Whenever you’re playing a sport, it’s important to have the correct equipment to enhance your play, make the game more enjoyable, and for safety reasons.
However, if you already have a pair of cleats, you may wonder if it’s acceptable to wear soccer cleats to play baseball or vice versa. Learning about the differences between the two shoes can help you make a better choice.
Shoe Material
The shoe portion of a baseball cleat is almost always made of either genuine or synthetic leather. Leather is durable, although genuine leather is slightly more durable than synthetic leather. Both types of leather are also breathable.
The most important aspect of this material, however, is that it’s thick but flexible.
Baseball players often make quick turns, even while they’re only batting, so baseball shoes need to be made of a material that can stretch and bend without tearing.
This material must also be thick and tough enough to stand up to explosive movements.
Some soccer shoes can also be made of leather, but the leather is rated differently than when used for baseball shoes. Soccer shoes can be made of synthetic, calfskin, or kangaroo leather, but some soccer shoes are also a knit material.
Soccer players often purchase their shoes based on the touch rating of the material. Soccer players need to be able to feel and direct the ball with their feet, so the materials used in their shoes are designed to be relatively thin, durable, and flexible.
Leather is generally considered the best material for this, but leather can be expensive. Kangaroo leather is usually thought of as the best soccer cleat material, but it’s incredibly expensive, uncommon, and requires a great deal of care.
The material at the top of a soccer shoe is also somewhat thicker than around the rest of the shoe. This is so that the player’s foot is more protected from the impact of the ball.
Cleat Material
Soccer cleats are usually rubber or plastic. Soccer players often come into close contact with one another, so these softer materials help to reduce injuries.
Baseball players, on the other hand, don’t come into nearly as much contact with each other. Although youth baseball cleats might have plastic or rubber nubs, all higher-level players use metal cleats.
Shoe Weight
Baseball cleats, because they’re made of a thicker, stiffer material and often have metal instead of plastic or rubber nubs, are usually several ounces heavier than soccer cleats.
Soccer cleats, on the other hand, are specifically designed to be lightweight.
Baseball players often go for long stretches without moving or running too much, and instead, the game is played in short bursts of energy.
Soccer players are almost constantly in motion, so lighter shoes help to increase their speed, stamina, and maneuverability.
Cleat Shape
Both soccer and baseball cleats are designed to grip the ground, offering players stability and traction and helping to increase their speed. Baseball cleats are usually long and pointed. They look more like spikes.
These spikes help to propel players forward when they sprint for a base or to make a play. Soccer cleat shapes vary depending on the turf and the player’s position, but most cleats are rounded and blunt. They’re also usually shorter than the cleats on a baseball shoe.
The shorter, rounder nubs on a soccer cleat help to reduce injuries if a player performs a kick near another player. The shorter spikes also help to lower the shoe, keeping the player closer to the ground and enhancing balance.
Toe Spike
Baseball cleats have an extra spike or cleat at the toe. This spike is specifically designed to push players forward, providing more traction and speed during sprints. Soccer shoes do not have this spike. Because soccer players more commonly connect, a toe spike could cause serious injuries.
Ankle and Midsole Difference
Soccer cleats usually have a thin or absent midsole. This helps to enhance balance by lowering the shoe and keeping players closer to the ground. It also reduces the weight of the shoe.
Baseball players, on the other hand, require more stability, which helps anchor the lower body for batting or pitching. For this reason, baseball cleats often include a thick midsole.
Both soccer and baseball cleats offer varying degrees of ankle support, depending on the style of the shoe.
Soccer cleats sometimes have slightly more ankle support, while baseball shoes provide less ankle support in exchange for freedom of movement. This allows baseball players to make swifter, smoother side-to-side motions.
Are baseball and soccer cleats interchangeable?
At lower levels, it’s generally perfectly acceptable to wear soccer cleats to a baseball game or practice. However, higher levels of the sport will demand proper baseball shows so you can play to your full potential.
Because they have a dangerous toe spike, baseball cleats should never be worn to play soccer, and most referees will not allow them.