What To Look For
The best value football cleats will be tailored to your position to offer the best possible performance. High-tops provide the most support, and should be used mostly by linemen, while mid-cut shoes are preferred by skill players such as quarterbacks, wide receivers, defensive backs and running backs. Low-cut shoes should be used by players who need to make quick cuts across the field or a more light-weight shoe. If you play mostly on turf, look for a molded cleat; for grass, look for a cleat with detachable studs.
Common Pitfalls
Having the wrong type of shoe for your position and playing needs will often slow players down, so make sure to double-check the height of a shoe before purchasing. If you have detachable cleats, make sure that you have a variety of different studs for all the variable conditions you might face--using the same studs all the time defeats the purpose of having detachable studs, and you'll perform better with condition-specific cleats.
Where To Buy
You may find cheap cleats at big-name general retailers like Wal-Mart and Target, but for the best cleats look in sporting goods stores like Hibbet Sports, Academy Sports and Dick's Sporting Goods. You may be able to find better deals online, but it's never wise to purchase a shoe without first trying it on.
Cost
As of 2010, you can find great football cleats for between $40 and $150. The cost of the materials will have the largest impact on price, and synthetics will always be cheaper than leather.
Comparison Shopping
Leather products are more expensive than synthetics, but also usually last longer. If you're shopping for a pair of cleats to last a while, look for leather. But if you're shopping for single-season shoes or a pair for a youth player who might be quick to outgrow their cleats, look for synthetics. Well-reviewed cleats with consumer-friendly price tags include the leather Reebok NFL Thorpe Mid D, which are mid-height cleats with detachable studs, totaling around $65. For synthetics, consider the adidas Quickslant and Nike Speed TD cleats, which are both molded low-height cleats coming in under $100.
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