Can You Wear Indoor Soccer Shoes Outside?

So what do I mean when I am asking this question, Can You Wear Indoor Soccer Shoes Outside? What I mean by outside is like a hard grass surface or turf or even a concrete surface. A lot of people don’t like buying shoes for multiple kinds of surfaces, so they would like to know if you can wear indoor soccer shoes everywhere.

What you have to understand is indoor soccer shoes don’t have any studs on their sole. They have a high-quality rubber sole that’s designed to provide grip on hard surfaces. These soles have good traction but are not best when it comes to grass or turf.

Grass shoes come with directional plastic studs that help with traction and faster movement. If the playing surface is muddy or it’s raining then some shoes come with metal studs that are conical in shape. All these things are not available in indoor soccer shoes.

On turf cleats, you get a lot of small plastic or rubber studs that help with traction and mobility. Finally, I wouldn’t recommend using them on a concrete surface at all unless you don’t mind ruining the sole of your shoes.

Let’s understand first all the different soccer shoe designs that are created for different surfaces. This will help us understand if indoor soccer shoes can be worn on any other surface or not.

Types Of Soccer Shoes

Soccer is one of the most-watched sport around the world. So it’s not really a surprise that it’s played on so many different surfaces.

1) Firm-ground soccer shoes (FG)

Most professional-level surfaces are firm ground surfaces. All international or league matches happen on this kind of surface. Naturally, most soccer shoes are made for this type of surface.

There are some crucial things you need to consider for firm-ground soccer shoes. 

These soccer cleats are made from genuine leather to give them breathability. They come with a molded plastic studs that are bladed and directional. These studs help players achieve multidirectional traction. They are also shorter in length.

Firm-ground soccer shoes don’t have any studs in the mid-shoe area. This is the part players use for ball control. Most shoe brands have done a lot of research on these types of shoes, so today, these shoes come with a lot of technology packed in it. All this tech delivers high performance, which is what most players are seeking.

2) Soft-ground soccer shoes (SG)

Soft-ground soccer shoes are specifically made for wet and mudded ground. These shoes are made from natural high-quality leather. They provide excellent comfort and agility to the players.

Firm-ground soccer shoes cant be used on soft surfaces because the studs on those shoes are short and directional, and it would be hard for players to get their feet off the ground. You need shoes that can provide you traction on a soft surface while allowing you to turn or run freely.

That’s why soft-ground soccer shoes come with conical metal studs. These studs are longer than usual. Sometimes these shoes come with removable studs, so it becomes easier to clean. Some shoes have plastic studs with a metal cap on top of it.

Having metal studs makes it easier to get off the ground or take sudden turns without your feet being stuck in the mud. These shoes are water-resistant. Their insoles are waterproof, so they cant soak up water, thereby ruining the player’s comfort.

These shoes can be dangerous to other players. The possibility of injuring other players while tackling or jumping is very high with these shoes. A lot of the leagues or academies don’t allow metal stud shoes, so you have to check that before buying them.

3) Artificial grass soccer shoes (AG)

AG soccer shoes are sturdier than regular soccer shoes. They have to absorb a higher impact force from the AG surface compared to regular grass. These are more durable as it has to endure rough and hard artificial grass surface.

It has a lot of small plastic studs over the entire underfoot area except for the midfoot area. It helps in providing better traction on artificial grass. Artificial grass has a higher coefficient of friction and coefficient of restitution. What this means is players need a lot more effort to run on artificial grass, and also, players will take a lot more shocks when they run or jump from the ground.

The artificial grass surface is very controversial. Not only it contains some chemicals that are not good for humans, but it’s also a more injury-prone surface. One good thing is that artificial grass cleats will work you on most surfaces. So if you play on more than one type of surface, then you can get away with buying just one pair of AG soccer shoes.

AG shoes are made to last longer, so you won’t have to worry about buying new pair of shoes for quite a while. One word of caution though, if you want the best performance, then it’s better to use shoes that are made for specific surfaces.

4) Turf soccer shoes

Turf soccer shoes are completely different from artificial grass shoes. A lot of people mix these two up as they think turf and artificial grass are the same things. Turf is basically a type of artificial grass but it’s the first generation of artificial grass. This surface is even tougher and harder than artificial grass.

It basically looks like a carpet with small strands of grass and it doesn’t resemble natural grass in any way. As the surface is so rough and hard, the shoes for the turf have to be even sturdier. These shoes come with a good amount of cushioning to absorb all the shocks from the soccer field.

Since the surface has no depth the normal shoes don’t work on this surface. Shoes made for turf come with small studs all over the soleplate. The outsole is also made from high-quality rubber to provide ultimate traction.

Playing on turf is incredibly hard and risky. Chances of injuries are high on this surface. Regular sliding and falling during playing soccer can also give you skin burns as the surface is rough and hard. Playing on turf with FG or SG shoes is not recommended at all.

5) Indoor soccer shoes

Indoor soccer shoes are made specifically for hard surfaces or wood surfaces. Futsal is also considered an indoor surface. These shoes don’t have any studs as the surface is hard so, using shoes with studs means you will be slipping on the field all day long due to lack of traction.

These shoes come with a high-quality rubber outsole with directional patterns. This outsole provides traction and allows you to move freely and quickly. They are stylish and look like sneakers, but don’t confuse them as they are not interchangeable. I would avoid using sneakers on indoor surfaces.

Indoor soccer is the only surface where you can’t wear shoes made for any other surface. Indoor soccer shoes, on the other hand, can be used on other surfaces to some extent.

