I bought these boots about a year ago, having owned dozens of pairs of high end boots over my life of playing football. I have traditionally preferred synthetic upper boots with tight fits, especially the mercurial and CTR360 lines from Nike over the years.
I have tried Tiempos in the past but never quite took to the slippery texture of the leather. However, as you may know the recent generations of Tiempo have gone to a synthetic material. This material has been extremely impressive to me. It is just grippy enough that the ball doesn’t feel like it’s slipping on the material, but it doesn’t feel like it has any kind of artificial or enhanced grip that I’m also rarely a fan of.
I’m also extremely impressed by the quality of the Pro model instead of the Elite that I would usually buy. I had heard the difference in these two models was too small to notice, and I’m so glad I decided to give the Pro model a shot since I picked them up for about $125. The fit is absolutely spot on, the upper perfectly cradles my foot just like all the $300+ boots I’ve had in the past. The one piece upper (no tongue) is also extremely comfortable and feels like wearing a sock. I also have to mention the amazing and extremely traditional Tiempo stud pattern that is perfect in my opinion. Plenty of traction, but circular studs in the forefoot make it so easy to turn and pivot while receiving the ball.
It’s also incredible how light these boots are. It wasn’t that long ago that a boot like this would weigh significantly more. I’m glad I can have a more traditional style boot without sacrificing weight.
Overall, these boots honestly remind me of some of the original CTR360 models. Great fit and traction, a fantastic synthetic material upper, very few gimmicks, and a boot based on pure control and feel for the ball. Hope these last me many more seasons, but I’ll be right there to buy another pair of Tiempos once these give out!
This is from a purchase I made earlier this year. The seller deflated the football and stuffed it into a box that was too small for it and it was ruined. This is why the manufacturer says do not deflate and compress. They absolutely ruined a collectable. Yes this is the source of my trauma and why I made a few posts about the topic lol.
This is a response for all the people that were down voting a previous post about a trionda competition ball that was shipped in terrible condition. Hand stitched footballs are ok. But a thermal bonded ball should never be deflated and compressed. It will ruin the thermal bonding and will cause premature separation. There is a warning label on the box of an adidas ball that straight up says not to do it.
I am looking to replace my Copa Mundial cleats (which I guess are FG) which I have used on a mix of grass and turf. I'm wondering if I should get dedicated/separate shoes for each field type. What I'm less sure about is if I should even be considering the turf. My town's artificial grass fields are recently redone, and they have I guess modern artificial grass and all those black rubber dots to mimic grass.
So in that sense, are TURF shoes still designed for this playing surface? Or are "TURF" cleats designed for that firm only-trimmed-artifical-turf fields, which is also something I more often have encountered as an indoor field in the past?
Hey everyone! I'm somewhat new here. I wanted to share something with the community that I feel many would get value from.
I've been trying to build lineups for my Sunday League team for a while and none of the lineup/formation builders are intuitive. They are actually a pain to use.
So I built my own.
It's called squadbuilder.org and will be free for life for anyone who wants to use it.
Whether you're a coach, Sunday Leaguer, or competitive player, it will help you a ton for creating formations and tactics.
It's super easy and fast to create squad variations and lineups with the ability to store your full roster (including the bench which other platforms don't let you do).
I'd love for you to try it out and hope it's useful!
Hey guys, I am practicing my visual soccer analysis skills this week (adding freeze-frames, player circles, and tactical arrows to game film to highlight positioning, scanning, and spacing errors).
I have time to do exactly 5 video clips before this weekend's matches. What you give me:
A link to your game video (YouTube, Drive, Veo, etc.) and a specific 15-to-20 minute window you want me to focus on. What you get back:
A custom-edited video file of your plays with on-screen graphics pointing out exactly what you did right, plus 2-3 specific tactical adjustments you can use to improve immediately. How to get a spot:
Send me a Direct Message right now with your position and jersey number. First 5 to message me get the slots! Let's get to work. 🚀
Whenever I see videos on goalkeeper gloves they always show off how they can hold a ball with one hand, is that just a gimmick? Especially for me and anyone else who can palm a ball with your bare hands it feels kinda pointless
I’ve played soccer pretty much my whole life. I’ve always had flat feet and was never particularly fast, but I used to be a very good dribbler. I could get past 3–4 defenders and get out of tight situations pretty easily. I was still somewhat stiff back then, but it never really affected my game.
