If you’re a keen footballer with different-sized feet, you may struggle to find soccer boots that fit comfortably. While this isn’t an issue for most people, it is an issue for many as the one foot may be a quarter size, a half size, or, on extreme occasions, a full size different than the other.
So the big question is, which size of soccer cleats do you buy if your one foot is bigger than the other? Your best option is to buy a pair of boots in the size of the bigger foot. It’s much easier to play with a slightly roomier boot than with an uncomfortably tight one.
There are certain things you can do to alleviate this particular situation. Some of them are listed below.
Get the size of the bigger foot
The best solution is to buy a pair of soccer cleats that fit better the bigger foot. It is far easier to fit a smaller by a half size foot to a bigger shoe than the opposite.
It is more pleasant to play with one soccer boot that is slightly too big rather than one boot that is way too small. That’s only going to get worse over the course of a game and
can even result in injury or the appearance of blisters.
For more information about soccer cleat sizing, you can visit my post on how to size your soccer cleats.
Prefer leather cleats
Leather cleats tend to stretch after extensive use. So it makes sense to go for such a pair if your one foot is a quarter or a half size bigger.
After a few playing sessions, you can expect that the bigger foot will fit better to the shoe.
Avoid laceless cleats
Another little piece of advice if this is a real issue for you would be to avoid soccer boots without laces – you want to be able to adjust the tightness on the looser boot.
Laceless soccer cleats are not the best in terms of overall stability on your feet, especially if they do not fit you properly. So if the one shoe has extra space inside you will not be able to adapt the fit.
Use the socks
Also, trying out a pair of grip socks will help eliminate slippage inside of your football boot. If your smaller foot is moving a little bit more than you like, having that extra grip element on the bottom of the foot can help make the boots feel more secure and lockdown.
This fix works best when there’s only around a quarter-to-half difference in size. This is also your cheapest option.
Insoles
Replace the original insoles with a thicker one will be an excellent solution to eat up some space inside your football boots.
Also, adding a new one above the existing one could be a good workaround for that particular issue.
Buy two pairs of soccer cleats
Another workaround for a significant size difference is to buy two pairs of boots, one in the bigger size and one in the smaller, and wear one of each.
That will basically leave you with two mismatched boots, so it is not that advisable due to the overall cost.
It is challenging to find demand for mismatched boots, but you can try to sell them online. Maybe you are lucky and find another person with the same problem as you.
Get custom boots
This is by far the most expensive solution, so it should only be used as the last option.
This is viable only if you are a professional footballer and you can order directly from the manufacturer the sizes you want for your feet.
But if there’s more than a whole size difference to your feet and it isn’t easy to find proper shoes, you can explore that option. If you can afford the money, of course.
Other solutions
Finally, there are a few other way more cheaper things to try reduce the space inside the smaller foot.
- Wrap the shoe with a tape around it.
- Wrap the shoe and the foot together with laces.
- Use ankle braces inside the shoe.
Conclusion
Differently sized feet are a more common problem than you think, even for professional players. Depending on the shoe, this can be really noticeable to some players.
You shouldn’t let it stop you from playing your favorite game. Hopefully, the things mentioned above will help you to prevent that from happening.
If you have come up with a different solution feel free to share it in the comments below!
