If you're wanting the best football boots for speed then look no further, because we've got you covered.
Sprinting around the pitch in a pair of lightweight boots is made all the easier to speed away from your opponents, and is absolutely essential if you're wanting to get even quicker. With thin uppers, minimalist soleplates and narrow constructions, speed boots really improve your pace on the football pitch.
And while there's a range of best football boots around, with plenty of options available in our guides for the best football boots for defenders, the best football boots for midfielders, the best football boots for wingers, and of course the sbest football boots for strikers, pace and lightweight isn't the primary concern of those guides. Instead, here you'll find the best football boots for speed, meaning you'll have to look no further for featherweight options.
The quicklist
Requiring no break-in time, the Furon V7+ Pro, gives you a close feel on the ball, ideal for control and evading defenders in tight areas. The thin upper helps make them super lightweight.
Speed boots aren't normally known for comfort. That was until Skechers entered the market in 2023. The Razor provides unrivalled security and excellent traction.
For many years the obvious choice when it came to selecting a speed boot. The latest Mercurial Superfly offering is perfect for those after a lightweight option.
With a lightweight upper made from the brand's aeropacity speedskin, this boot will be comfortable regardless of foot size, or shape. Little break in-time is required.
Puma have once again hit the mark when it comes to comfort. The Ultra Ultimate is as quick as anything on the speed market, but with the flexible frame needed for those with wide feet.
Despite their lightweight, super thin, feel the Mizuno Alpha's are made with such quality material that it doesn't come at the expense of comfort or structure.
Best for touch
The upper on the New Balance Furon V7+ Pro is my favourite knit material utilised by any brand, with Hypoknit wonderfully comfortable straight out of the box and requiring no break-in time. This helps make the Furon V7+ Pro soft, flexible and completely faithful to all of the movements of your feet. It is also thin and allows you to feel completely at one with the ball.
Traction is aided by the aggressive soleplate, which features heavily angled chevron studs throughout for a level of traction that is essential for a good speed boot, too, while the outsole is responsive while also possessing flexibility where needed.
One slightly awkward aspect that buyers should be wary of is sizing. I would recommend going at least a half size up for the Furon as the sizing is different to most other brands on the market. Finding your perfect size may prove a little more difficult as I felt that my best fit would probably have been somewhere in between a half size and full size up but settled for the half size increase on my usual.
- Read our full New Balance Furon V7+ Pro review
Best for comfort
Skechers entered the speed boot market with the Razor in the middle of 2023, and suffice to say, the brand has absolutely smashed it with its first attempt. The forefoot is made up of an ultra-soft synthetic reminiscent of that used on the legendary Nike Mercurial Vapor 10, providing wonderful comfort and a soft touch on the ball. This material then transitions to a knit around the midfoot, providing a super comfortable experience that often isn't available from speed boots.
Plus, while most speed boots tend to fit more snugly, the Skechers Razor is much more accommodating for those with wide feet. This does not come at the expense of the lightness that is expected from a speed boot, though, as the Skechers Razor is also extremely lightweight while the soleplate has a super aggressive stud pattern consisting entirely of chevron studs. There's perhaps a lack of responsiveness, though, with the carbon fibre insert doing little in the way of improving force feedback.
- Read our full Skechers Razor review
Best lightweight boot
Arguably the most iconic speed boot in history, the Mercurial Superfly 9 Elite is often at the very cutting edge of technology - with the latest iteration no different. On this boot, Nike has added its Air Zoom technology in the soleplate that is football-specific, which provides a noticeable spring when taking off. I definitely felt some extra feedback while playing, giving me the confidence to beat my opponents in a race.
When it comes to the upper, it's made of Nike’s Vaporposite+ material, an upgraded version of the grippy mesh found in the previous Mercurial generation, which, as you might expect, is a wafer-thin, lightweight material that creates very little in the way of a barrier between foot and ball.
On the soleplate, there's great traction, too. With a mixture of tristar and bladed studs, there was a great bite in the ground when pushing off from a standing start, while I felt a good level of responsiveness throughout my sprints, too. In all, it's never been a bad idea to consider a Mercurial when looking for a speed boot and with the Nike Mercurial Vapor 15 and Superfly 9, this is certainly still the case.