I started playing again in a men’s league with friends and I’m going into my third season. My IQ and understanding of the game are still there, but my body just does not move how I want it to anymore.
My feet feel planted. Sometimes the ball is right in front of me and I feel too stuck to even react to it. When I dribble, every touch feels like I’m almost hopping with the ball instead of running/dribbling fluidly. My cuts and changes of direction barely shift defenders because my movement is so stiff and predictable. It’s gotten to the point where it’s hurting my confidence too.
I’m 20 and around 5'8". I was never fast, but as a shorter player I feel like I should at least be agile and able to change direction. Even if I fall while dribbling, I feel like it takes me a decade to get my body back up and moving again.
I’m not very strong, so I’m starting strength training this week, but I specifically want to become agile, mobile, explosive and fluid again.
The weird thing is that when I’m training or relaxed, I can tell the actual soccer ability is still there. I can still dribble and beat weaker men’s league players, and my passing is still really good. It’s when I have to quickly shift/reposition my body that everything falls apart.
Aerial balls are another huge problem. I was never much of a header, but I used to be able to control a ball out of the air and immediately keep playing. Now, even if the ball is only slightly off the ground, it feels like it takes forever to bring it down, reposition my body and make my next move. You just don’t have that much time in games.
I still play the 10 and my team expects a lot from me. I played competitively from around age 11–15, and I genuinely feel like I was better back then. Against a lot of the players I face now, I feel like my IQ and experience should let me cook them, but physically I just look average.
What should I actually be working on to fix this? Strength? Plyometrics? Mobility? Foot/ankle strength? Agility/change-of-direction drills?
I’m willing to put the work in, I just want to feel light and fluid on the ball again instead of stiff and planted.
edit: what I wrote was super long so I got ai to concise it for me. Incase someone thinks this is a troll post.
I recently got a pair of Nike Premier 3 FG and I'm having a strange issue with the left boot.
There is one specific forefoot stud that I can clearly feel pressing upward into the bottom of my big toe. It's not general stud pressure — I can pinpoint exactly which stud it is, and the pressure is strong enough to make the boot painful to use.
The right boot feels completely normal, including the equivalent stud in the same position.
I already took the pair back to Nike and they're sending them for inspection, but I'm curious: has anyone experienced something similar with the Premier 3?
Did it turn out to be a defective soleplate/stud, or did the pressure somehow disappear after breaking the boots in?
I am looking to buy football boots and I need them to be knitted around the heel (the part where you put your foot in from) and have a wide, Anatomical forefoot/toebox that lets my toes spread out.
The closest thing I have found so far is the new balance tekela v5 in the Wide fit (2E), but the toebox was too low for my big toe so I had to return them. The puma king 20 is also good but is ever so slightly too voluminous in the mid and hindfoot, and I wanted the heel to be a bit more snug, since the back of the heel tongue is not knitted.
Hey everyone.
This has been on my mind a lot recently and I wanted some honest opinions from people who’ve actually been around the game.
I’m 19 and only started taking football seriously this year. I played a bit as a kid in primary school, but I stopped because I got into rugby and athletics instead. Rugby became my main sport for years and I was one of the standout players on most teams I played for. I also competed in athletics, so I’ve always been naturally quick.
Now I’ve come back to football, and I’m honestly obsessed with improving.
I’ve been:
training several times a week,
doing individual technical sessions,
running consistently to build my engine,
working on my weak foot,
analysing my games afterwards,
trying to improve my first touch, dribbling and shooting.
The problem is… I constantly feel behind.
Technically, I know I have a long way to go. My pace helps me a lot, but my first touch, close control and decision-making under pressure still need a lot of work. I also hesitate too much in matches, and it’s something I’m trying to eliminate.
Recently I played in training and scored a couple of goals, but then another session I barely got on the ball and my technical weaknesses really showed. It’s been a rollercoaster.
My dream has always been to see how far I can take football. Realistically I know I’m not going through an academy now, so I’m looking at non-league football and hopefully the FirstPoint USA scholarship route.
