When looking for cheap football boots, I search for either of two things: discounted elite level boots that are way off their full retail prices, or the cheaper takedown models that have scaled down, less quality execution of build and materials. You can get the best quality football boots at discounted prices and on sale, you just need to know when and where to look, and I can help you on that note. Genuine products rarely get under 50% off though. Any further discounts-be aware as you could be looking at a fake product…avoid at all costs!
What You’ll Find On This Page:
- Top 10 Cheap Boots
- Cheap Nike Boots including Academy
- adidas Cheap Pairs with League boots
But it’s difficult to wait for elite boots to come down in prices, if they will at all. I find trying out the cheaper models the more practical thing to do, and I managed to evaluate which ones give huge value-for-money relative to their elite counterpart and options at their price point. Here are my top recommendations of cheap football boots for 2024:
Rank | Why? | Boot | |
---|---|---|---|
1. Nike Mercurial Vapor Academy | Top of most boot enthusiast’s mind when naming the best football boot; great replication by Nike of the Mercurial experience with budget materials | >> Get Academy Vapor 16 MG at Nike | |
2. Nike Phantom GX Academy | Might not have the feature Gripknit technology, but still a nice-feeling boot to wear with decent width and the same Cyclone 360 stud configuration | >> Get Academy GX 2 MG at Nike | |
3. adidas F50 League | Everything is an excellent attempt of adidas in simulating the F50 experience on a budget range, except for the weight | ||
4. Nike Mercurial Superfly Academy | Get the no. 1 on this list with a neoprene collar; minor issue though with the heel makeup relative to the vapor | >> Get Academy Superfly 10 MG at Nike | |
5. Nike Tiempo Legend Academy | As in the times when the Tiempo was still K-leather, the synthetic leather of the Academy feels identical with the actual Flytouch Plus | >> Get Academy Tiempo Legend 10 MG at Nike | |
6. Puma Future Match | Cheap Neymar-headlined boots that have more substantial feel on-feet in terms of material thickness and density | >> Get Future 7 Match from Puma | |
7.adidas Predator League | You can choose between laceless, low-cut laced and mid-cut laced; has finally addressed the heel depth that plagued past adidas takedowns | ||
8. adidas Copa Pure League | Forefoot leather is good, though the upper is bulkier even amongst its peers at this price point | ||
9. Puma Ultra Match | Is significantly improved in terms of comfort and fit relative to previous Ultra Match iteration, and has an option for a low-cut and and collared | >> Get Ultra 5 Match from Puma | |
10. Nike Premier | Specifically the III generation, the last Nike boot to feature a natural leather upper | >> Get Nike Premier at Nike |
Top 10 Cheap Boots
1. Nike Mercurial Vapor Academy
We all know that the Mercurial is all about that snug, secure fit, and previous generation of the takedown Mercurials have simply opted for something cheap and comfortable. I am happy to report that such is not the case with the Academy Vapor 16.
Once broken-in, and break-in time is relatively minimal, you get a budget football boot that still has a structured sensation on the upper and do not simply become floppy or lousy, while also being pliable enough to be comfortable. That is good because I think it jives well with the mock one-piece construction (it has a u-throat but the sides of the tongue are stitched under, and only the top part is left free), which causes the boot to feel like it has less volume than it really has. The end result is a great simulation, I believe, of the tight fit an actual Elite Vapor boot has, leading to a pair that is responsive and functional on the pitch.
I certainly did not find the Zoom airbag on the heel impactful, and I guess that is to be expected especially considering that the elite has 3/4 length. With that said, it’s still nice for Nike to incorporate one of the core features of the current Mercurials into the budget option in some form. And adding value-for-money is the fact that the Academy Nike Vapor is officially labelled multiground. Especially for me that plays on both natural and synthetic pitches, I see that as very economical as I get to hold on to the warranty.
If you’ve followed football boots you’ll know that I have above-average width, and for that reason I’ll always find the Mercurial just a bit too snug for my liking. That’s only my main concern with the Academy Mercurial mimicking the trademark fit and feel of the elite boots. That doesn’t mean I can’t imagine the Academy Vapor working well with a great number of budget-conscious football players who just want to enjoy their football without breaking the bank.
As far as the GX 2 Elite is concerned, you can count me as a fan. I have to say though that I’m not that impressed with their budget alternative for a number of reasons. First is that you don’t get any simulation of Gripknit at all, which I think could have been done via a sticky coating or something. Yes, it does have the ridges patterned after the spiral formation of the knit found in the elite, but even that feels very minimal once you have ball contact. And second, even though it’s Nikeskin and it’s a mesh-based upper, that PU overlay just makes the upper a bit rigid, requiring you a few sessions to break them in,.
Don’t get me wrong. There are still lots of positives that make the Academy GX 2 worth a try. There’s some decent width to it and the fit is definitely passable especially with a bit of structure at the heel. I even like how the midfoot feels more rigid and stable than the very flexible Cyclone 360 soleplate, as it does help make that bit of forefoot flex more functional. And speaking of Cyclone 360, the Phantom GX 2 Academy retains that exact bladed stud configuration, including the circular formation of those on the forefoot. But given that this is a default Nike MG boot, I do have a worry that the boot would become clingy when played in deeper artificial grasses. Works extremely well in FG, by the way.
Here we have one of the adidas offerings in the below-£100 category. It has textile-based upper that is structurally reinforced by a noticeable plastic overlay. I would say they’re also fairly easy to break-in. Regardless if you go with the laceless or laced F50 League, you have to lessen expectation regarding the boot being as ultra lightweight as the Elite. And thanks to adidas for finally giving us a takedown that does not suffer from their perennial shallow heel depth issue.