Now that we understand all the different types of soccer shoes that players can use. let’s compare all these types to indoor soccer shoes to see if we can answer the question at hand “can you wear indoor soccer shoes outside?”

Can You Wear Indoor Soccer Shoes Outside?

As we compare each type of soccer shoes to indoor soccer shoes, we can get a much better idea if indoor soccer shoes are useful on any other surface or not.

1) Indoor soccer shoes vs Firm-ground soccer shoes

As I mentioned before, firm-ground soccer shoes come with bladed studs that are made from molded plastic. These studs are short and critical in providing traction and speed.

You can certainly wear indoor soccer shoes but think about what you are sacrificing here. If it’s about just having a fun game with friends or having a light practice session, then sure, you can use indoor soccer shoes on a firm grass surface.

If you are going to play a professional-level game or a serious match with these shoes, then I would steer you away from them. Indoor soccer shoes have good rubber sole but it’s not good enough to provide traction on the grass surface.

In fact, there are always high chances of slipping during running or taking shots. These grass grounds are lightly watered before matches, and that means the chances of you slipping on them are even high. You don’t want to risk your entire career because you decided to play with indoor soccer shoes on a natural grass surface.

2) Indoor soccer shoes vs Soft-ground soccer shoes

Soft-ground soccer surfaces are wet or muddy. Indoor soccer shoes are absolutely the worst on this surface. Soft-ground soccer shoes come with metal studs or hard plastic studs with a metal cap on them.

SG shoe’s stud shape is conical. These shoes provide the most stability out of all the other types. The conical shape is the reason behind that. It might not perform as well as bladed studs, but these shoes are comfortable compared to shoes with bladed studs.

The studs are also longer because the surface is soft, so players have to dig in to get the feet off the ground. Longer stud shoes provide better control on a soft surface. It allows natural movement without the fear of slipping.

Indoor soccer shoes lack that. These shoes have no traction on a wet surface, so sprinting or dribbling is next to impossible. Lack of stability will hinder your gameplay as you will always be conscious of falling and injuring yourself.

3) Indoor soccer shoes vs Artificial Grass shoes

The artificial grass surface is hard and rough. Shoes made for this surface come with a lot of conical-shaped studs under the shoes. These studs are also smaller in size as the artificial grass surface doesn’t have actual mud inside it.

Smaller studs provide better traction and movement speed. These shoes are also sturdy and have better support to absorb the shocks. They have more cushioning compared to FG or SG soccer shoes.

These shoes also come with a reinforced heel area for added support. When compared to indoor soccer shoes these features are nowhere to be found. Granted third generation artificial grass has evolved a lot and looks and acts similar to natural grass, but it still isn’t natural grass. It is even more slippery when compared to natural grass.

Indoor shoes come with a directional pattern on their rubber sole which provides grip, but that’s not enough for the surface like artificial grass. So even though you can play on artificial grass using indoor soccer shoes, I wouldn’t recommend it. Maybe you are tired and don’t want to carry another pair of shoes, so you throw on indoor shoes for a light session, that’s fine, but for a hardcore game, it’s a big no-no.

4) Indoor soccer shoes vs Turf soccer shoes

As I clarified before, Artificial grass and turf are not the same things. Turf is technically a 1st gen artificial grass. Yet, the surfaces are totally different. Turf has a shorter synthetic grass, and it has a more carpet-like feeling to it.

This surface is even harder than artificial grass. Artificial grass surface causes more injuries to players, so imagine how dangerous turf surface would be for players. Every movement on the turf puts pressure on joints. You need the highest quality shock absorption in your shoes.

Support and stability are also critical factors so turf soccer shoes come with a fully studded soleplate. These studs are made from rubber, and they are small and conical. They provide perfect grip on the turf.

Coming to indoor shoes, which also come with a rubber sole you might think they will work just as well, but you would be wrong. Those studs on turf shoes carry great importance. Turf is a thin yet hard surface, so playing with flat sole shoes means you absorb all the shock from the ground directly, so this will harm your joints.

Lack of studs also impacts your multidirectional movement, which is very important in turf soccer. Turf is usually smaller in size compared to regular soccer fields, so it’s a fast-paced game. Agility and sharp movement are part of this game which are just impossible in indoor soccer shoes.

I have explained thoroughly how all these shoe types work. It’s safe to say that using shoes made for a specific surface is always better. Using one type of shoes for all types of surfaces is a bad idea.

Now let’s look at some of the common questions people have about this subject.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Conclusion

As we went through heaps of information, it’s safe to say that the answer to the question ” can you wear indoor soccer shoes outside?” is resounding No. Indoor soccer shoes have their own purpose, which gets fulfilled only on indoor surfaces.

For a casual game or a light practice session, sure you can get away with wearing indoor soccer shoes on other surfaces. But when it comes to professional level soccer I would recommend investing in shoes that are made for the surface you are playing on.

When it comes to Firm-ground or soft ground-surface indoor shoes can be your last resort. You can use them but cautiously. But when it comes to artificial grass or turf, you better stay away from indoor shoes.

Artificial grass or turf has the highest amount of injury rate compared to other surfaces. They are hard and rough surfaces. These surfaces have a lot of friction, so movement on them requires more effort than usual, and having proper shoes makes it easier for players. You also need better shock absorption, which is just lacking in indoor soccer shoes.

I sincerely hope all this information helps you make a better-informed decision, be it either buying or using soccer shoes effectively. I wish you all the best and enjoy your game!