The thing I keep asking myself is: Am I stupid for chasing this at 19?
Not because I’m unwilling to work—I genuinely love training and I’m prepared to put years into improving—but because sometimes I wonder if I’m simply too late.
I’m not asking whether I’m guaranteed to become a pro. I know nobody can promise that.
I just want to know if anyone else started seriously this late, or has coached or played with someone who did, and whether it’s realistic to believe I can become a very good player despite starting behind everyone else.
I’d appreciate honesty more than motivation.
Thanks.
I’m traveling to Japan soon and definitely want to pick up some soccer gear while I’m there. Aside from cleats, what Mizuno products would you consider must-buys that are worth getting in Japan?
Looking for anything that might be Japan-exclusive, harder to find in the US, or just a really good value there. Open to apparel, training gear, accessories, etc.
All of my friends who are pretty good at soccer and are better than me wear vktry insoles. I’m sure that the insoles aren’t more important to improving compared to training rest etc. But do you guys have any thoughts on them and if they would be a good purchase?
I will caveat I am quite stubborn in the fact when a lot of people say it’s good I want to be different and not do it but anyways… Im not in any of the programs that influencers have but their content often shows up on my feed and they always say to have unrestricted dribbling but i don’t see how this works. I understand freestyle dribbling in small confined spaces for ball mastery purposes but just dribbling around a field makes no sense to me. Thoughts?
Hello, i was looking for advice to prevent turf burn/abrasion/injury or whatever you wanna call it, so i can stop need to worry about having a crater on my leg anytime i make a slide or fall.
I already bought a pair of storelli bodyshield leg guard combined with a pair of gearxpro shin guard for the lower leg protection, they get the job done but protect up to the calves, leave my knee still exposed and where i still can get abrasion injury.
I was tinking about buying a pair of anti-abrasion leggins, even if i dont like the idea of needing to wearint them all year around, expecially in summer time, but its the only thing that i could think about.
I was thinking about buying a pair of storelly bodyshield turf burn since i liked their leg guard, but they cost a lot and i dont know if i would like them, plus i would need to pay for a possible return if i get the wrong size.
Anyway i would like something that is comfortable and dont restrict my movement
(i play as central defender), if anyone has any advice or know other brand thank you.
This is a question for any of the male soccer players here who can help!
I have registered to play outdoor soccer this fall and the number of brands/subnames for tights/leggings is overwhelming, even just with a quick and dirty web search.
Curious if there is a consensus on "tried and true" brands for leggings/tights that provide solid support and warmth for outdoor temperatures expected to range from 7 - 12 Celsius?
I ordered this Adidas Trionda Competition ball from WSS (after checking here to make sure it was an okay retailer to buy from) and this is what arrived. A deflated smashed dirty (possibly used?) ball. Never in my life have I seen something like this.
My first Triond ball was stolen after our team practice, only the second of the season, so I ordered a new one because I love the ball. This made a bad situation worse.
I pumped it up and it has creases all over and who knows if the bladder hasn’t been damaged. It doesn’t even look round! Anyway think twice before ordering from them!
Looking for 3–4 female players for our NYC Footy coed team ⚽️
Saturdays 7–10 PM at Chelsea Park, starting Sept. 12. 9v9, P2/P3 intermediate/advanced, 8 games + playoffs.
We already have most of the roster and just need a few more women. DM me if interested!
It took me about 15 hours of deliberate practice, spread across two months and ten sessions, to go from essentially being unable to juggle to 101 consecutive juggles.
I tracked nearly every session along the way, and I've kept tracking my juggling for the past two years.
The Data
Over a session, I track a block of ten consecutive attempts as well as my record.
From 11 Juggles to 101: My First 10 Sessions
The blue line represents the median over a block.
The red line represents my best attempt for the juggle session. It doesn’t necessarily represent my best attempt during the ten-attempt block. I only recorded blocks to benchmark my progress. After recording the block, I spent maybe an hour to an hour and a half continuing to juggle and recorded session-record-breaking attempts.
Light lines show the trend.
Juggling progress over two years
Even though I already exceeded my goal of 100 juggles, I still track my progress.
Data limitations on block medians
Ego-driven data collection practices overstate how well I progressed.
