Futsal Guide

What is the Difference Between Futsal and Indoor Soccer Shoes?

Futsal shoes vs. Indoor soccer shoes
Written by Damien Gavrilho

Some people thought that indoor soccer and futsal are the same things. But they aren’t! Despite some similarities and other things that futsal got from indoor soccer, there are certain differences between these two games. One of them is the equipment used during gameplay, to be specific, the shoes. In this article, we will focus on the difference between futsal and indoor soccer shoes.

Shoes Used in Futsal

The field used in the game plays a vital role in determining the right shoes that each player should wear. For futsal, the playing surface is a hard court. This means that futsal players must wear shoes that can provide them with a good grip and good traction. These are often called indoor soccer shoes. Yup, I know it is weird that indoor soccer shoes are used in futsal and not what goes by its name, but this is right. These shoes have a flat surface, a rubbery outsole with different patterns, and they are often offered in low-cut designs. The patterns present on the outsole of these shoes will prevent slipping in the hardcourt and good traction. The low-cut or low-ankle profile in their designs provides the means to have a lot of close contact with the flooring while playing futsal. Having high-cut shoes while playing futsal will hinder the player to move his foot properly during gameplay. Indoor soccer shoes are usually made of kangaroo leather or synthetic letter. These kinds of materials are lightweight which is perfect for shoes used in futsal. Using lightweight shoes is also important in futsal as this will allow any user to move easily within the court. Since they look like normal sneakers, you can also use these shoes outside the hardcourt. Make sure to check our list of the best shoes for futsal.

Shoes Used in Indoor Soccer

Indoor soccer is usually played on artificial grass and turf. This game’s flooring is a lot softer than the ones used in futsal. Players playing indoor soccer need to use shoes that have cleats since they need more traction than when playing on a hard court. Cleats are those studs or elevations present on the sole of the shoes. They also come in different types like rounded and spiked. Spiked or bladed cleats are good if you want more speed and greater traction. While in rounded cleats, the pressure is distributed in the whole part of the sole which will result in more stability and faster releases.

Turf shoes are usually used by players when they play indoor soccer. These shoes have small cleats on the outsole and are usually made of rubber. These cleats are often in circular type and will help the player to stand firm in the turf. The reason why the studs or the cleats used in these shoes are smaller compared to soccer shoes is to match the height of the grass on the artificial turf, which is usually shorter compared to real grass. There are also many studs present on these shoes compared to artificial grass cleats soccer shoes. This design helps the pressure to be distributed in their cleats or studs which often causes foot injury and pain.

On the other hand, shoes with artificial grass cleats are used if the game is played in an artificial grass field. This field is a lot harder compared to a natural grass field. Compared to turf shoes, the cleats present in this kind of shoes are longer and are also less in number. The rounded cleats allow the user the grip more on the surface and move around with better mobility. These shoes are also a hybrid or mix of indoor soccer shoes and shoes for frim ground. Despite looking like normal soccer shoes, these shoes don’t penetrate the flooring, unlike the soccer shoes that can penetrate on the soft grass field. These shoes and turf shoes are also mostly offered in low-cut designs.

Conclusion

To sum it up, shoes used in futsal and indoor soccer differs on the cleats or pattern on the outsole of the shoes. Playing in an indoor soccer game need shoes that have cleats for faster moving all around. While in futsal, the shoes must have no cleats. With this article, I hope you can now choose the right kind of shoes that you should be using in a game. Always remember that investing in the right shoes will help you in the long run. Using the right shoes that can support you can contribute big to your gameplay and skills.

About the author

Damien Gavrilho

Damien has been a professional futsal player from 1997 to 2010 years. He was playing for FC Atlantic Wolves and Dynamo. Damien has opened his own futsal school in North Dakota, USA and populating futsal all over the United States. Today, Damien is coaching his own team in the amateur USA futsal league. Damien has multiple rewards from the US Futsal Association.

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