Cyber Monday is upon us and - let FourFourTwo guess - you're looking for the best football boots for midfielders? Well, look no further, we've got you covered with the best boots and the best deals.
While it is of course possible for any player to wear any boot regardless of where they play, it is only natural for you to want to look for a pair that complements your game. The best pair will always be the ones that you feel fit your feet the best. The below list is a starter point for options that may appeal to midfield players.
The quicklist
The Skechers SKX 2 is a significantly improved "control" boot designed for creative players, featuring a soft, thin, and sticky upper with PSC texturing for a close, distraction-free touch, combined with a comfortable, flexible outsole carried over from the previous generation.
If staying on your feet in midfield is a priority, the Tekela V5 boots could be worth a try, providing a soft, comfortable, leather-imitating feel with added subtle grip for creative midfielders, while retaining the reliable, comfortable soleplate of its predecessors.
The adidas Predator 25 Elite wisely maintains the successful formula of its predecessor, offering a simple facelift with the most significant positive change being the softer, more flexible Hybridtouch 2.0 upper, while retaining the signature rubber elements to aid striking, ensuring the Predator renaissance continues.
The Nike Tiempo Legend 10, the first model without natural leather, is a streamlined and lightweight boot featuring a comfortable FlyTouch Plus synthetic upper that, despite not fully replicating true leather, performs well and has been marketed towards creative midfielders.
The Mizuno Morelia 2 UL is an ultralight version of the classic Morelia 2, delivering the same renowned comfort and build quality with significantly reduced weight, offering the rare combination of a disappearing feel and the soft touch of leather, though this top-tier performance comes with a high price tag.
The Nike Phantom 6 Elite is superior to its predecessors, combining a softer, grippier GripKnit upper with an off-centre lacing system for a large strike zone and an improved, stiffer Cyclone 360 outsole for enhanced stability, while remaining comfortable and accommodating for wider feet.
Best for control
The Skechers SKX 2 is one of the best boots released in 2025. The SKX 1 was a more than solid first foray into the elite space for the Skechers, but the model has come on leaps and bounds with the latest iteration. If any doubters about the brand’s place in the market remained, this is boot to either silence or convert them.
The SKX 2 is Skecher’s ‘control’ boot, aimed at those who getting on the ball and dictating, and the overall package lends itself well to that. It is built in a way that provides very few distractions, allowing you to concentrate on what matters. The upper is soft and flexible out of the box and does not need any time to break in before being as comfortable as one would expect from a Skechers product. The upper also has a subtle stickiness to it to offer some extra grip on the ball with the PSC texturing seeking to aid touch. It is also thin enough to provide the one-on-one feeling that creative players will appreciate but without sacrificing structure.
The outsole is the same as featured on the previous generation of the SKX, featuring diamond shaped studs in a main – offering a balance between rotational support and some extra bite. This is a soleplate that is definitely on the more flexible, comfortable side overall. Skechers continue to go from strength to strength in the very early stages of its football boot journey.
Best for stability
Dynamic touch tech replacing hypoknit. From knit to more synthetic leather feel. Hypoknit around foot in lacing.
Over the last few years, the New Balance Tekela has topped many an ‘underrated’ list and with the V4 and V4+ came to recognised as a model about as good as anything else out there. For this reason, NB’s decision to completely revamp the upper material and move away from the hypoknit that has served them so well on both the Tekela and on the New Balance Furon raised a few eyebrows. However, it is a decision that has paid dividends with the Tekela V5+ being as good, if not better than its excellent predecessor.
The hypoknit on the upper has been replaced by NB’s dynamic touch – the knit of the V4+ gone with a leather imitating synthetic in its place. And though, as with just about all materials of this type, it does not quite manage to truly replicate the feeling of natural leather, the upper here is soft and comfortable out of the box and moulds to your feet quickly. There is also some subtle grip added to key areas of the boot, creating a package that the midfield creators of the world will likely appreciate.
The soleplate is the same as the V4 and V4+, featuring predominantly conical studs with some bladed studs either side of the outsole. It is a no-frills plate that is comfortable under foot and offers good rotational support with the added aggression provided by the blades. In terms of fit, as ever, New Balance offer a wide fit variation of the boot, but the regular version is accommodating enough to still fit most foot types. The NB Tekela continues to go from strength to strength.
Best for traditionalists
David Beckham, Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, Zinedine Zidane, Paul Pogba and Jude Bellingham are just some of the midfield maestros that have donned various iterations of the boots over the years.
With the Predator 25 Elite, adidas has wisely opted not to mess with the formula that was so well received with the Predator 24 and have instead gone for more of a facelift than a total reconstruction of a boot that was so roundly praised. The Hybridtouch 2.0 that forms the upper of the 25 is softer and more flexible than the previous model – this being the most significant change and a positive one at that.
The boot is still very narrow in the toebox so may be slightly uncomfortable for those with very wide feet. It would not be a Predator model without the rubber elements to aid swerve and dip when striking the ball and they are here too, slightly redesigned from the previous model. The Predator renaissance continues and shows no signs of slowing down.
Best fit
The Tiempo Legend 10 is the first generation since Nike made the bold choice of removing the natural leather on a model with which the material is synonymous. It is a decision that was met with dismay in many corners and increased the scrutiny on the new release. While the result is something that many classic Tiempo lovers will find difficult to warm to in the same way, it is a good football boot in its own right.
