When choosing a soccer shoe, the first thing you should think about is style.  Wait!!!!  No it is not.  The playing surface you train and compete on should be the first thing to consider.  Do you play on natural grass, artificial grass or turf, or an indoor court surface?  In many cases your season may involve play on more than one of these surfaces.

For playing on grass, it’s important to understand how to choose soccer cleats that match the surface. FG (firm ground) or MG (multi-ground) cleats are recommended for natural grass fields. FG outsoles come in many designs, as each manufacturer develops its own stud patterns and may vary them across different models.

The design can be conical in shape or bladed or a combination of both.  Conical studs (rounded) are the original stud design  and still have good qualities and popularity. 

In fact, they are becoming more popular again, as discussed later in this blog. The bladed style studs were developed to deliver strong traction, faster direction changes, and better grip for quick acceleration. Over time, this design evolved into a combination outsole with both conical and bladed studs. This balance helps create some of the best cleats for soccer, offering high performance while keeping the added safety of rounded studs.

The MG outsole is a newer style that can often be referred to as a FG/MG outsole. The FG bottom is designed for use on natural grass and longer artificial grass turfs. The newer FG/MG outsole is a better option for players that participate on both grass and artificial turf. These newer hybrid FG/MG outsoles have more conical studs and an increase in total quantity of studs. 

This provides better stability and smoother pivoting on these surfaces.  This allows the foot to turn easier/smoother to prevent injury.  Biomechanics research on cleat design has shown that the cleat design significantly affects traction, performance, and injury risk.

On artificial grass the MG and AG outsole improves safety by reducing rotational forces compared to FG.  Any FG outsole shoe with a bladed bottom  improves change-of -direction performance but increases the pressure on the joints of the leg. An outsole with more rounded conical studs balances responsiveness with joint load reduction.

The AG (Artificial Ground) outsole has been developed specifically for artificial grass/turf. Like the FG/MG outsole; it has more rounded/conical studs that are a little shorter in length to provide more contact with the turf for safety.  The lower impact forces should help reduce injury. 

Artificial turf generally creates more rotational traction than natural grass, increasing toque on ankles and knee joints; especially during cutting and turning. Up until fall 2025 the AG outsole has been available on a very limited number of styles; mostly expensive top end models. 

With more playing surfaces being converted to artificial turf we will see more models and price ranges  become available in 2026 and beyond.

There is another outsole option called a turf shoe (TF). This style uses very short studs for grip and added safety. TF shoes are mainly used for training and indoor turf surfaces. They are often considered the best indoor soccer shoes for lower-impact play and for reducing stress on the knees and legs.

They tend to be more comfortable to wear for several reasons. First, the base of the shoe is typically wider.  Second, with a lot more studs contacting the ground it decreases pressure and fatigue.  Third, many of the styles of TF shoes have an EVA midsole cushioning; the same material used in the sole of a running shoe.  With all these features, a turf shoe is a great option for players looking for comfort and less fatigue. These shoes might be a good choice for longer training sessions focused on touch. 

The last outsole to discuss in this session goes by many names; indoor, futsal, or sala.  Each is very similar and are used for playing on a smooth court surface.  For the most part these shoes are used on a court, be it a wood basketball court, low pile turf , and in most cases a specific futsal court surface. 

These shoes provide enhanced grip on these surfaces and are typically made of gum rubber material.  Gum rubber is a tacky material and, in some cases, not dyed a color; kept in a natural tan. 

Shoes designated as futsal/sala shoe usually have some of these attributes; a covered suede toe and stitched leather.  This provides the best touch control for the game of futsal. 



Hope this provides some great info to help choose the best shoes for your game. It may be worth considering more than one pair based on different conditions and surfaces you participate on.  See your local soccer specialty store for help getting you ready to play.