Don’t be fooled into thinking that the fit and feel are the same just because the laced version looks like adidas just punched holes inserted laces into the laceless model. I worn both side by side in my play test and I can tell that the laced F50 League has the more relaxed fit because of the stretch of the textile tongue. That is not the case on the laceless model because of the thin PU overlay that not only prevents the textile tongue from stretching sideways but also helps in locking your foot in place. It goes without saying that the former has the better lockdown and arguably would attract more players especially with those who have a bit more width on their feet (such as myself). But if you’re foot shape fits perfectly in the laceless and you can live through the nightmare of putting it on every single time, then feel free to choose the latter.
4. Nike Mercurial Superfly Academy
Wish I could say it’s still the collar that separates the Superfly and the Vapor even in the Academy level. I just think that this time around, THERE IS a noticeable difference between the two, mainly with the fit around the heel. Perhaps to accommodate the cheap textile material that forms the collar and the tongue, the heel on the Superfly feels like it has been straightened out. So on that note, I think the collared Mercurial has been made slightly worse than its low-cut sibling, which has a more contoured shape as far as the heel is concerned. With that said, I have to give credit to the seemingly one-piece upper construction of the Superfly and how it complements the form-fitting goal of the present budget Mercurials.
The Academy Legend have a FlyTouch Lite upper based on the synthetic leather FlyTouch Plus of the Elite. The soft premium material may not be as soft as the K-leather, but it still delivers the familiar padded touch on the ball and the supple feeling around your foot. The only change that makes the Academy feel cheaper is the insole and the heel liner, but this is a solid entry-level option. If I’m going to judge all the boots here in terms of how they closely resemble the quality of their Elite parents, this is probably going to the top. I’m just missing the natural leather experience from the previous Tiempos, and that holds me back somehow with regard to the Tiempo 10 Academy.
Cheap in price but more of a midrange in quality; subscribes to the level of comfort of the Ultimate even if the materials used look more dense; a tremendous buy for boots in this list. Get them as laceless too.
7. adidas Predator 2024 League
Thanks to the Predator 2024, I could finally say that adidas takedowns are now going into the right direction. And that is because they have addressed the heel depth, particularly with the collared laced and laceless. It just improves the overall comfort and fit of these budget options from the Stripes brand. The Hybridfeel upper of all Predator Leagues has a soft press against the foot. It’s alright for comfort, but the flimsiness obviously affects the objective performance. The Strikescale ridge elements are just there to add more contact points and not necessarily to provide that sticky grip of the actual Strikeskin.
I think the laceless Predator 2024 League is adidas’ best laceless takedown boot. That webbing underlay provides a decent amount of stretch prevention, just enough to still make the lockdown secure. I’m old-school though when it comes to football boots, and so I would rather choose the laced mid-cut for the optimal lockdown. I like the aesthetics of the low-cut laced, but I would be more at home with the other laced League because it does allow my heel to sink in a bit more.
I can make this quick for the Copa Pure League. One is that it finally stands out from its direct competition from Nike and Puma, whose Tiempo and King respectively have gone full synthetic. So you won’t be able to find a decent leather boot option at this price category really. Another thing is that this is one, if not the bulkiest option on this list. Pretty much offers the most protection because of how dense it feels around the foot. Only thing to take note of is that the soleplate seemingly has several flexible points despite seemingly falling on the stiffer side.
Closely matches the popular Academy mercs (most especially the low-cut Vapor) in build and fit; now available in a laceless high-cut model too.
10. Nike Premier
The Copa Mundial of Nike. I have witnessed how it has become more responsive over the course of its three generations. But being a natural leather option, comfort is always its priority. What comes to my mind first about the Premier is that they are an excellent way of testing out how leather feels like on the pitch. Shall it impress you, I could only imagine how delighted you would be when you begin wearing Elite leather boots like the Mizuno Morelia Made in Japan and the adidas Copa Pure + and regular Elites.
Cheap Nike Boots
The academy model is the best cheap option from Nike as they still have that little bit of quality to make them suitable for the casual player and kids, even if you’re not breaking the bank like the professional Elite boots or Pro options. Their construction is considerably better than the Club pairs, which should be considered for very young kids only.
The Academy Tiempo is highly regarded on how it feels similar to its parent Elite boot considering the significant price cut. The Club is the go-to for the cheapest possible Tiempo. The synthetic leather does require some break-in time, and arguably makes the case that the Club Tiempo is where one can feel the downgrades for the sake of a cheaper price. The Tiempo Club can serve its purpose though for young players as it is more protective due to its thicker and synthetic leather build.
The Academy and Club are your cheap options for the Mercurial Vapor and Superfly. The former is the takedown model where you see a significant change in material relative to the Elite, while the latter acts as the entry-level boot. The Academy has a meshed Nikeskin upper and a snug fit that replicate, with a certain degree of success, the Mercurial experience at a cheaper price point. The Club is best for young players who are still developing physically and need a pair that supports their growing feet while remaining economical in price.
Regarding the Phantom GX, the Academy somehow provides a solid cheap option despite the lack of Gripknit replication. The NikeSkin upper gives the boot a premium feel, not to mention the positive effect it has on the shape, fit and feel.
Budget adidas
The best option for cheap adidas boots, is their League range, similar to Nike’s academy they give you a little bit of quality, at a budget price, in recent years adidas have even made their laceless boots in the League level, making them more accessible for all to try. We would only recommend the laced pairs though, as the lockdown from the cheaper laceless models is not enough.
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