My Favorite Soccer Gear

Today I’m sharing some of my favorite soccer gear. When I played my first season of soccer I was pretty overwhelmed at the choices when it came to decisions about cleats, socks, and shin guards. I had no idea what to look for, so I relied on the sales guy who was helping me to give me some good advice.

First off, I would go to a store that specializes in soccer. I know it’s tempting to go to a big box sports store or order it online, but if you’re not sure what you’re looking for, you’re better off getting some honest advice, which you’re more likely to get at a store that just does soccer stuff.

The most important piece of equipment that you’ll need for soccer are cleats. Make sure you know whether you’re playing indoor or outdoor soccer, because that will make a difference in which ones you buy. I think most cleats now have stitching on the toes, which helps with traction when you’re handling the ball. Make sure you wear them around the store a bit, both walking and running. You want to make sure that they’re not too loose, but also not so tight that they hurt. Keep in mind that they will stretch a bit once you’ve played a few games in them. Although this (affiliate link) isn’t exactly the pair that I have, they look like they’re pretty close.

Next up are shin guards. The league that I played in wouldn’t let you on the field without them. I can’t count the number of times I got kicked (accidentally of course) in the leg, and I was incredibly grateful I was wearing shin guards. These Puma shin guards (affiliate link) aren’t exactly the same as the ones I have (they aren’t being made anymore), but they look pretty close.

I’m usually pretty frugal. I’ll splurge once in awhile, but I generally like to spend my money wisely. For two or three years I thought that I didn’t need a cleat bag. I figured a couple of plastic bags would work just as well, so that’s what I used. Unfortunately they never kept the grass and dirt from my cleats contained, and it ended up all over my soccer bag. Finally after one game when I was taking my cleats off one of the bags got caught in the wind a few half way across the field before I finally caught it. I was fed up and a day or two later I was at the soccer store to get a cleat bag. Although it’s not an essential, I think my Adidas cleat bag (affiliate link) was well worth the money.

I couldn’t find it anywhere online, but although it’s a tad on the big side, I really like my duffle bag. There’s one big compartment along with two smaller ones on either end. Inside the big one there’s a little pocket for keys and a phone so that they don’t get lost in there. I like that I can wear it over my shoulder instead of like a backpack. I mean who really wants something against their back on the sweaty walk home from a soccer game?

Although they’re not pictured in the photo above, I love my Adidas soccer socks (affiliate link). I have another pair that I also use, but I find that they don’t stay up as well so I’m constantly pulling them up to cover the top of my shin guards.

Now that you know my favorites, leave me a comment with some of yours. 

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