Although it is less and less common, I still remember seeing my teammates playing futsal in a different sport's shoes. A practice that is not recommended if you want to be stable and safe on the court. This poor choice of footwear can lead to joint problems, injuries and other ailments for the athlete. In addition, the use of a shoe that is not specialised in the sport in question can lead to a deterioration of the playing surface as well as a faster breakage of the shoe.
Before buying sports equipment, we must first analyse the playing surface. In the world of football there are mainly four different types of surfaces and with it their specific types of soles: SG, FG or mixed soles for natural grass; FG or AG soles for 3rd generation artificial grass; AG and turf soles for 1st generation artificial grass; and indoor soles for indoor football on parquet, taraflex or paved concrete. In addition to these surfaces, we can find other surfaces such as clay, where we should use an AG, or cement on outdoor courts where the best choice would be a turf or indoor shoe. We will now focus on the latter two to analyse their use in depth.
As we have already mentioned, the ideal sole for indoor football is the so-called indoor sole. Many futsal fans believe that just because a turf sole is multi-cushioned, it will have a better grip on the court, but nothing could be further from the truth. The use of this type of sole on an indoor court will only result in the player slipping often due to the small contact surface offered by these mini studs against the pavement. The ideal for this type of terrain is a smooth sole that rests entirely on the ground.
If we go on to talk about the turf sole, we will see that it is usually presented in a dark colour and practically filled in its entirety with small mini studs of little more than five millimetres in length. This type of footwear must be used on carpet, cement or dry earth, very abrasive terrains where cushioning is non-existent. The studs of an FG or AG on a synthetic surface do not usually dig in, but rather rest on it, causing plantar pain due to the pressure they bear. The use of these multi studs will eliminate this pressure by distributing the impact of the foot strike over the entire sole. Therefore, this type of boot should be avoided on surfaces such as natural grass or 3rd generation artificial turf.
But if we leave aside the sole, we can see that turf shoes and indoor sole shoes have very similar characteristics. In both types of shoes, the second most important aspect is still the midsole. This area is essential for the health of the athlete, since, due to the hardness of the ground, it will be in charge of cushioning all the player's footsteps. If we move on to the upper, we will see that the construction materials are usually the same: natural leather, synthetic leather, mesh...
In short, indoor soles are for smooth surfaces such as parquet, and turf shoes are used on rougher terrain such as carpet or earth. Here at Fútbol Emotion we just want to highlight the importance of choosing the right footwear for the sporting activity to be carried out. Incorrect use of footwear will not only remove the manufacturer's guarantee, but can also cause joint problems, sprains and other ailments. Remember, before playing, analyse the terrain and use specific footwear for that activity.
Remember that you can buy all the indoor futsal shoes and turf football boots on the Fútbol Emotion website by clicking on the following links:
- Turf Football Boots
