How to Break in Soccer Cleats

The first time you play in new cleats you can expect blisters, cuts, and even destroyed cleats if the cleats have not been broken in.  These tips will make it so that by your first game the cleats will be able to perform to their full extent.

  1. As soon as you receive your cleats it is important to start breaking them in.
  2. Wear the cleats around the house so they grow accustomed to your foot.  Make sure to wear any socks and shin guards that you would when you actually play soccer.
  3. While wearing the cleats soak them in warm water for up to twenty minutes then allow them to dry on your feet. (This may take a while)
  4. After the cleats are dry it is wise to apply petroleum jelly to the surface.  This replenishes oils and color.
  5. At first do not use the cleats vigorously, it is important to play in them but not for more than an hour a day.
  6. Massage the cleats with your hands to stretch the materials.
  7. When not wearing the cleats stuff them with newspaper so at they retain their shape.
  8. During the first couple times you use the cleats it is important to wear two pairs of socks, one large and one small, in order to prevent blisters.

After following these steps you can be sure that your cleats will be ready to play in.

Related Posts with Thumbnails

Do you like these?

31 Responses to “How to Break in Soccer Cleats”

  1. gareth March 1, 2009 at 4:37 pm #

    hey, great info,

    i have a question tho, not sure how this works…

    i also heard about adidas leather balsam. do you know anything aboout it? also instead of brand name products, are there any household items i can use to do the same thing as the leather foods? maybe some lotion or vaseline or something?

  2. Andy March 1, 2009 at 5:05 pm #

    Hello Gareth -

    Adidas Leather Balsam is effectively the same thing as leather food. I much prefer the leather food to it though, as I find the leather food much more effective.

    I would highly recommend getting the leather food that we linked to in our post “How to care for soccer cleats I.” I don’t know of any household equivalent.

    Regards,
    Andy

  3. gareth March 1, 2009 at 11:19 pm #

    ok thanks. now, can i use any household “dish towel” to apply the food?

    if i get it, how often should i apply the food? every post-game/match?

    since i have adipures, i swear im paranoid that ill tear em, what can i do to prevent(as much as possible) any nicks, tears, scratches, or prevent the leather from wearing away on the toe area?

    thanks

  4. Max March 3, 2009 at 7:23 pm #

    Hey Gareth,

    Great choice on Adipures. When i first started playing in my cleats I noticed that the toe area did start to wear out. This is due to the weaker bonds between the hard plastic bottom and the leather upper. While preventing this is almost impossible you can try not to toe the ball as this is one of the main ways the leather can tear. Also be sure to remove any substance that may have gotten into the cracks near the front of the cleat. If gone unnoticed a single grain of sand could tear apart even the strongest of cleats. To answer your questions about a dish towel i don’t suggest using one of those as the rough surface could irritate a small scrape making it larger, i suggest using a cleaning cloth such as one that comes with glasses or cameras. The leather food is works best when it is applied after every game. However like any thing too much or too little can be damaging. I hope this helps.

    Max

  5. Zach April 5, 2009 at 7:39 pm #

    Does all this info apply only to leather, or to synthetic materials as well?

  6. Max April 5, 2009 at 7:56 pm #

    Its always good to check the seams on your cleats after use. Like i said earlier where two parts of the cleat is connected is often the weakest part especially near the toe of the cleat. Also one tip with synthetic cleats is to never use leather food or any sort of leather polish on them as this will break down the material. A good washing with warm water will do the trick.

  7. Zach April 6, 2009 at 4:07 pm #

    Great, thanks! Same deal for the “How to Care for Cleats”?

  8. mz April 25, 2009 at 1:49 pm #

    thank you so much for the tips
    really helpful
    suggestion: u shud put in a section with like jukes and moves and stuff
    -MZ

  9. alana May 17, 2010 at 7:22 pm #

    you should make the top less bright i love the color though

  10. Amir danish October 10, 2010 at 7:58 pm #

    I’ve been playing witH my Synthetic Adizero’s 7 times already.During my first 3 games I had a blister on the back of my right heel.During the 4th match I encountered no problems so I started wearing short socks rather than real football socks because I thought I’ve already broken into them.During my 5th to 7th match I got really bad blisters on my left heel which was weird becoz I always have blisters on my right heel rather than my left so please tell me what do i need to do to prevent getting any blisters when I’m wearing my ADIZERO’s coz i really love the boots and it madem become a better player

  11. Andy October 11, 2010 at 10:39 am #

    Hi Amir -

    They’re probably just getting broken in now, after 7 matches. I would wear two pairs of socks for a few more matches just to make sure they’re fully broken in. Also, I highly recommend only wearing real football socks when using the Adizero’s, because they have a rigid part at the back that can cause blisters if it touches your ankle.

    Thanks for the comment!

