Anonymous wrote:My 11 and 14-year old son outgrow their cleats every 3-4 months. They don't have time to see them break down.

I bought my newly turned 14-year old 3 pairs of cleats since August when he went from a size 9 to a size 10.5 in 3 months.

I'm jealous of the people that have them long enough to notice wear and tear.

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Anonymous wrote:If you are not paying $200+ ($175 for last years model) you are buying cheap cleats. Imagine what they are doing to your players feet. There is virtually no equipment in soccer - it’s worth it to buy good cleats.

It is good to be rich.

one has to be rich to afford a $175 pair of cleats- shoes that your son or daughter will be wearing almost every day?

Pele had no shoes for much of his youth. I love parents that think the cleats are going to make the difference in their kid's play.

No one is saying that. We just don't want our kids tripping when the bottom of their fairly new cleats has split from the top or to be buying new cleats more often than we need to.

Cheap plastic knockoffs of their own brands that Nike and Addidas sell are not designed for a serious player. They cause blisters and wear out. i wouldn't consider buying high quality equipment to be something that only 'rich' people do, especially when you'll replace the cheap stuff a lot more frequently and had foot problems as well.

Serious question PP. Do they make non-cheap plastic knockoffs for kids? I've not seen them.

Not sure for kids, but the knock off Nike's made from lesser materials can still be close to $100.

Here's a Nike Mercurial Superfly - the real one - $275 - https://www.soccer.com/shop/details/nike-mercurial-superfly-7-elite-fg-soccer-cleat-white-white_A1027092

Here's its knockoff (Made by Nike) - $80 - https://www.soccer.com/shop/details/nike-mercurial-superfly-7-academy-fg-mg-white-white_A1029399

The cheaper versions aren’t “knock offs,” they’re cheaper Nike/Adidas, etc. products because the reality is that the most expensive versions often don’t provide any physical advantage or benefit. They’re made by the real manufacturers in the same factories. And they’re often as good and often as durable or more so with less experimental materials.

Some of the best soccer players I’ve ever known only buy the cheaper cleats. Because let’s be honest, as long as they hold together, the only difference in many levels of cleats is the mental headspace the expensive marketing and peer pressure puts your kid in. Cheap cleats are usually fine.

The mid-priced and year-old cleats are usually fine. All cleats will die if players are hard on them. Only players can be great (good equipment will never make a bad player good, and passable equipment will still allow a great player to shine).

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I buy the expensive ones for my kids. They are expensive and the kids know it and treat them
Well. It’s usually me saying those need to be replaced versus the kids. The cheap ones resulted in blisters and heel pain.

You buy $300 cleats for your kids?

I buy the expensive ones for my kids. They are expensive and the kids know it and treat them
Well. It’s usually me saying those need to be replaced versus the kids. The cheap ones resulted in blisters and heel pain.

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Anonymous wrote:If you are not paying $200+ ($175 for last years model) you are buying cheap cleats. Imagine what they are doing to your players feet. There is virtually no equipment in soccer - it’s worth it to buy good cleats.

It is good to be rich.

one has to be rich to afford a $175 pair of cleats- shoes that your son or daughter will be wearing almost every day?

Pele had no shoes for much of his youth. I love parents that think the cleats are going to make the difference in their kid's play.

No one is saying that. We just don't want our kids tripping when the bottom of their fairly new cleats has split from the top or to be buying new cleats more often than we need to.

Cheap plastic knockoffs of their own brands that Nike and Addidas sell are not designed for a serious player. They cause blisters and wear out. i wouldn't consider buying high quality equipment to be something that only 'rich' people do, especially when you'll replace the cheap stuff a lot more frequently and had foot problems as well.

Serious question PP. Do they make non-cheap plastic knockoffs for kids? I've not seen them.

Not sure for kids, but the knock off Nike's made from lesser materials can still be close to $100.

Here's a Nike Mercurial Superfly - the real one - $275 - https://www.soccer.com/shop/details/nike-mercurial-superfly-7-elite-fg-soccer-cleat-white-white_A1027092

Here's its knockoff (Made by Nike) - $80 - https://www.soccer.com/shop/details/nike-mercurial-superfly-7-academy-fg-mg-white-white_A1029399

Thanks PP. That's the kind of cleats my kids have had and with which we have had bad luck. I can't believe that you need to buy cleats that cost almost $300 for kids whose feet are still growing in order to get them to last more than a month. Frankly, I've never seen such cleats sold anywhere, but maybe I didn't look hard enough.

The cleats you linked to start at size 6, which my 14 year is just now able to wear. Before that, it was kids' sizes. It is interesting that the OP and my kids are underweight. Mine are also small in stature. Maybe cleats in kids sizes can't stand up to more intense play required today. Most boys playing at my DS's level probably outgrew kids' sizes by 5th or 6th grade. My kids just happens to be small. That could explain our problem.

Next time, I will try the replacement idea.

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Anonymous wrote:If you are not paying $200+ ($175 for last years model) you are buying cheap cleats. Imagine what they are doing to your players feet. There is virtually no equipment in soccer - it’s worth it to buy good cleats.

It is good to be rich.

one has to be rich to afford a $175 pair of cleats- shoes that your son or daughter will be wearing almost every day?

Pele had no shoes for much of his youth. I love parents that think the cleats are going to make the difference in their kid's play.

No one is saying that. We just don't want our kids tripping when the bottom of their fairly new cleats has split from the top or to be buying new cleats more often than we need to.

Cheap plastic knockoffs of their own brands that Nike and Addidas sell are not designed for a serious player. They cause blisters and wear out. i wouldn't consider buying high quality equipment to be something that only 'rich' people do, especially when you'll replace the cheap stuff a lot more frequently and had foot problems as well.

Serious question PP. Do they make non-cheap plastic knockoffs for kids? I've not seen them.

Not sure for kids, but the knock off Nike's made from lesser materials can still be close to $100.

Here's a Nike Mercurial Superfly - the real one - $275 - https://www.soccer.com/shop/details/nike-mercurial-superfly-7-elite-fg-soccer-cleat-white-white_A1027092

Here's its knockoff (Made by Nike) - $80 - https://www.soccer.com/shop/details/nike-mercurial-superfly-7-academy-fg-mg-white-white_A1029399

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you are not paying $200+ ($175 for last years model) you are buying cheap cleats. Imagine what they are doing to your players feet. There is virtually no equipment in soccer - it’s worth it to buy good cleats.

It is good to be rich.

one has to be rich to afford a $175 pair of cleats- shoes that your son or daughter will be wearing almost every day?

Pele had no shoes for much of his youth. I love parents that think the cleats are going to make the difference in their kid's play.

No one is saying that. We just don't want our kids tripping when the bottom of their fairly new cleats has split from the top or to be buying new cleats more often than we need to.

Cheap plastic knockoffs of their own brands that Nike and Addidas sell are not designed for a serious player. They cause blisters and wear out. i wouldn't consider buying high quality equipment to be something that only 'rich' people do, especially when you'll replace the cheap stuff a lot more frequently and had foot problems as well.

Serious question PP. Do they make non-cheap plastic knockoffs for kids? I've not seen them.