Here's Your Complete Guide To Buying Football Boots

'What football boots should I buy?'.

It's a question that has been on the forefront of every footballer's lips since the beginning of time. Firstly, it's all subjective - and don't believe what people say - the right football boot CAN make you play better.

We all want to be able to play like our favourite players - and wear their boots no doubt. This means everyone's tastes will be different and you may find yourself gravitating towards a pair just because Messi or Ronaldo has them.

But before even deciding on a pair of boots, there's a few things you need to consider. Here's our complete guide to choosing the perfect football boots for your needs.

Before you even think about buying, you'll need to decide on a realistic budget, there's no point looking at a pair of £250 football boots if you can't afford them. There's no shame in it - we don't all get paid like Neymar, and luckily the brands know this. For this reason, the top brands provide you with quite a few versions of your favourite boots at a range of prices to suit everyone's wallets.

You'll notice that most football boot manufacturers offer different variations of the same product at different price point. The Nike Mercurial collection comes in four tiers: Club, Academy, Pro and Elite. With prices starting at £45 and going up to £200, depending on your skill level and requirements there is sure to be the perfect boot for you.

Now the most difficult question, how should football boots fit?

When it comes to picking up the perfect pair of football boots, fit and sizing is important. There are many debates about how football boots should fit. Should football boots fit tight? Should you size up in football boots?

It sounds like an obvious shout but you need to make sure your football boots fit correctly. If you're buying football boots that don't fit properly, you're going to have serious problems on the pitch. Take some time to look around and find out how the boots fit - this will save you time and money in the long run. You can usually find this information at the bottom of the page; read the reviews - both good and bad before you make your mind up.

The ideal fit for football boots should be to leave a small amount of space at the toe. Not enough so that the toe box flaps but also not too little that your toes are pressing against the end of the boot. Most football boots now are made to fit true to size, however it is always best to read reviews and check which materials the boots are made of.

Leather boots have a little bit more give and can be more forgiving when it comes to sizing whereas boots made from Nike's Flyknit materials can sometimes fit tight and may require you to size up.

If you have wide feet you could run into some trouble too. Most football boots will mould to the shape of your feet but some brands such as New Balance have an option available when ordering that takes this factor into account.

Once you've ordered your boots, make sure you try them on at home and walk around the house in them to make sure they fit properly. With the newer adidas boots, there's no need to break the boots in as they come equipped with Techfit compression which instantly adapts to the wearer's feet.

Another important factor to consider and you'll want to make sure you take this part very seriously. There's a variety of playing surfaces including Firm Ground, Soft Ground, Artificial Grass, Indoor and Astro Turf and they've been engineered with precision for each surface.

Unless you're going to buy two pairs of boots, you'll want to buy ones that match the type of ground you play on most.

If on match day you find the pitch is soft and boggy, you'll need to opt for a pair of soft-ground boots for optimum performance.

If the pitch is harder on the other hand, picking a moulded stud football boot will be beneficial for moving around the pitch as the studs won't penetrate the surface too much, which in turn allows for better traction.

So you've decided on a budget, read reviews to find the right size and know which type of sole to get, you're almost there. There's just a couple more things to consider before buying your boots.

Despite leather being the most popular choice for football boots, there's also synthetic options available which do have some benefits on the top tier boots but can be a bit of hindrance on the lower tier versions as you don't quite get the same on-the-ball feel which may impact on your gameplay.

This very much depends on your preferences. Brands have been rolling out their best-selling boots with laceless uppers making them more streamlined but they also release the same boots with laces. It all comes down to personal preference and what you want from your shoes.

Now that you've decided on your budget, selected your favoured playing surface and found your perfect size, there's nothing left but to make the purchase. As long as you follow the advice from this guide we're sure you'll find the perfect pair of boots to suit your needs.

A few years ago it was common to buy football boots which were up to 2 sizes bigger than your true size! Recently however, boot manufacturers have gotten better at solving this issue. We recommend to read some reviews on the specific boots you want to purchase to get an idea of how they fit depending on material, style and width.

Football boots should be comfortable. Not too tight and not too loose. Ideally you want to leave a very small gap at the front of the boot to allow your foot some breathing room and to prevent your toes from getting damaged.

Depending on the materials football boots have varying degrees of give in them. Synthetic and knitted materials will stretch less than leather and will also take a little longer. However, after a few wears every boot regardless of material will mould to your foot.

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