When sweat from sports activities builds up on the soles of the feet, sports shoes absorb it, allowing players to perform optimally. This is just one of the many uses of sports shoes.
In soccer, where the shoes – called “cleats” in America and “boots” in the rest of the world – are the primary tools of the sport, they have to be almost perfect. But there’s another sport with shoes that are similar to soccer’s: baseball.
In this article, you will learn how to tell one from the other and if it is possible to use a baseball cleat for soccer and vice versa.
Soccer VS Baseball Cleats
Let’s take a look at the factors that make soccer and baseball cleats different.
Shoe Weight
When looking at a soccer cleat and a baseball cleat as a newbie, one key thing you can use to tell both apart is the shoe weight.
Soccer is a sport that involves continuous running and quick directional changes for almost two hours (with breaks in between, of course). Heavy shoes will not cut it in the game.
Baseball cleats, meanwhile, need to provide the players with stability because a lot of baseball actions require solid footing.
They also need to be light enough for quick sprints. As a result, baseball cleats are made with heavier materials than soccer cleats.
Also, soccer cleats have no midsoles to make them lighter and provide the player with enough freedom of foot movement.
Design
As I stated earlier, soccer cleats are designed to be lightweight, so players have the freedom to move. As a result, they are designed without midsoles and with synthetic materials that aid full foot movement.
They also wrap around a player’s foot enough to provide protection and allow them to feel the ball with their foot, which is their primary equipment to play the sport.
Soccer cleats also have no toe spikes, which is simply a design choice to reduce the risk of injuries to other players. The toe spike is needed for baseball cleats because of activities like batting and stealing bases.
Baseball cleats are also designed with thicker materials and spikes made from metal or plastic in contrast to soccer’s rubber or soft plastic.
Cushioning
Soccer cleats have no midsoles while baseball cleats do. Midsoles help with cushioning in shoes but because of the softer playing surfaces of a soccer field (grassy fields), players need to feel closer to the ground.
This helps with their range of motion and their feel of the ball, unlike the hard surfaces of a baseball diamond where the activities of a baseball game usually take place.
Midsoles help with periods of standing and this is why baseball cleats are wider and bulkier compared to soccer cleats.
They have more cushioning on the tongue and heel with a midsole. Soccer players’ cleats also have no heel cushioning because this would prevent ankle flexibility while running. The upper parts of the shoes are also loosely stitched.
Cut
Soccer cleats are usually cut short because their main focus is ankle support for flexibility. A soccer player’s ankle has to be flexible enough for them to continuously run and change directions at the drop of a hat.
They are also cut rounder as stated earlier, because the players have to feel the ball with cleats on. Kicking the ball with heavy shoes is counterintuitive in soccer.
Baseball cleats, meanwhile, are available in high, mid to low-cut variants. Pitchers and outfielders wear the mid-cut variants while batters wear the low-cut variants.
Both variants also provide ankle support but for stability. This stability is important because baseball movements are more lateral and happen in quick, short bursts. The high cuts are not widespread because they’re heavier.
Can You Use the Same Cleats for Baseball and Soccer?
Both shoes have different weights. This should be enough to help you understand that neither shoe is optimal for the other sport.
However, soccer shoes can be used for baseball because of the cleats, cut and design which allows for foot freedom.
Baseball cleats, on the other hand, cannot be used in soccer because they are designed with the harder surfaces of the sport in mind. Soccer surfaces are soft which means baseball shoes will ruin them, which in turn ruins the game.
If you play both sports and can’t afford a pair of each sport-specific shoes, buy soccer cleats.
Final Thoughts
Now you know the differences between both cleats and how to go shopping for them if you need to.
Always make sure to check the spikes of both shoes, as shoes with toe spikes are banned from soccer. You don’t want to be the reason a player loses their dream.
Also, try to make a fashion statement when making a purchase. Looking good while playing sports also boosts your confidence for optimum performance.
If you’ve got the time and money, you can have them custom-made like many professional soccer and baseball players, as long as you use the right materials!
