The indoor season is upon us and it’s time to replace studs with the non-marking sole. In this blog post you can get the COMPLETE overview of indoor shoes and find out which is ideal for you.
13.10.2021
The indoor season is upon us and it’s time to replace studs with the non-marking sole. In this blog post you can get the COMPLETE overview of indoor shoes and find out which is ideal for you.
Whether it be futsal or the more traditional form of indoor football, you are probably already looking into which indoor shoes to pick. Should you pick Nike’s innovative Gato collection, the Spanish kings of indoor football, Joma, or go old school with the adidas Spezial? I can’t make the choice for you, but I can help you well on the way with this overview of the indoor football shoe selection.
A rule of thumb that I will pass on here is the following: If you play football and already have a preferred football boot, like the Mercurial Vapor or PUMA Ultra, then I recommend you rely on them too when searching for an indoor football shoe. If you on the other hand don’t have any particular dedication to a certain boot or only play futsal and indoor football, then I’d say you should look to the more traditional indoor football shoes from Joma or the adidas Spezial.
Joma’s indoor football shoes are by many considered the very best available. Since springing into existence in 1965, sports shoes have been a Joma expertise right from the get-go and they, therefore, have plenty of knowledge and experience to rely on. Joma is a worthy bearer of the title “Futsal specialists” and their Joma Top Flex and Tactico are without doubt some of the best shoes on the market. With a leather upper the Top Flex is extremely comfortable and feels like running on clouds. The Joma Tactico has a thin woven upper, and when choosing between the two, it’s mostly a question of whether you prefer leather or synthetic material.
If you prefer a synthetic upper, the Joma Regate also provides a good alternative. If you’re shopping on a budget, then the Joma Dribling also does a great job. It does however not reach the same heights as the aforementioned premium options, which speaks more to the qualities of the Top Flex and Tactico than anything else.
Please be aware that Joma’s indoor football shoes run very large and I would consider going 0.5 to a full size down.
For the past few years, Nike has been extremely active in the development of unique technologies for indoor shoes. Here we can talk about the modern fan favorites Nike Lunargato and React Gato.
The Nike Lunargato 2 is probably one of the best all round indoor football shoes, and it has actually been so popular that Nike chose to reissue it. We think the innovative Nike React Gato should be on every list of the best indoor football shoes. Like a sock, the ultra-soft flyknit material wraps comfortably around the foot. The tight fit gives an absolutely phenomenal touch, which is enhanced by the raw texture providing extra grip on the ball. Whether you choose Lunargato or React Gato, you have secured yourself an excellent indoor shoe.
Like other brands, Nike offers their main silos for indoor football. The idea is that you should be able to directly transfer your experience from the pitch to the court. If you already play in Nike football boots, then you will already have an idea about what they offer.
Below you can see a quick overview of each Nike silo:
Mercurial - Explosive speed. A pretty narrow shoe, which highlights the fast paced players. By a mile the most popular shoe.
Phantom GT - Comfort and playmaking. A wide shoe, which gives good comfort and a sharp touch on the ball. One could argue that the Phantom GT is just a wider variant of the Mercurial.
Tiempo - Classic touch. Here you have a classic indoor football shoe, which is probably the closest you get to Joma’s indoor shoes and the super popular LunarGato.
When it comes to adidas indoor shoes, then you simply can’t (and don’t want to) ignore the adidas Spezial. A shoe that has been the universally acknowledged king of indoor courts. The shoe was originally invented as a handball shoe, but the world of football quickly discovered just how soft and supple the suede upper was. The comfort, the touch and the ball feel. There is a reason you always see this on all indoor courts. Another safe choice is a true futsal classic, the adidas Mundial Goal. It is basically the indoor version of the iconic Copa Mundial, which means you will get some of the nicest premium leather that ensures great comfort, touch and durability.
In recent years, adidas has focused more and more on the Futsal segment. You can now find a large selection of indoor football shoes based on the popular silos Speedflow, Predator and Copa, which manage to emulate much of the feeling you know from the outdoor turfs. Worth a look for sure!
In recent years, PUMA boots have become true fan favorites, which is of course due to the high quality, but also some very attractive prices. And their PUMA indoor shoes are no exception.
PUMA IBERO II has specifically been developed for indoor football. With the soft suede and the classic rubber sole, PUMA IBERO has the typical characteristics of a futsal shoe. Another excellent indoor shoe is the freestyle classic PUMA archive lite. The light mesh upper ensures excellent contact with the ball and keeps the foot is at a comfortable temperature. PUMA has also recently unveiled a new round of indoor shoes, which mimics their popular FG/AG versions. So if you are a fan of Ultra or Future Z you can take them for a ride indoors.
New Balance remains a relatively new player on the football scene. However, that has not stopped them from developing one of the most critically acclaimed indoor shoes, namely the New Balance Audazo V5 Pro.
New Balance Audazo is inspired by running shoes to promote better comfort, and aesthetically they also look like casual sneakers. Premium leather is found on the front, while soft suede covers the inside and heel of the shoe. Like the latest Furon v6, Audazo has a soft and stretchy material placed under the laces. This gives you an incredibly tight and locked feeling when you lace up your shoes, which is a big plus for the overall feeling.
Attack the indoor season with New Balance right here
Mizuno is widely considered the king of leather boots and they do not disappoint with their line of Mizuno indoor football shoes.
Actually, I will go as far as saying that Mizuno Sala is among the very top in the selection of indoor football shoes. An extremely nice fit, which comes thanks to the leather upper around the front foot. The unique outsole is a super good combination of lightness, shock absorbency and grip. If you happen to be a fan of Mizuno FG boots, then you will be happy to find both the Morelia and Rebula silos as indoor shoes.