What football boots should I buy for my daughter? (a no fuss guide for parents)

Buying football boots was once about going to your local, independent sports shop and deciding which of the 3 pairs they had fit your feet.

Not now. Now it’s like buying tyres for a Formula One car.

If you’ve got a budding young football girl in the house, there’s a chance you’ve been Googling things like, “studs vs blades?”, “what are astros”, “what football boots does my daughter need”. And possibly, “why the heck* are football boots so complicated”.

[*insert your own frustrated vocabulary]

I see you, tearing your hair out over something that should be simple (I’ve been there).

So let’s sort this out once and for all. Here’s your no fuss, jargon-free guide to buying your daughter her first (or next) pair of football boots.

Why the right football boots matter?

Putting it simply: to reduce falling over.

And obviously for comfort and to look cool.

Some boots aren't allowed on certain types of pitch, so sometimes it to keep the pitches safe too.

Photo by Bence Balla-Schottner on Unsplash

It’s all about the pitch type, what surface is she playing on?

There are 3 types of pitch most children will be playing on:

1. Grass - where most matches and summer training often happens
   

2. 3G/4G/artificial pitches (often referred to simply as “astro” - these actually vary in surface type, sometimes quite considerably). Don’t worry about the numbers, for your purposes, they’re the same thing: an artificial pitch.
   

3. Indoor or hard surface - like a sports hall for futsal
   
   

You may find pitch types on the club website, a welcome email, or a message from the coach. If in doubt, ask. 

Types of football boots and the surface they’re needed for

So, which football boots do you need for which surface?

Grass pitches

Studs

Studs are round/conical, traditional-style studs. They are divided into Firm Ground (FG) or Soft Ground (SG) types, but you only really need the FG type for youth football. SG studs are generally metal tipped and often banned from youth games.

Blades

Blades look like studs but have sharp edges rather than the roundness of traditional studs. The blades come in a variety of shapes and sizes but are characterised by those sharp edges. They’re suited to firmer ground (FG type) but are fine for most grass situations. For your daughter, they’ll be no different to round studs (which are increasing hard to find anyway). My son has always had FG blades and never had a problem whatever the firmness of the grass.

Blades come in a variety of shapes and sizes and are best described as "sharp" studs.

Artificial pitches

Astros or turf trainers (TF)

Suitable for artificial pitches whether that’s 3G/4G or other types of artificial pitch. They can also be worn indoors. For anything that isn’t a grass pitch, astros should be fine. They have lots of much smaller, dimples on the bottom of the shoe, like lots of mini studs.

Trainers don’t grip very well on wet astro pitches, so in winter astro boots are a must for artificial pitches.

Dimple-like studs found on astro (TF) boots used on artificial pitches

Artificial grass boots (AG)

These are a specialist boot designed for 3G pitches. You're very unlikely to need these.

Indoor pitches (like sports halls)

Trainers or astros

You want something flat and grippy for sports halls, so trainers are ideal. Astros are also fine.

If your daughter trains on astro/artificial pitches and plays matches on grass, you may need both astro boots and studded/bladed boots. Check with your coach (and brace your credit card).

TL;DR Summary

Firm ground (FG) blades/studs for grass

Astro/turf trainer (TF) boots for artificial pitches

3 Football boot buying tips from a mum

1. Buy a half size up (at least). Football socks are thick, feet grow fast, and football boots tend to feel smaller than their size.

2. Always try boots on with football socks - they make a big difference.

3. White/cream boots look amazing for the first game. Then not so much! Not a problem if you can get your girl to clean them but set some ground rules if you value your sanity.

Best places to buy kid-friendly budget football boots

Decathlon: https://www.decathlon.co.uk/sports/football/kids-football-boots

Sports Direct: https://www.sportsdirect.com/football/football-boots/kids-football-boots

Pro: Direct: https://www.prodirectsport.com/soccer/l/kids/departments-boots/activity-football/

[I don't get any money if you use these links, they're here just to help]

If you can find your daughter some good value boots with the right grip (studs/blades or astros) and in a colour she likes, you’re onto a winner. The style won’t make a difference at this point, although you may want to pay a little more to get lighter boots because some cheap ones feel really heavy (unless you want her to work out her thigh muscles more!).

The perfect colour, however, will give her extra confidence and make her feel like her favourite player (even if your bank account begins to weep. I've been there, I once paid £20 more than I'd planned for my son's boots because the "sale price" didn't apply to the colour he picked. Better my broken bank account than his little heart).

Still unsure which boot type to buy? Leave a comment and I’ll try to help.

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This guide is part of my mission to make girls’ football more accessible, less intimidating, and more fun for all the family.