Guide: What's the difference between cheap and expensive football boots?
Buying football boots can be confusing. Part 2 of our Beginners' Guide to Football Boots explains how to tell the difference between entry-level and elite boots so you can choose the right model for you.
Have you ever wondered why some football boots look very similar to others but cost over £150 more? Well, that's because most players don't need the technology or materials that go into an elite boot, so brands create "take-down" models. As you move down the range of take-down boots, the materials, innovation and structure will reduce in line with the price. So, although the boots in a range might look similar, you're actually getting a very different product depending on how much you spend.
Why are some football boots more expensive when they look the same as the cheap version?
Professional footballers wear football boots that are jam-packed with innovation and built to enhance comfort and performance on the pitch.
Brands create 'take-down' versions of their boots for those of us who are concerned about our bank balances and realistic about how likely our boots will improve our performance. That's why you'll see four versions of the 'same' boot with very different price points.
Major caveat – when we say the same boot, it's not really the same boot. The structure, materials and technology in each version are reflected in the price, so the less you pay, the less like the boot worn by the professionals it's going to be.
How do I know which take-down version of a boot I'm looking at?
So, this is where things can get a bit confusing. Each brand describes its football boot tiering system differently, and each tier determines how advanced the technology and quality of materials used to build it are.
Adidas
Adidas used numbers to differentiate between its boots until very recently. You might still see some older boots with the following naming convention. It started with + (the professional tier boot) and then moved to .1, .2, .3 and .4. As the numbers got higher, the cheaper and less technical the boot.
The new system, which broadly mirrors Nike's, starts with Elite, the most feature-heavy and professional boot, moving down to Pro, League and Club, the budget boot.
Adidas football boot take-downs:
Old system:
Low number = Professional features and expensive £££
High number = Budget-friendly £
New system:
Elite = Does what it says on the tin £££
Club = Budget-friendly £
Puma
Puma works similarly to the older Adidas system, but includes an additional number (the release number) in their naming, e.g. 7.1, 7.2, 7.3, 7.4. The '7' means this is the seventh iteration of this boot, and like Adidas, the .1, .2, .3, and .4 are the take-down versions.
Puma football boot take-downs:
Low number = Professional features and expensive £££
High number = Budget-friendly £
Nike
Nike boots fall into four categories: Elite, Pro, Academy or Club. As you'd imagine, Elite refers to their professional football boot, and Club is the budget model.
Nike football boot take-downs:
Elite = Does what it says on the tin £££
Club = Budget-friendly £
So, how do I know which football boots are right for me?
Competitive players
If you're playing serious football, your first choice will always be the highest-level football boots you can afford. However, if that's not feasible due to cost, you can choose the .1 tier or Nike 'pro' boots.
Casual players
If you play a bit of five-a-side or in a grassroots league, look at the mid-range of the take-down tiers. We suggest starting with the .2 or .3 and the Nike 'academy' range. Any of these will do a good job; it just comes down to how much you want to spend.
Beginners
If you're just getting started and giving football a go, you probably don't want to spend the big bucks. If your budget can stretch to Nike 'academy' or .3 we'd suggest you go for it, but you'll still be fine in a Nike 'club' or .4 boot.
Top tip
Football boots are regularly released, so keep an eye out for sales. Past versions of the same boot are often sold for up to 50% off.