Every surface you play on will provide you with a different challenge. Whenever you turn out for your club or just a kick around with mates, you need to adapt to the underfoot conditions. And, if you are well prepared, you’ll be able to show off your silky skills, mesmerising the opposition and scoring for fun every time you cross that white line.
Aside from ‘practice, practice, practice’ you can also give yourself an edge by choosing the right kit for the surface. If you’re playing on artificial turf, your biggest asset could be what you put on your feet: your turf boots for football.
WHAT IS ARTIFICIAL TURF?
If you’ve access to an artificial pitch, you can satisfy your thirst for football in virtually any weather. Gone are the days when mud or a big freeze stopped play. These modern miracles are free-draining which means any rainwater simply disappears, so you’ve no excuse not to play your best football every time.
You may well find these artificial turfs (or 2G) down at your local leisure centre. They’re often used for short format football like 5-aside, although you can also find full-size pitches. They’re made from advanced synthetic fibres, which mimic blades of grass and are made in a similar way to carpets – which is why you may have heard them referred to as such. In between the fibres you’ll find sand, which the makers use to help replicate the bounce and performance of natural grass pitches.
You won’t find 2G surfaces around quite so much these days. (They’re being replaced by more skin-friendly 3G and 4G pitches.) But when you do, you’ll need turf trainers or boots specially designed for sand-based artificial turf 2G pitches.
WHAT’S DIFFERENT ABOUT TURF BOOTS?
After all the hard work you’ve put into football skills, the last thing you want is for your footwear to let you down at a vital moment. Turf boots (or turf shoes/turf trainers) have the features you need to put the world at your feet when you’re playing on artificial turf.
At first glance, turf boots often look like soft ground or hard ground football boots. But look under the sole and you’ll find they are a completely different beast. Because the surface won’t have the ‘give’ of a natural grass pitch, the studs are replaced by smaller, grippy, rubber bumps. These provide the optimum shape to grab onto the hard surface. This means you can turn in a flash to throw your opponent off balance or plant your standing foot confidently to deliver a cross with pinpoint accuracy.
This ‘pimple’ design makes turf trainers so adaptable that not only can you play on artificial turf, but you can also use them in urban settings like concrete or street play. You’ll also love the fact that they’re hard-wearing and will last for season after season.
TURF BOOTS FOR FOOTBALL V ARTIFICIAL GRASS BOOTS
Artificial surfaces have moved on since the first artificial turf (2G) pitches were designed.
With the latest 3G and 4G artificial football pitches, it’s hard to tell them apart from the real thing. Instead of the sand infill of the 2G pitches they use advanced plastic fibres and recycled rubber granules, which means you can celebrate that wonder goal with your very best knee slide – without leaving your mark on the pitch.
Because 2G pitches are made of different materials to 3G / 4G pitches you need to wear different boots if you’re to bring your A-game with you. While turf shoes have rubber pimples underfoot, 3G or 4G boots have small, circular rubber studs for the ideal amount of grip. They can enter and release from 3G and 4G easily, so you can sprint with full power without worrying about slipping.
Don’t whatever you do, wear blades or studs on any artificial pitch. Not only will they damage the surface, but they could also harm you if your studs get caught in the fibres.
BRING YOUR REAL GAME TO ARTIFICIAL TURF
No more excuses. The next time you play on artificial turf could be the first time you bring the real you to the pitch. If you’ve not been wearing turf boots for football, then you’ve not been playing at your full potential. Just imagine how much faster you could accelerate, how much your balance could improve, and how much more agility you could bring to your game with the right pair of turf boots.