The Legend 10 is a much more streamlined, lightweight interpretation of the classic name. The FlyTouch Plus that forms the upper and is designed to imitate the feeling of leather is soft and comfortable out the box. It does not quite manage to feel like natural leather, but this takes nothing away from its overall great fit. It also features some subtle texturing to aid when controlling and dribbling the ball. It is clear that Nike has gone in the direction of marketing the boot to creative midfielders with the likes of Jamal Musiala, Christian Eriksen and Frenkie De Jong all switching into the latest generation. The FG model features mainly conical studs with some bladed studs towards the forefoot and some other areas for a little extra traction. It is a fairly basic outsole geared towards comfort underfoot.
If the Nike Tiempo 10 Elite were released with any other name, it would likely have been received much more positively. It is a boot that does not try to do too many things and is able to do the things it does try to do pretty well.
Best overall
The Mizuno Morelia 2 UL is an ultralight version of the best-known model from the Japanese brand. It boasts all of the comfort and build quality of the regular Morelia 2 but with a lightweight-ness that is difficult to believe when you first put them on. It is not that the Morelia 2 is ordinarily a heavy boot, but the weight shaved here in combination with the comfort of the boot means they feel as they though disappear onto your boot in a way that any midfielder will appreciate. The benefit of having both a very light pair of boots and the soft touch of leather is relatively rare and certainly rare to the level achieved by the Morelia 2 UL.
The only major drawback with these as with all Made in Japan models from Mizuno is the huge price tag. In return though, is one of the very best pairs of football boots that money can buy.
Best for strikers
The Nike Phantom 6 Elite taking some of the best characteristics and learns from the Nike GX 1 and GX 2 and combines them to create a boot that is superior to both of these well received predecessors. Visually, the boot has a lot of similarity to the hugely popular GX 1 with its two-piece construction with the top layer featuring the sticky GripKnit, which is once again one the stars of the show.
The GripKnit on the Phantom 6 is softer in than the slightly rougher version from the GX 2 and feels grippier on the ball – music to the ears of the midfield controllers of the world. The off centred lacing creates a large strike zone for cleaner contact on longer passes and shots at goal and Nike have included a dedicated strike area with more dramatic grip to impact swerve and dip. It will not necessarily have a significant impact on the ball but is a nice addition.
The outsole features an updated version of the Cyclone 360 plate first seen on the Phantom Luna and then the GX 2. The plate is slightly stiffer with some extra studs in the midfoot and generally feels better than its predecessor that felt a little over-flexible so lacking in stability.
Just as with the two previous Phantom models, the Phantom 6 is comfortable out of the box and accommodating for those with wider feet. Nike has been on a good run with the Phantom over the past few years and the Phantom 6 may be the best in recent years.
How we test football boots
We wore each of the best boots available on the market over a number of different sessions to test each pair to their true potential, helping determine their performance levels across a range of different factors. On this specific occasion, we largely focussed on touch and control of the ball, due to midfielders generally having more possession than any other player on the pitch. That's not to say we overlooked other elements, though, as we still kept an eye on how comfortable the boots were, what stability was like and how they fit, too.
An expert member of our team tested these boots, across a number of different games. They live and breathe football boots, and are able to cut through the marketing jargon straight to the crux of each pair's specific details.
How to choose the best football boots
With so many different options available, choosing the right pair for you can often prove a bit of a minefield. There are a range of different considerations needed to find what suits you and your game best, and doesn't simply have to rely on what piece of tech each brand is championing on their latest model.
Ultimately, it's all down to personal preference. So, with that in mind, there are some factors to consider when looking for your next pair...
Leather or synthetic
In the past, midfielders might have preferred a leather upper to help with their tough tackling, but there's been a marked shift over the past decade as players opt for lighter, synthetic options. Synthetic uppers are generally a lot more lightweight but offer little in the way of protection, while leather can be considerably more comfortable due to the padded material.
Most synthetic uppers will be slightly thinner and offer less padding than their natural leather counterparts. They will, though, offer a much closer connection to the ball with the thinnest synthetics providing a close to barefoot feel.
There is also the option of leather-imitating synthetics that represent a nice in between. These are often more lightweight than natural leather but come with much of the same comfort and pliability.
Midfielders, therefore, are suited to a wide variety of options available on the football boot market, with something for everyone. Regardless, it all comes down to personal preference. Midfielders don't necessarily have to conform to what is 'best' for them - if they prefer a Nike Mercurial Superfly, then why not wear them?
Styling
With so many different colourways available for each football boot, this is arguably the hardest area in which players can select what they want for their feet. Most brands will offer pairs that are simpler and more traditional in look and also ones that are flashy and colourful.
Getting the right fit
We would always recommend trying a pair before buying because making sure your cleats are the perfect length and width is key.
Pairs of the same size often vary slightly in length between brands and across models, so it important to try a pair on in order to know whether it is better to go a half-size up or down for a particular pair or brand.
Foot shape is highly personal so consider the shape of your feet when looking for a pair. Some cleats are very narrow so will not suit anyone with wide feet and likewise very wide fitting pairs can sometimes feel slightly awkward for those with especially narrow feet.
This is especially important if considering a pair of laceless boots as the lack of laces means there is very little adaptability – they will either work for your feet or they won’t.
Best Football Boots for Midfielders FAQs
What are the best football boots for midfielders
This is merely our subjective - and expert - opinion but we think the best football boots for midfielders are the Skechers SKX 2, New Balance Tekela V5, Adidas Predator 25 FT (of course), Nike Tiempo Legend 10 Elite, Nike Phantom 6 Elite and last but certainly not least, the Mizuno Morelia 2 UL Made in Japan.
Which boots does Rodri wear?
Manchester City's talismanic midfielder is a fan of the Nike Phantom series, but that doesn't necessarily mean you should copy the Spaniard.
The best boot for you is the one that fits the snuggest, depending on your foot shape and size.