  12. Amir danish October 12, 2010 at 10:58 pm #

    Oh alright,umm I’ve tried wearing two socks already but it seems like the boot doesn’t grab on my adizero’s.
    It feels lose.
    Any idea how can I make the back part of the Adizero’s more friendly with my heels so that I do not need to wear two scoks.

  13. Amir danish October 13, 2010 at 5:05 am #

    Typo error:
    The boot doesn’t grab onto my feet

  14. Andy November 10, 2010 at 6:30 am #

    Hi Amir -

    Well, that’s tough – it seems like you may have gotten a size too big. To fix that, you could either double sock or put something like Hot Shot Gels (which we’ve reviewed) in the cleat to take up space and offer protection. Since they’re synthetic, they won’t mold to your feet, unfortunately. Let me know what you end up doing!

    Thanks for the comment!

  15. sam June 3, 2011 at 3:11 am #

    Hi is it really advisible to soak them in warm water?wouldnt it cause the glue to dissolve?

  16. JFB June 4, 2011 at 11:21 pm #

    No one makes soccer cleats with water soluble glue. Or else you would see people playing in the rain with the soles of their cleats coming off all the time, or after cleaning them.

    My question is: I just got a pair of Pumas with K leather. I’d like to speed up the break in because I only play once a week at best. When you say soak them in water for up to 20 mins, what is a good way of doing this without fully submerging the cleats (or how do I get the top to soak without submerging).

    If it doesn’t really matter to get water on the inside, so be it.

    Thanks!

  17. Andy June 12, 2011 at 2:06 pm #

    JFB –

    I think it is fine if you get water on the inside, as long as you dry them off well afterward!

    Thanks for the comment!

  18. lg June 13, 2011 at 4:35 pm #

    If you soak the cleats in warm water wouldn’t it weaken the glue and make it easier for the cleats to fall apart? One of my coaches recommended taking a shower with them on. I have f50 adizeros (leather). Would that also be a good tactic? Thanks!

  19. Andy June 15, 2011 at 9:18 am #

    lg -

    Taking a shower would work just as well! The glue is actually very strong (otherwise, people’s cleats would fall apart in the rain), so soaking them shouldn’t be a problem.

    Thanks for the comment!

  20. john July 4, 2011 at 11:12 am #

    i have adidas adipower’s and i played with them in when
    it was raining heavily, like i felt like i just stepped out of the shower, and now the area where the sole meets the actual shoe, like the leather, is peeling of, i thing the sole is going to fall apart. what should i do these cleats were expensive and i used well earned money on them and i had them for less then a month and they’re supposed to last at least for a year (2 more seasons).
    please help me.

  21. Andy July 6, 2011 at 6:15 pm #

    Hi John –

    There’s not much you can do aside from dying them very well! Leave them in a hot place, stuffed with newspaper for as long as possible. Once they are dry you should be able to play in them again!

    Thanks for the comment!

  22. Nick August 7, 2011 at 9:27 pm #

    I have the nike mercurial vapor vi and would soaking them in warm water help break
    them in? Also if the bottom of my foot hurts from playing in them should i get some comfort insoles or just stick with the regular insoles?

  23. Andy August 13, 2011 at 4:24 pm #

    Soaking them could certainly help you! And yes, comfort insoles can be great for people who are uncomfortable in the regular insoles.

    Thanks for the comment!

  24. Beesh September 1, 2011 at 11:57 pm #

    Are you sure soaking them,won’t ruin the cleats?
    And i have no food towel for it,so i can’t refresh the colours again…

  25. Beesh September 1, 2011 at 11:57 pm #

    Are you sure soaking them,won’t ruin the cleats?
    And i have no food towel for it,so i can’t refresh the colours again…

  26. ThEmERCvAPvI September 7, 2011 at 7:06 am #

    i have mercurial vapor 6 and i want to soak them but my father think that this will destroy the cleats…

  27. Kee Kee September 28, 2011 at 7:02 pm #

    I have synthetic f 50s, Im considering taking a shower in them but one of the comments above say that their cleats was ripping open. How long does the shower have to be and exactly what do i do after? P.S. i have no leather food

  28. subhagya perera December 19, 2011 at 7:56 am #

    hi,
    i have got a brand new pair of adinova’s, what i wanted to say is i’ve never used it and it feels a bit tight when worn with socks. Please tell me a way to make it comfortable

  29. Oscar January 23, 2012 at 8:22 pm #

    Yes i just got my puma pwrc tokyo edition. These cleats are synthetic and today was the first day i used them, i feel really tired a idk whats wronq with them ): theyre not realky comfortable either, i appreciate your help

  30. Gerald February 3, 2012 at 2:48 am #

    How do you dry Nike Mercurial Vapors that aren’t the elites? Will they shrink if I put them in the dryer?

Newer Comments »

Leave a Reply