How to Care for Soccer Cleats

Proper care of soccer cleats will not only determine how long they last, it is an important ritual of the sport, and will enforce discipline. It is most important to care for leather cleats, but synthetic ones (made for younger players) also benefit from proper care.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Damp Cloths
• Cream Shoe Polish
• Dehumidifiers

1. Understand fit. Cleats, especially leather ones, mold to the foot, allowing for an optimum feel for the ball.
2. Start when cleats are right out of the box. Put them on, tie them, and soak your feet in water. Then take them off and let them dry in the shape of your feet.
3. Hand-wash only. Never put cleats in the washing machine. This breaks down the materials.
4. Tap cleats together or against a hard surface to remove mud stuck to the bottoms.
5. Clean cleats immediately after use. Wipe soiled cleats with a damp cloth.
6. Take more drastic measures for very dirty cleats. Soak them in lukewarm, soapy water. Some players even take them into the shower while bathing.
7. Apply leather protector, followed by shoe polish, after each cleaning.
8. Buff cleats after the polish dries.
9. Dry naturally or in front of a dehumidifier. Never machine-dry.

Tips & Warnings

• Ask knowledgeable salespeople about cleat care.
• Wear your cleats on proper surfaces. Do not walk with cleats on hard surfaces, such as concrete; it wears them down.
• Stuff drying cleats with newspaper to retain their shape.
• Use a brush (such as a toothbrush) to facilitate cleaning.
• Clean as soon as possible, but at least remove the mud right away.
• Follow some of these steps even if you don't follow all of them. It is better to at least clean the cleats, even if you cannot polish them each time.
• Let the polish soak in. You can buff the cleats only immediately before playing.
• Loosen laces sufficiently before putting cleats on or taking them off. This prevents stretching the shoes.
• Do not enclose wet or muddy cleats in plastic, or other nonbreathable bags, for more than a short period of time.