For a soccer player one of the first things they look for in a cleat is if allows them to move freely and quickly all over the field. This is of course hard because what’s good for one field may not be good for another. There is no regulation on dampness length or even type of grass, and going from different regions can also change the grass type, so it’s important to be ready for the field you’re playing on. During or after a rainy game normal firm ground cleats may not give you the traction you need to be able move quickly and efficiently around the field. I am a Tiempo fan, so I am glad to say that the Nike Ttempo Soft Ground Cleats are a great choice.
Disclaimer Please Read
Before you purchase soft ground cleats it is important to check the rules of your coach, club, and league you will be playing with because some do not allow for soft ground cleats. The studs at the bottom of the cleat are metal and can at times be dangerous to yourself and other players on the field. So although this cleat type can be very helpful you should check for yourself if you are even allowed to wear them in your league play.
Stud Technology
There are obvious differences when looking at a firm ground cleat compared to a soft ground cleat. For the most part the upper is the same, it’s a soft grain leather that is great for molding to your foot. Where the cleat varies is that there are far less cleats, but the cleat are longer. On the tiempos there are 6 long metal stud located towards the toe, top upper fot, and back by the heel. Less studs are needed because the longer studs allow for more traction. The studs are removable so you can purchase longer studs or shorter studs to adjust to what you need for that day. Nike does provide a wrench with the cleats to allow for easy removal and change of the studs.
Comfort
With less cleats the pressure from each individual cleat is greater on different parts of the foot, which can cause some discomfort. Nike has added extra padding in the sock liner to give the soccer player more comfort when playing in games. You may still feel a little more pressure than you would in firm ground cleats but that is to be expected because of the different design elements of the shoe. I wasn’t sure where to add this so I’ll add it here, but compared to other Tiempo cleats these are much heavier because of the metal on the cleats. Even though they are heavier what’s nice is you will still feel just as fast because the traction you will have compared to those in firm ground cleats will be night and day. You’ll slip less allowing for more of you power to be concentrated in the push off of each step.
Overall
I again want to emphasize the importance of checking with your coach, club, and league to see if you are allowed to wear these cleats in games, because they can be a danger to your self and other players on the field if one of the two become reckless. If you can these are great cleats that will help improve your game on the surfaces that don’t work well with firm ground cleats. Most of the cleat is just like other Tiempos, you just have to decide if the studs are what you’re looking for and comfortable to you. These will cost you around $70.00, which some may thing is cheap but these are great cleats to have when you need more traction on the field. Do you research and see if they’re legal or not and then try these on you won’t be let down.
Written by: Kendra, soccer chick, soccerprose.com
