Well, its that time of year again where kids start a new season of soccer and many of them need new cleats. For the future top flight soccer star, the best bet for the coming season is the Nike Mercurial Vapor VIII. Designed for speed, these shoes will let any kids move faster onto the ball and won’t weight them down. These soccer cleats are also made with the best synthetic materials Nike has to offer and integrate some of the latest technology to aid ball control and durability.
The upper of these Nike soccer shoes is made from the latest synthetic Teijin leather and offers a great fit that stays true to size. Also, the upper gives you great support on along the arches of your foot and the heel to help protect you from injury and give you a cleaner surface for trapping the ball. The straight line lacing system with flat laces also gives you a another surface for striking the ball so you can hit the target. The heel cup is extremely comfortable and features a padded lining that will make sure blisters aren’t an issue. The heel cup is also important for protecting the Achilles tendons and no matter what shoe you decide to go with for your child, make sure you get a pair with a decent heel cup.
The sockliner inside these shoes is perforated to keep a players feet dry during a game, and when combines with a pair of Nike soccer socks really wicks the moisture away from the feet. Its also think enough to protect a player of any size from the impact of the cleats on the grass and will really lock the foot in place making sure your won;t have any blisters on the bottoms of the feet.
The cleat pattern on the bottom of these kids Nike vapors mirrors the adult version of these shoes. Its designed with bladed studs that are angles to give the best possible support and traction on any firm grass surface. They also feature a some extra teeth on the toe to prevent slippage when you take off running from a dead stop. They act like the front spike on a pair of pair of track spikes, but they aren’t sharp enough to due any damage it you happen to step on someones foot. The sole plate itself integrates a glass fiber weave to optimize strength and durability ensuring a great energy return and a nice rigid feel to it.
Overall, the shoes are a little pricey, but an excellent value for the money considering all of the technology they contain. These soccer boots aren’t for eveyday practices, but once you break them in they’ll make a great pair of game boots that are sure to give any player the edge they need to succeed.
Written by: Matthew Wall, editor, soccerprose.com