- Read our full Nike Mercurial Superfly 9 Elite review
Best barefoot feel
Adidas' premier option in the speed boot market, the Crazyfast+ sits just above the Crazyfast.1 and laceless variation of the boot due to its extremely lightweight nature and ultra-thin upper. The upper is made from the brand's aeropacity speedskin, a semi-translucent mesh covered with a thin film, which is reinforced using what Adidas calls an aerocage skeleton, providing some structure without adding much weight.
This helps to maintain that barefoot sensation without any feeling like anything is stopping you from reaching top speed. However, I found there's still a lack of structure that could pose a problem for some players, which also contributes to the folding and bulging in certain areas of the boot.
It does boast one of the most aggressive soleplates out of the best boots on the market, though, with chevron studs making up the forefoot and midfoot, while in the heel area bladed studs feature. The level of traction offered by this configuration is perfect and is elevated through the plastic insert running through the middle of the outsole to provide an energy return that is unrivalled.
- Read our full Adidas X Crazyfast+ review
Best for wide feet
Constructed using Puma's Ultraweave material, the same material used on the brand's football kits, it's clear just how thin and lightweight these boots really are. Pwrtape technology has now also been added to the Ultra upper to provide support in key areas and can be felt on foot, which is something I especially noticed as I had great lockdown while sprinting.
They're also slightly wider than other options in the speed boot category, without adding any extra bulk or taking away from the streamlined nature of them. As a result, they might be suitable for wide feet. I wouldn't recommend wearing the FG/AG version on artificial ground, however, because I found my foot getting stuck into the astroturf whenever I planted it - therefore increasing the risk of injury.
Despite this, there's plenty of responsiveness through the chevron studs and stiff mid-section, providing an aggressive traction that worked wonders on firm, natural grass.
Best quality
With a build quality that is unrivalled by the rest of the best boots available, the Mizuno Alpha Made in Japan is constructed with great detail and materials that there's truly nothing else like them on the market. As the name suggests, they're made in Japan, though, meaning they're a lot more expensive than already-expensive pairs available, so it's best to choose wisely here.
But while they're super thin and extremely lightweight, the Mizuno Alpha doesn't come at the expense of any comfort levels or structure, and the quality of the materials can be felt immediately.
Underfoot, the soleplate features triangular studs in a configuration that provides a good level of bite when pushing off, while the brand's Enerzy foam seen on its running shoes is also implemented, helping to add to the responsiveness of the Alpha outsole.
How we test football boots
We have expert testers dedicated to finding out every last detail they can about all of the boots on the market, wearing each model as many times as possible during games and training to ascertain a boot's true performance level. The testers are able to cut through the marketing jargon straight to the crux of the detail, with their simple yet detailed advice suitable for players of all levels.
Factors that are important to consumers will be flagged through our in-depth knowledge of the market.
How to choose the best football boots
It's a minefield attempting to navigate the modern football boot market, with so many options and so many brands saying they've created something with the latest technology that will really improve your game. That isn't always the case, though, so there are a few important things to consider when it comes to buying your next pair of football boots...
Getting the right fit
The single most important thing when it comes to deciding on your next pair of football boots is making sure they fit properly because it's no use to your game if your foot is sliding around and causing blisters, or they're simply suffocating your feet because they're too tight.
As a result, we'd always recommend heading to a physical shop and trying on as many boots as possible, to ascertain what make and model are best suited to your feet. Everyone's foot shape is unique, so doing this will help you get closer to the best playing experience possible.
Leather or synthetic
Synthetic is king when it comes to lightweight boots because the material is often a lot thinner than leather alternatives. Indeed, leather boots are bulkier, with padded areas to create a greater level of comfort - which isn't ideal if you want to feel barefoot sprinting as fast as possible.
Soleplate
When looking to get up to top speed, aggressive stud patterns can really aid in that quest because they provide better traction when twisting, turning and pushing off into a sprint. Stiff soleplates are generally better, too, because they provide a certain level of feedback that propels you forward at a faster rate.
