Proper choice between turf and indoor soccer shoes is an important step that you shouldn’t ignore!
Different court floors and surface materials require adequate equipment, which will allow you to play comfortably and perform at the best of your abilities.
This article breakdown the main differences …
Turf Shoes vs. Indoor Soccer Shoes – General Differences
| Turf Shoes | Indoor Soccer Shoes | |
| Size | Relatively Bigger | Relatively Smaller |
| Comfort (opinion) | More Comfortable | Slightly less Comfortable |
| Weight | Slightly Heavier | Slightly Lighter |
| Running | Adapted for Regular Runs | Best for High Pace Sprints |
| Cost | Slightly Costly | Slightly less Expensive |
| Durability | More Durable | Slightly less Durable |
| Safety | Safer | Slightly less Safe |
1) Size
When it comes to the size of the shoes, indoor soccer shoes are relatively smaller than the turf shoes. This is due to the nature of their design, as turf shoes have studs on their sole, and the pattern of the studs depends on the nature of the surface.
Indeed, if you play on the soft ground, generally your outdoor shoes will have much bigger studs than if you play on firm ground.
In addition, this kind of structure requires much higher ankle support, in order to keep your balance during the play.
On the other hand, indoor soccer shoes typically have flat sole, without any studs, so they can make better grip with the surface.
Due to having flat and even bottom, there is no need for any additional support of the ankles. Due to these facts, they are smaller in size when compared to outdoor soccer shoes.
2) Comfort
Turf soccer shoes tend to be more comfortable (Check this example of comfortable Turf shoes) to wear from indoor shoes, especially for younger players.
Considering the fact that outdoor turf shoes without appropriate support may lead to injuries, tight fit around both foot and ankle is necessary.
Turf shoes must be comfortable and have adequate cushioning, so the foot can stay in place inside the shoe during the game, but at the same time without causing blisters.
This is the reason why turf soccer shoes are much more similar to your everyday street shoes, and people often wear them instead of their sneakers.
Indoor soccer shoes are not that comfortable, because of having a flat bottom and low type of design, which makes your toes go a little lower than usual.
Although being perfect for indoor court play and fast-paced games, all this makes them little less comfortable than turf soccer shoes.
3) Weight
Turf soccer shoes are quite heavier when compared to indoor soccer shoes!
The main reason for this is the difference in their purpose. Turf soccer shoes prioritize stability, safety, and enough traction.
When it comes to indoor soccer shoes, their focus is on agility and increased movement. That is why turf shoes are equipped with studs on their outsole for increased fraction, and more material on their upfront and ankle area to keep them durable and stable, but it also adds much more weight to them.
On the other hand, indoor soccer shoes need to be as lightweight as possible, so the players can make quick moves on the small space, which is often the case with indoor soccer.
They are also often made from lighter, synthetic materials.
4) Good for Running?
For running a sprint, a better choice is indoor soccer shoes. This is due to the fact that these shoes must provide fast, agile movement to the players.
Indoor soccer characterizes a much higher pace of play, so the shoes must be appropriate. Conditions of the game involve much more sprinting and movement in a small space.
Indoor courts are made of different materials as varnished wood, linoleum, and generic synthetic flooring.
This kind of surface requires soccer shoes with a sole made of rubber, so that it can provide more grip with the floor. Better grip allows you to have better control over your movement, so there is no need for ankles support. By the way, you can check those quality cleat recommendations for better ball controll …
All of these make indoor soccer shoes a better solution for running, so people often use them as a replacement for regular running shoes.
Turf is a surface that does not allow shoes to achieve enough traction without having turf shoes with appropriate sole pattern.
This makes better grip and helps you stay balanced during the play. The level of grip that can be achieved is lower than in indoor conditions, which makes them a little bit slower and an inferior solution for running.
But keep in mind that for running at a slower pace, turf shoes are more comfortable choice.
5) Cost
In general, turf soccer shoes tend to cost a little more. This is often a result of their more complex design and materials used. However, this is not always the case.
When you look at the market, you will see that there are shoes for both surfaces in any price range.
There is no significant difference when it comes to the cost of the shoes, as both of the types have huge variation in price, regarding manufacturer and quality.
Nevertheless, it is good to keep in mind that these shoes are not interchangeable and in order to get best results and be safe, you must pick the ones appropriate for playing surface, regardless of the price.
6) Durability
Turf shoes are designed to be more durable. Turfs are extremely rough surfaces and shoes suffer a great deal of pressure.
Materials used must withstand outdoor play, often under different weather conditions. If not durable enough, playing on turf may tear your shoes apart.
When it comes to indoor soccer shoes, they are designed in a way to enable players as much contact with the surface as possible, so you can make quicker movement on the court.
This is possible due to their lightweight material. In addition, indoor shoes are created in a way to have breathable areas.
These all make them less durable to playing conditions. Indoor soccer shoes also have a softer upper part, since you can only use them in indoor courts.
7) Safety
Turf soccer shoes are considered a safer option than indoor soccer shoes. Turf shoes are designed in a way to have protective padding and support.
Turf soccer shoes have studs on their sole in order to lower the chance for slipping during the game. Due to sudden change of direction while running, higher ankle support and better surface grip makes you less prone to injuries.
