Soccer cleats are the most expensive equipment for every soccer player. Buying used shoes is a solution that many soccer players with a tight budget have come up with. But is this a good idea?
Buying user soccer cleats is not highly recommended because they will not fit the way you want as they have already adapted their shape to someone else’s feet. Plus you do not know how these shoes have been treated by the previous owner and you will not be covered with a warranty if something goes wrong.
But first, let’s see why people are buying pre-owned soccer shoes?
Why do players are buying used soccer cleats?
The number one reason for buying used soccer cleats is the price as you can find used boots for pretty cheap prices. Some of the priciest soccer cleats cost around 300$. So if you want to buy a specific shoe model of a player that you admire or that has some characteristics that you want and the price is high then you may want to search for a used pair of cleats that you can afford.
The actual cost is the reason why also parents are buying second-hand soccer cleats for their kids. Kids’ feet are constantly growing and you have to change the pair of shoes before the previous get worn down. Also, the chances to find a good pair of cleats that haven’t be worn many times are higher.
Some others might go for this option as they hate the breaking process. Breaking in soccer cleats is the time that it takes to become comfortable with your new pair of soccer cleats. Not all players have the time or patience to do this process when buying new cleats. So they are searching for used soccer boots as someone else has done this process already. Or the overall process will be slightly faster because the material is already softened up.
Finally, soccer cleat collectors tend to buy pre-owned soccer cleats as this is an inexpensive way to grow their collection. They have no intention to wear them so, they do not care about the problems that come up with the used shoes in the actual fit, etc.
But, is buying pre-owned soccer cleats a good idea?
Should you buy pre-owned soccer cleats?
There are five main reasons why you shouldn’t buy used football boots:
- Wrong fit
There’s a high chance that the boots won’t actually fit you properly because they’ve been broken into the shape of someone else’s feet. If someone else has broken the boots in they would have taken the shape of his feet meaning that when you get them you will have to break them in all over again.
Leather boots, in particular, will stretch quite a lot and they will essentially mold to the shape of your feet. Given the fact that everyone has different shaped feet if you were to buy someone else’s broken-in leather boots the likelihood of them fitting you perfectly is pretty low. The worst-case scenario is that someone has significantly wider or just oddly shaped feet versus your own and now the boots just will never really fit or feel the way that they’re supposed to on your feet. You are going to have discomfort issues that will never get resolved.
In the case of synthetic boots, a synthetic upper is not going to stretch quite as much as a leather one, but the boot is still going to adjust to the shape of someone else’s foot.
Now if the boots are minimally worn and haven’t really been stretched out to a specific shape, that will not be a big issue. But when you’re buying boots that have been worn for like an entire season, buying used soccer cleats is not a great idea.
You can read more in my article on how to properly size your soccer cleats.
- Compressed insoles
Insoles are another weird one because the foam compresses and it ends up being very specific to the shape of your foot.
So if you’re buying someone’s used boots I would strongly recommend changing the insoles for some new ones.
- Not covered with the warranty.
Another reason is that you will not have a warranty on your used football boots if you don’t have original proof of purchase. Buying someone’s used boots mainly will not going to come with the original receipt which you will 100% need if those cleats fall apart.
- Don’t know how have they been treated.
One big problem with used soccer cleats is that you don’t know how they were used. This is a major issue because there’s really no way to tell how the boots were treated prior to them going up for sale.
They might look okay but are they washed and dried properly? Are they left in the sun for many hours? You just don’t know how these boots were treated mainly with heat once you start to play in them and they completely fall apart.
In any case, you should give the cleats a proper was after purchasing and remove any possible smells that may have.
- Don’t know if they are fake.
When buying from non-authorized retailers you can never be sure if the soccer cleats are authentic or not.
If you trust the seller then that shouldn’t be a problem but otherwise, you have to determine if the shoes you are buying are fake.
What should you look into before buying used soccer cleats?
First off, you should be looking if the shoes are worn too many times. If they have been used too many times you should avoid them. Small defects just on the upper or the studs aren’t that important as long as the overall fit is not compromised.
The heel plays a very important role in the overall stability of the shoe. So it is important that this part is as intact as it can be.
As we have seen the shape of the insoles will be adapted to the previous user feet. So you should check their condition and add the cost of an extra pair of insoles to the overall cost of the shoes you are going to purchase.
Another very important thing is to be sure that the shoes you are going to buy are not fake. You can read here for advice on how to detect counterfeit soccer cleats.
You can also visit my article about the clear signs that it’s time to replace your soccer cleats for some extra pointers on that.
In any case, the ideal would be to be able to test the shoes before purchasing and avoid buying them online.
Where to buy used soccer cleats?
Now if you decide to buy used boots which is the right place?
- Teammates. The best place to start is by questioning your friends or teammates if they have any shoes for selling. That way you can actually try the shoes before purchasing.
- SidelineSwap. This is a great site that connects you with people who are selling their sports gear. The site is only targetting the sports gear category so you have many chances to find what you want.
- Facebook Marketplace. This is a place where many people are listing their soccer boots so you can have many chances to find something that suits you. You may also have the chance to try the shoes if you find someone in your area.
- eBay. eBay is a giant site with huge traffic and a preferred option for many players who are trying to sell their cleats.
- Poshmark. Poshmark is a leading social marketplace for secondhand clothes and shoes. Soccer cleats are also being sold on that platform.
- Craigslist. This classified advertisements website where people are listing their used staff with soccer cleats also included.
Final thoughts
If you have found a seller that you know and has some boots and he doesn’t like, and he wants to sell them to you after two weeks and you have the option to try them I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that. But going online and buying someone’s used cleats then you should be a little bit concerned depending on how much you’re spending.
If the cost is the main reason for buying pre-owned soccer cleats then there is always the option to purchase the cheaper versions of the boots you want. If you want a specific shoe model there is a high chance that there will be several low-cost alternatives of the same boot.
Under no circumstances, you should buy any replica soccer cleats as this will hurt both your pocket and the overall enjoyment of the game.
