Top 5 Best Soccer Cleats for Speed and Fast Players (2023 Review)

by 
Tom
Updated on 
February 26, 2021

Looking for the best soccer cleats for speed and fast players in 2023?

You are in the right place! 👍 In this guide you will learn:

  • Top 5 soccer cleats for fast players
  • Why fast players need special soccer cleats
  • How soccer cleats can help you to become faster
  • and much more!

Here’s my top pick of 5 soccer cleats for fast players. Keep scrolling down and learn more on how to go about buying soccer cleats.

This guide was updated on 1/17/2023.

Leather Cleats Main Features Price
The Best OverallNike Mercurial Superfly 8 Elite FG Nike Mercurial Superfly 8 Elite FG
  • Used by Cristiano Ronaldo
  • Designed for efficiency, speed and acceleration
  • Stand out with a design
Adidas X Speedportal FG cleats Adidas X Speedportal FG cleats
  • Super light
  • Carbon-fiber Speedframe outsole
  • Laced vacuum fit
Nike Mercurial Vapor 15 Elite FG cleats Nike Mercurial Vapor 15 Elite FG cleats
  • Made for speed and control
  • Flyknit construction & Sock-like feel
  • Great durability
Puma future 1.3 FG Instinct Puma future 1.3 FG Instinct
  • GripControl
  • K-leather & High-quality material
  • Lightweight
  • FuzionFit compression band
Best for budgetNike Phantom GT2 Elite Dynamic Fit Nike Phantom GT2 Elite Dynamic Fit
  • Made for speed
  • Flyknit Technology
  • Dynamic fit

Whether you are fast or no, every soccer player deserves soccer cleats that are built for speed and explosive acceleration. That’s why I created this guide, where I review the 8 best soccer cleats for speed.

In case you are in hurry, here’s the shortlist of my top favourites:

  1. Nike Mercurial Superfly 8 Elite FG
  2. X Ghosted.1 FG Speed Cleats
  3. Nike Mercurial Vapor 14 Elite
  4. Puma Ultra 1.1 Leather FG
  5. Nike Mercurial Vapor 13 Elite MDS FG

Also, feel free to jump on any section from the list below.

My picks of the best soccer cleats for speed

Nike Mercurial Superfly 8 Elite FG

Cleats used by legend alone, Cristiano Ronaldo. This pair was designed for efficiency, speed and the best acceleration possible. They are super lightweight and when you wear them, it feels like they are a part of your body. I have to say that this is truly astonishing work by Nike. I really love these cleats and that’s a reason I did put them in the first place in my guide. You can also get them without a sock over here.

Pros
  • Used by Cristiano Ronaldo
  • Designed for efficiency, speed and acceleration
  • Unnecessary elements are stripped away
  • Natural feel for the ball
  • Stand out on the field with colours
Cons
  • Price

Adidas X Speedportal FG cleats

Next on my list are X Ghosted.1 cleats. They are super lightweight and easy to accelerate from slow jog to full speed sprint. On the official page, they use the quote “discover next-level speed”, and they used it for a reason. I feel like if you are used to Adidas cleats and want some for speed, this is your go-to option. They don’t have a sock, which gives you maybe more flexibility in the ankle, while still having enough stability.

Pros
  • Super lightweight
  • No sock, but still a lot of stability
  • High-quality materials
  • Carbon-fiber Speedframe outsole
  • Laced vacuum fit
Cons
  • Price
  • Some players might hate Low-cut collar

Nike Mercurial Vapor 15 Elite FG cleats

If you are looking for reliable cleats that will enhance your speed and control of the ball, Nike Mercurial Vapor 15 are for you. What I dig about this soccer cleats is the ability to control the ball at a fast speed. Flyknit construction makes sure that you have that sock-like feel everybody loves and it also gives you a lot of stability in the ankle.

Pros
  • Made for speed and control
  • Flyknit construction & Sock-like feel
  • Great durability
Cons
  • Price

Puma future 1.3 FG Instinct

Now we’re getting to a very popular brand Puma. Even though these cleats are made of K-leather, they are ultra-lightweight and they will ensure that you will have good support when sprinting. PUMA Ultra 1.1 takes its inspiration from PUMA's famous running spikes Usain Bolt used to wear and incorporate Pebax SpeedUnit outsoles. You just can’t go wrong with this choice.

Pros
  • Ultra-lightweight
  • K-leather & High-quality material
  • Pebax SpeedUnit
  • Cleats will never get dirty
Cons
  • Price

Nike Phantom GT2 Elite Dynamic Fit

Nike continues to prove that they are one of the leading brands when it comes to making cleats for speed. Their Mercurial Vapor 13 model is perfect for fast players. You will get supercharged traction with these. It’s literally written on their official page: “Mercurial Dream Speed 3 is made to help you chase your wildest ones down with speed.” The perfect option for a perfect price.

Pros
  • Made for speed
  • Affordable price
  • Used by Ronaldo
Cons

    Do soccer cleats make you run faster?

    I know that most of us players are going mostly for the look and comfort when picking the soccer cleats. But question is, do soccer cleats make you run faster?

    You will be faster with the right soccer cleats. It’s due to the fact that they produce a lot of friction when your shoe-surface touches the ground, allowing you to propel with a great force. When you wear soccer cleats made for speed, you can be more than sure that they will make you faster.

    I don’t want you to give you false hopes though. If you are naturally fast, soccer cleats will just give you that edge over other players with cleats not optimized for speed.

    On the other hand, if you are a player that is more technical, but lacks speed - cleats won’t make a miracle. It will help you to become faster, but don’t expect to be Usain Bolt.

    I don’t consider myself as a fast player, but I have to say that soccer cleats for speed helped me a lot. Not only as a technical part, but it also gave me the confidence to take dribbles and runs that I wouldn’t normally take. Yes, that’s what a good pair of soccer cleats can do!

    How much should I spend on soccer cleats?

    Now let’s talk about a more uncomfortable topic.

     How much should you spend on soccer cleats? If you have a budget and are comfortable spending your money, I recommend going for the quality! That ultimately means mid-class to top-class cleats, which can costs anything from 150$ to 300$. Of course, the most expensive doesn’t necessary means the best.

    However, a price can tell you a little bit about the quality upfront.

    If you compare cleats for 50$ and the ones that cost 300$ - you can see a lot of differences.

    Materials are different. The surface and texture feel different, the shape of the soccer cleat is different and etc.

    In my personal opinion, you should get the expensive ones, if you really mean it with soccer. Just imagine how many soccer players are out there. Why not give yourself the highest quality gear and give yourself the best chance to succeed possible?

    Last words

    I hope you enjoyed my super short buying guide on the best soccer cleats for speed and fast players.

    One of the biggest mistakes players make is to buy soccer cleats without making any research. Don’t make the same mistake as others.  Go to the links and check more information about them. Look for materials, for who cleats are and etc etc.


    Also a small note, I regularly update this guide so you will always know about the top 5 soccer cleat for speed.

    Good luck with picking the right pair!

    Most recent posts

    Tom Lindeman
    Ball Athlete project
    Hey! My name is Tom and I created this blog in order to help people wherever they are in their sport journey. Inspirational posts, guides, reviews and much more! Read about the project here.
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