OK this seems like it's probably a basic question, but I'm curious what types of shoes you guys wear for your matches. Do you wear grass cleats, turf shoes, indoor shoes? Do own all three styles and vary them by playing surface? Is there a type or brand that you find better than another? OK here's why I ask. As some of you know, I am a ref for a local rec league. Through last season we were not officially sanctioned and the requirements on referees were pretty lax. So I've been wearing a pair of nike soccer cleats that are all black except the swoosh (white). I've noticed that after running a couple games my legs (specifically the sides of my shins) are very sore. I'm thinking it's related to the shoes (they have a one piece molded plastic bottom). So I've been looking at new shoes and today went out and got a pair of Diadora Referee TF's (turf shoes). I plan on wearing these for any games I do regardless of the surface, but I'm looking for your thoughts on that. Currently I only do outdoor games and so far have not encountered a field that wasn't natural grass. Let me know your thoughts.
I wear turf shoes if the grass is wet but the ground is firm (Puma King All-Around), Adidas Falcons (kind of a running shoe on steroids) if the ground is hard and dry, and Adidas Copa Mundials if the ground is soaked.
I wear Adidas running shoes (mostly black) for almost all field conditions. the only time I wear my Puma King studs are on a muddy field or line. Switched to running shoes about a year ago from Adidas Mundial Teams. Best thing that I ever did for my feet and knees. I even noticed that Brian Hall has been wearing the same style running shoe. Unfortunately this style has been discontinued. A few around here wear an Asics mostly black running shoe.
For most turf or hard natural surfaces, if there will be no moisture on the field, I wear Adidas Sambas with hard sole inserts. If the field will have some dew or mild moisture I will wear Adidas Multi Stud turf shoe. If it is a mudfest, I will wear a pair of molded cleats.
I have a set of black Nike cross-trainers that I try to use if the fields are reasonably dry or if on an "alternate" (read gravel). I have a set of blades for muddy/wet or chewed up fields. I start needing the blades around about now for much of the rest of the season when not switched to a gravel field. I prefer to avoid actual soccer cleats where possible due to fairly poor support I find in most (they are good for playing, but given I'm not trying to kick a ball, much of the "benefits" are lost). On gravel, I tried a set of "turf" shoes first - regular shoes are fine. Same with the one very nice artificial turf field - regular shoes work wonders.
I wear turf shoes on turf and on grass. I also have the Diadora Referee TF's but I wear them only if the field is dry. They are comfortable and very light. If the field is damp or soggy, I wear Spot-Bilt Grid Studs. They are based on a Saucony running shoe and are also very comfortable. And unless I step in something ankle deep or worse, my feet stay dry. The SpotBilts are a little softer, and easier to tolerate multiple games in. My local soccer shop carries the Diadora's, but I have only found the Spot-Bilt's online. Spot-Bilt used to have an online store, but it looks like they dropped it. Both shoes are available at the OSI website.
I usually wear new balance all black flat shoes. The NB come in variable widths and are a great shoe, and they are very comfortable. I move up to the spot built turf shoe for more traction. The only time I wear cleats is for wet grass and older players. For younger games I don't need to run that hard and I am afraid of stepping on one of the little guys. So mostly I vary the shoe depending on need for traction, which is a factor of the speed of the game and the field conditions. If your shins hurt, that is a sign that your shoes lack sufficient shock absorbsion, either because the shoe is too lightly built or because you have worn them too long. I rotate my shoes from running to walking as they wear out, because once any shoe has taken a certain amount of wear, it will no longer absorb the pounding from running. The worst thing for anyone doing running is shoes that don't absorb the pounding, because the pounding then is absorbed by your body.
Like most referees, I have a pair of molded cleats and a pair of turf shoes. But I determine which to wear based on conditions. For example, some turf fields have "plusher grass" and I actually prefer wearing molded cleats on that condition. For molded cleats, I have my trusty Adidas Copa Mundial (Made in Germany, not somewhere else). For turf, I have been wearing a pair of Kappa. But I just saw that my new pair of Umbro is being shipped to me. Two things I avoid: a) synthetic materials and b) Nike.
This is precisely what I think the case may be. The shoes I have been using were probably the cheapest pair of soccer shoes Nike makes - LOL. They have a plastic molded sole with little cushioning for your feet. I'm hoping the Diadora's will provide more cushion since they have a softer sole and more cushion internally. I thought about trying flat shoes but on our fields I typically need a little more traction than that. Thanks for the input guys.
I am generally a fairly cheap person, but I learned fairly quickly that the one thing a ref can't be cheap about is his shoes. I reffed a couple of years in cheap shoes and my feet, shins, and calf usually hurt afterwords. Since I bought a pair of shoes with good support I have had much fewer problems. I highly suggest finding the shoe that is right for your foot and buying it even if cost $200 (though it should cost that much). They feel better and mine have lasted longer. Going back to the original topic. I use Turf shoes 90% of the time. I only use my cleats if it is really muddy and I never use flats in outdoor.
