What Are Cleats?

By Author: Danny Ang
Total Articles: 77
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To some, cleats are simply shoes, but they are more, so much more than merely "shoes". Whether you are playing baseball, football or soccer, cleats can save you from falling, no matter the type of surface that you are playing on. The shoes themselves are usually plastic or at the higher end of play, leather. Plastic or metal studs are placed along the soul of these shoes to grip the playing surface. Different sports have different rules about the length or the material of the cleats- for instance, baseball does not allow metal cleats for their players because of the increased chance of contact between the players and therefore injury.

The wetter and muddier the playing conditions are likely to be, the longer the cleats need to be. Some sports employ cleats with combinations, a mix of long and short cleats for instance, or sometimes a blend of materials. Either way, the proper set of cleats can mean the difference between playing a game with success, or falling down and risking a serious injury. Of course, the cleats themselves pose a risk to the players, especially the metal ones. If a player falls down, the chance ...
... of the others falling on top of him, or running over him is high. If there is contact with an outstretched limb, the likelihood of injury is the highest in soccer because of the unprotected legs.

Because cleats provide good traction, there is some thought that the longer the cleat, the better they are, but that is simply not true. A cleat that is too long can stick into the ground causing the athlete to stop too suddenly, putting him at a higher risk or a knee or ankle injury. Sudden, unexpected stops can be hard on the neck as well, and could put a player at risk for a spinal cord injury even if he does not fall down.

Check with a local sporting good shop and make sure that you are fitted with the right cleats for the right sport. Make sure that they are properly fitted to your feet with the socks that will be part of your uniform. Make sure that you wear them outdoors for a while to get used to them before you try using them during an actual game. Cleats are a basic part of your equipment, and they can save a game or ruin a career, so be careful with them.
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