle support built into it and it has extra loops along the middle of the lacing system to lock your foot in.
Two things we love about this cleat are the synthetic leather and the front molding, both of which contribute to the cleat’s durability. The synthetic leather is less breathable than mesh or textile synthetics, but it is strong and will stand up to use. The front molding similarly protects the cleats from abrasions if you find your toes dragging along the ground.
What We Like
- Synthetic leather
- Extended lace loops across the middle of the foot
- Budget-friendly
What We Don’t Like
- Not as comfortable as other cleats
- Heavier than other cleats
BUY: Nike Alpha Menace 3 Shark Mid Football Cleats
Best Football Cleats for Linemen - Under Armour Highlight MC Football Cleats
SPECS
- Height: High-cut
- Width: Standard
- Features: Laceless high collar, SuperFoam insole
Because linemen spend the game in close quarters making explosive and powerful movements, a cleat with maximum support is the best option. The Under Armour Highlight MC has a laceless support system that rises above the collar and covers the ankle. Because the high collar is laceless and has straps you can tighten, you can get some of the mobility back you would otherwise sacrifice for this level of support.
What sets this cleat apart is the SuperFoam insole and the multidirectional studs. The SuperFoam insole absorbs shock and allows you to stay comfortable while you plant your feet. The multidirectional studs work along with this to help you keep traction even if you’re slightly off balance.
What We Like
- Shock-absorbing SuperFoam insole
- Multidirectional studs
- Laceless collar that covers the ankle
What We Don’t Like
- Lightweight materials won’t protect your foot if it's stepped on
- If the straps loosen, the ankle support is compromised
BUY: Under Armour Highlight MC Football Cleats
Best Under Armour Football Cleats - Under Armour Spotlight Lux MC 2.0 Football Cleats
SPECS
- Height: Mid-cut
- Width: Standard
- Features: High lace structure
Cleats for running backs need to be a good balance of the best cleat features. You need speed and acceleration as you break into the open field, but you also need support and stability as you’re running in close quarters between the tackles.
The Under Armour Spotlight Lux strikes the balance. The lace structure is tight and rises just above the collar of the shoe to lock down your ankle, which is protected by a nylon sleeve that will support your ankle without limiting mobility. The studs are also a mix of bladed and canonical shapes to give you traction on any surface.
What We Like
- High lace structure for ankle support
- Bladed and canonical studs for extra traction
- Mesh upper with support for cutting and dynamic moves
What We Don’t Like
- The ankle sleeve is not expandable so it could be difficult to put the cleat on
- The tongue and heel supports rise higher than the side supports
BUY: Under Armour Spotlight Lux MC 2.0 Football Cleats
Best Football Cleats for Wide Feet - Under Armour Spotlight Franchise 2.0 RM Football Cleats
SPECS
- Height: Mid-cut
- Width: Medium, wide
- Features: Long studs, synthetic upper, screen-print graphics
It can be difficult to find a good cleat when you have wide feet. You want a cleat that is still snug but not uncomfortable because if it is too wide then you lose support and could open yourself up to unnecessary injuries.
The Under Armour Spotlight Franchise 2.0 is a cleat designed to address this delicate balance. It comes in medium and wide widths so you can customize the fit to your specific needs. It also has extra long, molded studs to make sure you have maximum support and traction. The synthetic upper is reinforced to make sure these cleats last.
What We Like
- Synthetic upper for durability
- Extra long studs
- Wide and medium widths available
What We Don’t Like
- Some reviews found the synthetic collar uncomfortable
- The full-length midsole does not absorb shock as well as foam
BUY: Under Armour Spotlight Franchise 2.0 RM Football Cleats
Best Football Cleats for Speed - Under Armour Blur Smoke MC LE Football Cleats
SPECS
- Height: Low-cut
- Width: Standard
- Features: SuperFoam insole, TPU skin, ultra-light materials
If you’re looking for speed, you need lightweight material and maximum mobility along with studs that will dig into the ground and give you traction for your strides. The Under Armour Blur Smoke is built for speed.
The materials of this cleat are ultra-lightweight and covered by a TPU skin for durability. The SuperFoam insole absorbs shock and gives you a springy feeling as you’re driving the studs into the ground and generating power. The studs are inspired by track spike designs to give you the best design for speed.
What We Like
- Track spike inspiration for the studs
- TPU skin over ultra-light materials
- SuperFoam insole
What We Don’t Like
- Limited support
- You have to size up if you have wide feet
BUY: Under Armour Blur Smoke MC LE Football Cleats
What to Look for in Football Cleats
Position
In football, there are several different positions that each requires unique skill sets. Each of these positions will have different specifications for cleats. For example, a lineman needs to be able to trust that their cleats are going to keep them stable while they’re blocking.
A wide receiver needs cleats that will let them accelerate and change direction without fear of injury. Running backs need a mix of both. Pay attention to what cleats are designed to do to know which is best for your position.
Soccer vs. Football Cleats
Some people try to use soccer and football cleats interchangeably, but that is highly discouraged. They may look similar, but they are designed with very different purposes in mind. Soccer cleats, for example, have limited padding so the barrier between your foot and the ball is as small as possible. If you get stepped on it is going to hurt.
On the other hand, football cleats tend to have more support for your ankle and midsole because of the physical nature of the game. Make sure you don’t get caught using the wrong equipment.
Height
When we say height, we’re talking about how high up on your ankle the collar of your cleat rises. Low-cut shoes maximize mobility at the expense of support. High-cut shoes do the opposite and keep you supported at the expense of mobility.
There is no perfect height for your cleats. It comes down to your preference and what you think you’ll need most. Some cleats are mid-cut and blend those two attributes.
Fit
Some people make the mistake of thinking their cleats are too tight when really they fit just right. You want a snug fit throughout the shoe so your foot can be supported. That doesn’t mean you want to be uncomfortable because discomfort has its own problems. Just make sure to balance safety and comfort.
FAQs About Football Cleats
How should football cleats fit?
Football cleats, like other types of cleats, are designed to give you traction and support. Your cleats should have a snug fit and make your foot feel stabilized. Any extra room or loose laces could lead to unnecessary injury.
How long do cleats last?
How long cleats last depends on many factors. Some materials are more durable than others, some cleats come with a durable overlay or rubber molding to protect them.
Other factors include whether you’re using them properly. Walking on hard surfaces, for example, can destroy the integrity of the studs. In football, your cleats are going to take some shots so keep that in mind when you’re looking to buy cleats.
How expensive are football cleats?
Football cleats have a wide price range, but you can generally expect to spend over $100 for a high-quality pair of cleats. If this sounds like a lot, just keep in mind that sports equipment is an investment and you generally get what you pay for.
We don’t recommend breaking the bank on the most stylish cleats or the latest trend, but we would say finding a pair of cleats that give you good support and last a long time is worth the investment.
About the Author
Cory is a certified personal trainer and fitness nutrition coach. After spending six years as an educator and coach, Cory joined the ACTIVE team as a staff writer turning his passion for education toward helping ACTIVE readers live their best, healthiest lives.
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