A Complete Guide for How to Lace Soccer Cleats
Knowing how to lace soccer cleats properly can significantly enhance your comfort and performance on the field, allowing you to focus on your game or training session without distractions. Soccer cleats are one of the most, if not the most, essential pieces of soccer gear and equipment because they help maximize comfort, support, and injury prevention on the field.
Although using the right lacing techniques is important, it is even more important pick the right type of cleats based on your playing surface and foot type. Once you have cleats that fit you comfortably, then you can focus on how to tie them properly.
Running with loose shoe laces can lead to injury, discomfort, and bad performances. That is why in this blog, I will go over everything you need to know about how to lace your soccer cleats.
How to Lace Soccer Cleats
Standard Lacing
The standard lacing system is the most common lacing system that you would also use when tying your regular everyday shoes. To begin the standard lacing system, pull the shoelaces through the bottom eyelets until there is an equal amount of shoe lace on both sides.
Afterwards, form X patterns using all the holes up until the last eyelets by lacing up the cleats right hole after left hole, or vice versa. Once you have put the shoelace through the final eyelets, simply tie a knot at the end.
Top Lock Loop Lacing
If you are a player that feels like they need a bit more lock-down in the ankle and heel then you can try out this top lock loop lacing system. For this lacing technique, start by doing the same standard lacing technique that requires making X’s with the shoe laces.
Once you get to the second eyelet, or third eyelet, from the top, instead of criss crossing the laces again, you run the shoelace through the hole directly on top of each side. Then form a loop between the uppermost eyelets on either side and pull the laces right through.
Forward Foot Lock Lacing
The forward foot lock lacing system is very similar to the previous lacing system, the top lock loop, however the main difference is that the loop in this one is done near the front of the foot, usually one of the first bottom eyelets, instead of the top one.
The top lock loop lacing system is designed to provide a more secure feeling through the ankle and heel areas, to minimize heel slippage, while the forward foot lock lacing system is designed to provide a more secure feeling through the front/mid foot area.
A Few More Tips for Tying Soccer Boots
- Invest money in a high quality pair of soccer shoelaces
- Worn down laces or low quality laces can break during the middle of the match or become untied very often, leaving your team down a man while you are having to tie your cleats over and over again.
- If you have really long laces I would recommend replacing them for laces that fit better, but if that is not an option right now, you can wrap the excess laces around your foot, under your arch, and pull tight
- If you feel pain while wrapping your laces around the arch of your foot, wrap differently, such as around the heels, to get rid of the pain
- Tuck the excess laces into the top of your soccer shoes, between your ankles and the side of your shoes
- Do not loosely tie your laces because loose laces and loose loops will keep coming undone during a game and you will have to spend valuable time tying your cleats instead of playing the beautiful game.
Summary
To summarize, knowing how to tie your soccer cleats effectively is crucial for any player or coach who wants to step into the pitch. In this blog I went over three different lacing techniques as well as provided you with tips and tricks on how to tie your laces to help you perform better.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best footwear for soccer?
- Firm Ground Cleats: Designed for natural grass fields.
- Soft Ground Cleats: Designed for wet and muddy grass field
- Artificial Turf Shoes: Designed for artificial surfaces
- Indoor shoes: Designed for indoor surfaces and harder outdoor surfaces
- If you have wide feet consider wide soccer cleats
- Also, consider cleats made out of high quality materials such as leather, which can mold to the shape of your feet for a custom and perfect fit.
- High quality insoles can also help the comfort of your soccer cleats
When is it time to replace your soccer cleats and get a new pair?
The time to replace your soccer cleats is when they have ripped, they are causing you pain, they have lost their traction, or if any of the shoelace holes have ripped.
What are the best soccer cleats?
There is no real answer as to what the best soccer cleats are because everyone has their own preferences, however using wide soccer cleats, ideally made from leather, can provide a custom fit because the natural materials mold to the shape of your foot. Also, leather soccer cleats are usually the more premium types of cleats.
What are the most expensive soccer cleats?
The most expensive soccer cleats are the limited edition cleats by England National Team legends Wayne Rooney, Rio Ferdinand, and John Terry.
What are the most comfortable soccer cleats?
The most comfortable soccer cleats I’ve worn are a pair of the Nike Tiempo Legend IX.