When you stop your movement, your foot stops to move momentary, while the rest of your body continues to move forward.
This creates torque force, which puts a lot of pressure on your ankle and joints. This is the main cause of the ankle and ligament injuries.
Turf shoes design takes over the part of that impact and reduces the chance of physical trauma.
8) Material
Indoor soccer shoes have flat surfaces on the bottom and this type of low design resulted in different materials used for their production.
Manufacturers choose the material based on multiple criteria: price, protection, durability, flexibility.
Shoes of higher quality are made of leather, while today most shoes available are made of synthetic leather, being it is a cheaper material.
We often can see the mixture of these materials with mesh. The sole of the shoes are made of rubber.
Indoor soccer shoes can be produced with a lot of freedom and creativity from manufacturers when it comes to the type of materials used.
On the other hand, turf soccer shoes have to use materials that can withstand the harsher outdoor environment, sometimes with unpredictable weather conditions.
This is the reason why turf soccer shoes are mostly made of synthetic leather. Although synthetic shoes are less breathable than leather shoes, synthetic ones are lighter and waterproof, which is essential when playing on an outside turf court.
In addition, for safety purposes, it is a trend today to have textile socks attached, for better ankle support.
Turf soccer shoes must have rubber studs distributed on the sole of the shoe, for better gripping with the surface.
9) Design
Turf soccer shoes have more attractive design than indoor soccer shoes. Indoor soccer shoes must have a clean, simple design, with less material on the upper and bottom part of the shoe.
This is due to the importance of being lightweight for the fast pace of indoor games. On the other hand, turf soccer shoes have studs, harder upper part, with ankle support, sometimes with socks attached.
This gives manufacturers much more freedom to expose their creativity and create more adventurous and attractive design.
Turf soccer shoes defer when it comes to the softness and hardness of the surface, and this makes them more versatile regarding the shoes’ type, patterns of the studs and used colors.
Best Shoes for turf …
Adidas Predator 20.3 Turf Soccer Shoe (Check it Here on Amazon) is a great choice for turf surface, perfect for outdoor conditions.
It has a rubber sole with a pattern of studs of unequal size, customized for perfect grip of the foot to the ground. Innovative design aims to provide ideal fit for the foot, so you feel more comfortable.
Adidas Predator has attached sock extension, which makes them more enjoyable to wear, as well as provide adequate ankle support to prevent potential injuries from quick change in movement during the game.
Best Shoes for indoor soccer …
Adidas Men’s Samba Classic (Check it Here on Amazon) is considered a bestseller among shoes on Amazon and it is one of the shoe designs that stood the test of time.
Simple, lightweight design makes them a great pick for indoor soccer courts. Non Marking rubber on the outsole provides excellent grip for all indoor surfaces, which allows you to change the pace and direction of movement almost instantly.
Samba Classic has embossed midsole, so they are more comfortable than other shoes in this price range.
This shoe is also more durable, with the upper part completely made of leather and suede covering the front. This combination of materials provides additional support and protection to the player.
Finally, I think you should check those conditions to use running shoes for indoor soccer! I think you will find that very interesting …
Can you wear turf shoes in an indoor soccer field?
It is not a good idea wearing turf soccer shoes in an indoor soccer field. This is due to multiple reasons, some regarding safety and quality of play, but some regarding sports centers regulations.
Indoor soccer shoes have a bigger touching surface with the court floor. On the other hand, turf soccer shoes are touching the floor only with the surface of their studs, which represents quite a difference when it comes to grip.
This is not the case when you play on turf, but when you play on hard indoor wood or concrete floor, this can be troublesome.
In addition, more material between your feet and the ground makes them less comfortable to wear in indoor conditions.
Being a little higher, means you will not be able to approach the ball with the same quality as with indoor soccer shoes, which can reflect on your ball control, passing skills and shooting.
Important thing to keep in mind is that indoor soccer shoes do not leave a mark on the field. Some sports center owners are inclined to prohibit access to their court if you wear turf soccer shoes, as they can leave tracks on the floor.
Can you wear indoor soccer shoes on turf?
Yes, indoor soccer shoes can be worn on turf courts. There is no rule or sports centers’ instruction that forbids their use, as there is no chance of damaging the playing surface.
Should you do this, depends solely on your game level and your budget.
If you are a beginner soccer player and not ready, or you cannot afford buying several pairs of shoes, then due to their universality, the right choice for you are indoor soccer shoes.
However, this will influence the quality of your game. Because of the lack of the studs, indoor soccer shoes have less traction with turf surfaces.
This lack of traction will limit your range of motion, as you will not be able to change directions and stop the movement instantly.
In addition, the lack of studs makes them sometimes slippery on the turf surface, especially if you play outdoors, when there is a possibility of the playing surface being wet.
This is also a question of safety, as this can potentially lead to injuries due to the lack of control over your movement and the absence of ankle support.
Final Thoughts …
Really hope this article was not too long for your liking! Indeed, I had to make sure that I cover all the possible details about the differences between both shoes so you will be able to make the right choice …
… I’ve made some bad shoe choices before and this costed me the ability to play at the best of my abilities, and I don’t want you to make this same mistake.
Finally, I highly invite you to check this comparison between indoor and outdoor soccer ball! You will find that very interesting …