The best boots for 5-a-side football, whether you play on an astro/artificial pitch or indoor court we have the right Astro shoes for you and break down the best options. Playing on 4G pitches instead? Get back to the artificial boot pages here…
Is 5-a-side Different From Futsal?
Both games feature football at a smaller scale, both in the number of players and the dimensions of the playing surface. However, 5-a-side refers to that mini football played on the shallow synthetic turf surrounded by walls or a cage, preventing the ball from going out of play and keeping the action flowing. It has more of that traditional football vibe because of the presence of grass fibres, however artificial they might be. Futsal is essentially football played on the flat indoor hard court. Moreover, it is the indoor football recognised by FIFA, football’s international regulatory body.
So when it comes to the 5-a-side boots, you would need boots that are labelled as Turf, boots with multiple, extremely short nodes that are enough to bite into the shallowness of the synthetic pitch. They look different from the Indoor ones from futsal that have flat, non-marking rubber outsole that have a feel of regular trainers. If you’re playing your five-a-side indoor or on concrete, look to the Futsal shoes on offer.
With that out of the way, here are the top boots for a good 5-a-side game:
| BOOT | DESCRIPTION | LINKOUT | |
|---|---|---|---|
1. Nike Mercurial Vapor 16 TF Academy | Cushioned Air Zoom heel with an improved Nikeskin mesh upper to balance comfort and upper responsiveness |  >> Get Nike Mercurial Vapor 16 Academy TF at Nike | |
2. Nike Tiempo Legend 10 TF Pro | Dampened ball touch with the pliable synthetic leather upper; comes with the React cushioning |  >> Get Nike Tiempo Legend 10 TF Pro at Nike | |
3. Nike Phantom GX 2 TF Pro | Flyknit upper one of the most premium knit material for a pair of TF boots |  >> Get Nike Phantom GX 2 TF Pro at Nike | |
4. adidas Copa Pure 2 Elite TF | Perfect leather quality for a TF boot option |  | |
5. Puma King Top TT | A classic Puma silo with nostalgic aesthetics made specifically for the turf surface | | |
6. adidas F50 League TF | Raw pingy sensation during ball contacts; powerful in the small-scaled games |  | |
7. Puma Ultra 5 Match TT | Secure lockdown and speed boot fit, coupled by a cushioned EVA midsole |  >> Get Ultra 5 Match TT from Puma | |
8. adidas Mundial Team | The iconic adidas leather silo’s entry to the world of TF boots |  | |
9. Nike Mercurial Superfly TF Academy | All of what the first boot on this list has to offer, plus a high-cut neoprene collar finish |  >> Get Nike Mercurial Superfly 10 Academy TF at Nike | |
10. Mizuno Morelia Neo KL AS | Really pricey but definitely worth it if given a chance to own one |  | |
Top 10 5-a-side Shoes
1. Nike Air Zoom Mercurial Vapor 16 Academy
The standout boot on field, is available for Astro too, with the Mercurial Academy TF, giving you Nike’s Air Zoom Airbag technology within your 5-a-side boots. These are designed specifically for turf pitches, the flexible NikeSkin gives you a great combination of touch and durability.
2. Nike React Tiempo Legend 10 Pro
A great combination of Nike Tech for the small sided game with the React sole for cushioning, the Pro quality synthetic leather upper that will mould to your feet, combined with raised textures for your touch, passing, dribbling or shooting.
3. Nike Phantom GX 2 Pro
Based on the Phantom you see on pitches worldwide, these are designed to suit the Astro Turf, with a cushioned sole combined with short studs perfect for synthetic grass. The GX has a textured feel on its Flyknit upper for your touch, also helps with dribbling. They’re engineered with off-centre lacing for a clean strike zone for your shots and passing.
4. adidas Copa Pure 2 Elite TF
It’s not K-leather but it still has a premium quality for the leather forefoot, delivering a cushioned feel when receiving the ball. The cushioning technology used is some variation of the one used for the adidas F50+.
5. Puma King TOP
Love a classic look? Puma King TOP shows off a nostalgic visual for a pair on turf surfaces. But’s it’s no longer the K-leather that makes up the upper. The brand has utilised its K-BETTER material, which I’m afraid does not reach the pliability levels of the natural animal hide but does work as a synthetic composite.
6. adidas F50 League
This option provides a direct competition to the no. 1 on this list. With its synthetic finish, you can that pingy raw sensation with ball contact, which might be more preferable in the more fast-paced style of the small-sided football.
7. Puma Ultra Match
A speed turf boot option that is lightweight, fast, and secure is made available through the Puma Ultra Match TT. What’s more, I find it interesting that the turf studs are inspired by the FastTrax of the FG model.
8. adidas Mundial Team Boots
The iconic Copa Mundial goes into Turf mode, reinforced with suede materials for more responsiveness. The numerous, conical-like turf configuration provides a straightforward, no-nonsense traction to its target playing surface.
9. Nike Air Zoom Mercurial Superfly 10 Academy
The Superfly is very similar to the Vapor Academy model, except that these include a neoprene collar finish, which can aid in keeping those rubber crumbs out of your boot and some may find useful around the ankle, it doesn’t afford any real performance benefit, being just cosmetic, so you can save your model and just opt for the Academy Vapor instead.
10. Mizuno Morelia Neo III KL
We’re talking about arguably the boot that contains the best K-leather among the boots on this list. It certainly a bit pricey, but if money and availability are not issues, then they are definitely worth it to go for.
Best Nike 5-a-side
Nike have some great 5-a-side options, that vary depending on your surface, the turf boots are often similar to the football boots worn on normal pitches, whilst you can get specific indoor shoes that suit that surface too, with the Lunar Gato and React Gato focused on that court surface.
5-a-side matches have small dimensions for the goal and court, and are played on shallow synthetic pitches. The action is usually fast-paced and relies heavily on quick cuts and short passes. As such, turf boots use short studs that have just enough height to dig in to that shallow depth, making them the best boots to play with for optimum stability in 5-a-side games. Since the pitch is really shallow to the point it is almost flat-like surface, turf soccer cleats have numerous studs to avoid pressure points under the foot.