Bad Weather: Waterproof, leather Spot-Bilt by Sauconey with studs. Essentially a high cushioned running shoe with traction that stays dry. Sunny Weather: New Balance Bio-cools. Despite being black, they are like wearing sandals as far as my feet staying cool. Gresat cushion running shoe. Also, remember that most shoes support for running maxes out at 500 miles so if you wear them games only you should only use them for 80-100 games max, and less if you like to cover lots of ground.
I use New Balance turf and coaching shoes. I have plantar fasciitis and need a very supportative shoe and these seem to work well for me. I average 8+ games a week between rec, club and high school. New Balabce MB695LK http://www.newbalance.com/productbrowser/product_details.html?g11n.enc=ISO-8859-1&feature=Team&gender=Men&segment=&product=MB695LK&product_type=shoe&sport=Baseball New Balanace MF995LK http://www.newbalance.com/productbrowser/product_details.html?g11n.enc=ISO-8859-1&feature=Team&gender=Men&segment=&product=MF995LK&product_type=shoe&sport=Football
currently I am wearing Asics GT-2110. Super light weight and comfy. photo: http://www.asicsamerica.com/PROD_PIC/FALL_2006/MEDPIC/TN604_9090M.jpg More details: http://www.asicsamerica.com/product...0001174&BACK_CATEGORY_ID=250001173#companions
Well I was CR for four games last weekend, my first chance to wear the Diadoras and the issue was definitely the shoes. I felt so much better after running those games. The flex in the soles and the reduction in weight made all the difference in the world. I'm a much happier ref now, wonder if the players noticed
I have four or five pairs of shoes that I referee in. 1 pair of cleats, 2 pairs of turf shoes (one is falling appart), 1 pair of Adidas flats (outdoor), 1 pair of flats for indoor. Usually, I use either my cleats or my Adidas flats, depending on the surface and weather (South Texas is usually very dry). If I am centering on artifical turf, I almost always use either my cleats or one of my turfs shoes (which ever happens to be cleaner). One major bennifit to having several pairs of shoes is when you travel for tournaments - if one pair gets dirty, I can just switch out shoes; also if I have a bunch of games in one day, sometimes my feet appreciate a change (e.g. to a slightly larger shoe).
I wear the same Asics when the conditions are dry. I do carry some Nike turf shoes when it is wet. I absolutely love the ASICS. I have litterally worn the soles off my current ones and will be buying a new pair shortly. These run about $80 at Dicks Sporting Goods. They are a stability running shoe which give a little added ankle stability which is nice. New Balance makes some all terrain type running shoes (not sure of the model) that a couple fellow refs around here use and they love them even if the grass is damp.
For games I have found that a pair of turf shoes will work in ALL conditions. Except one, wet astro TURF, go figure. But that astro turf is nasty stuff, field turf is WAY better.
Which one looks better? http://www.shoebuy.com/sb/s.jsp/r_p...dultM/p0_3222,1752/p_1/st_122459/sbstl_286556 http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/t...846856?_encoding=UTF8&m=AKGDUTTK8QMF&v=glance
In my opinion, which means little, I like the Adidas better. I like the all black look, the white just stands out too much for my tastes. That's why I went for the Diadora's over some of the other options.
My Nike Baseball Trainers too a crap too fast so I want something that will last a reasonable amount of time. How do you like your Diadora's? I want something comfy that I can run on hard ground with.
Yeah that would work, but I'm sure that will make them look like crap too . They do look like real nice shoes.
It was this Board that put me on to the Adidas Falcon shoe and I've never looked back. I've always favored anything other than molded cleats for reffing, switching between a variety of turf shoes before settling on the Falcons. Perhaps if I were doing very high level games on perfect grass fields -- and only one at a time -- it would be different, but like most of you, I'm doing at least 2-3 a day, usually on harder surfaces (or field turf) and my joints simply can't keep up. I've told other refs about the Falcon and they've also been very happy as well. Plus, you can generally find them for a rather cheap price.
Look for a sale price on the Asics GT-2110. It is an old model, replaced by the GT-2120. Deals should be available. I've seen them for ~ $50 at sporting goods stores. Recently, I got 2 pairs for $30 each via Sports Authority, using Google Checkout. They were not the black ones; I bought 2 pair of white ones for running. I didn't realize this model is available in black. I'll keep that in mind, as I would like to get a pair of black running shoes. I wear turfs for 90% of my games and my legs get sore. I'm sure running shoes would be much gentler on the body.