With the outdoor temperatures plummeting, the migration to artificial pitches is imminent, so get ready for those turf burns!
Today, i’ll be going over some of my favourite football boots for artificial ground, also known as astro turf.
Let’s start with a brief informative word or two for those unfamiliar with this topic:
Artificial surfaces are made up of synthetic grass. Whether you call it a turf field or a carpet-like field, anything non-natural and man made with plastics or rubbers is to be considered artificial grass.
Note that the ideal footwear for these surfaces are simply those designed for Artificial Grounds. If you’re not keen on true AG boots, I suggest you take a look at my recent article about use of Firm Ground Cleats on Artificial Surfaces.
The following boots are not listed in rank, meaning one is not better than the other. The following 5 boots are simply my personal recommendations for use on Artificial Grass; I’ve tried to select one or two from each main brand to keep it concise. I’ve also refrained from choosing older cleats so that people can buy the boots mentioned.
Let’s start the list!
Adidas Mundial Team
If you think this iconic boot wasn’t going to make the list, you’re sadly mistaken. Probably my number 1 boot of choice for AG for dozens of years now, the legendary Mundial Team has stood the test of time and is still performs.
Boasting a high quality kangaroo leather upper, classic black and white colours, a rubber lip on the forefoot and a trustworthy sole plate… there is no going wrong. You even get the beautiful fold over tongue!
Price: £100 – Shop Now >>
Adidas X 16.1 CG
For those who are more into the modern developments, Adidas offers a variety of Artificial turf boots. Taking from their X, Ace and Messi lines, they’ll provide the lower range 16.3 or 16.4 models for turf. However they do sometimes release a top end 16.1 like the X 16.1 CG you see in the picture above. A thin synthetic upper with their new techfit collar system give you the technology of the X line all wrapped in a turf boot, and there’s no need to mention the bold colourway that comes with it.
Price: £85 – Shop Now >>
Nike Tiempo Legend VI AG
Nike takes turf surfaces to a whole other level, and there’s nothing like a Tiempo Legend with a AG sole plate. Once again this is my personal choice, for those who aren’t Tiempo fans, Nike offers all 4 of their top tier boots with what they call their AG Pro soleplate. so whether you want a Superfly or an Obra for AG, they have it.
Price Range: £25-£170 – Shop Now >>
Puma EvoPower 1.3 AG
Of course, the big cat had to find a way to keep up with the bigger brands. So they also rolled out some AG plate versions of their top end cleats. I must admit they’re not as easy to find as you think, but they do exist! The EvoPower is a personal favorite of mine so out of their lineups I would prefer it, however everyone is different and some might go for the EvoSpeed AG. Not exactly sure if they’ve created an AG EvoTouch…would be beautiful if they did.
Price Range: £30-£120 – Shop Now >>
New Balance Visaro Pro AG
Much like my other Top 5 list, my personal favorites will always keep coming up. Much like Puma, New Balance got the memo and rolled out AG models of their Visaro and Furon. A great cleat and a AG friendly plate is all you need, For me the Visaro takes my winning spot, and you can read why in my review.
Price Range: £90 – Shop Now >>
Bonus – Nike Proximo
Now for those who know their boots, yes Nike also offers their Proximo and Finale lines which are Indoor and Turf versions of their top end cleats. They might seem very similar and a lot of the technical specs are identical, however there is a large difference between a Turf pair of Magista Proximo’s and a Magista Obra AG Pro. That being said, depending how much you’re looking to spend and what style of shoe you prefer more, the AG Pro models and Proximo lines are both great options for Artificial surfaces.
Price Range: £20-£140 – Shop Now >>
Well, those are my top choices for Artificial Ground boots. As you can see a majority of the big brands simply roll out AG versions of their top cleats nowadays and those are the ones best fit for these surfaces.
Once again, these are all my personal choices and all are strictly Artificial Ground boots.