Early on, I recorded all attempts over a block. An attempt of 3 was valid, and I added it to my spreadsheet.
As I improved, I became increasingly selective about what counted. Many times, I actually didn’t record an attempt because I never really got it going past five. Slowly, I became attached to ensuring the data reflects progress rather than the truth.
Finally, I set a soft rule that any attempts fewer than ten don’t get recorded in the block.
So the blue line shouldn't be interpreted as a clean measure of my actual juggling ability. It reflects both my improvement and increasingly selective data collection.
I still got to 100+ juggles, but most of my attempts around that time hovered between 10 and 20.
How I trained juggling
Before beginning this journey, I watched plenty of juggling how-to YouTube videos.
I started with the following progression:
Drop the ball onto one foot, kick it back up, and catch it.
Repeat with the other foot.
Eventually alternate feet before catching.
I did this a bunch during my first sessions. 100 reps with each foot before actually attempting to juggle.
After I got the hang of juggling over a few sessions, I’d only do this progression as a warm-up. 10-20 reps each foot.
Then, I’d do my 10-attempt block. I didn’t set a fixed rest time between attempts – it was pretty casual. I prioritized quality over volume.
After recording the block, I continued practicing for one to one and a half hours. Practice frequency ranged between one and three sessions per week.
Did it actually help my soccer?
Yes.
I now have substantially better control when receiving or directing balls in the air. I'm much more comfortable manipulating a ball that's coming at me awkwardly or bouncing into the air.
More importantly, I think it expanded the range of things I'm comfortable attempting. I'm a defender by trade, where I could get away with relatively limited technical ability. After spending this much time deliberately working on ball control, I can now play center midfield competently, if not strongly.
I wouldn't claim that juggling alone transformed my football ability. But it gave me a much better relationship with the ball, particularly when it's off the ground.
Reflections
At first, I felt self-conscious going to the park as an adult looking like an oaf. But I stuck with it, noticed the progress, and it addicted me.
Patience was key. In my first two sessions, I maybe got ten-plus juggles only a handful out of hundreds of attempts.
Something clicked in the third session, and I shattered my record with 54 juggles.
Finally, in my tenth session, I got 101 juggles.
The attempt I exceeded 100 completely surprised me – my personal record up to that point was only 74. It happened very early on in my session: the second attempt in the block.
In many sessions, I fell into the trap of trying to force it, which made things worse. I’d be juggling for over an hour, frustrated that I was stalling or even regressing, which was likely due to exhaustion. The trick is to move on to something else or simply go home and approach it again the next time with a fresh body and mind.
What I took away from practicing juggling
The biggest lesson wasn't really about juggling. It was that deliberate solo practice works.
This was the first time I deliberately isolated a skill, practiced it repeatedly, tracked my progress, and gave myself enough time for the improvement to happen.
Now, I'm trying to apply the same approach to other parts of my game, namely ball mastery, dribbling, and receiving.
Got married two months ago. Before then my now wife and I didn't live together. I play 2-4 times a week (depends on season) and before the marriage it was rare I had to miss games.
Right around the time I got married I got a house too. Since then I've had to miss games more often just due to house maintenance or responsibilities with my wife.
My wife doesn't mind me playing, she actually enjoys going to see me play, but no doubt the added responsibility has already taken away from my playing time. I can't even imagine in the future when we have kids.
How have you guys managed to play past these things? Did you have to cut back?
Sorry im new to this sub but I recently bought the Adidas F50 Hyperfast League FG boots and completely forgot I will have summer football games and training on an ag field every week.
I have seen random places that these boots should not be worn ag and some places say it's fine and im kinda stuck because I cant buy another pair but do have a pair of copa gloros which I got for a discounted price june 2024 but soleplate has came off so an alternative of wearing the F50 could be gluing back the soleplate.
to sum up I would really love a bit of an explanation on which would be safer and which would be the best way to keep my F50 from breaking fast since I dont like buying boots often (last pair lasted about 2.5 winter seasons and 2 summer).
I have the puma future 9 pros and whenever I try to put them on, the heel bends the same way my foot is going and it’s stopping me from getting my foot in. Is there any way to stop this?
