Best soccer cleats for wingers: The latest ranges designed for wide players from Nike, Adidas, Puma, Umbro and New Balance
The best soccer cleats for wingers, as worn by the likes of Neymar, Vinicius Jr and Phil Foden
If you're a mazy winger or a Beckham-esque crosser at heart, you'll want to find the best soccer cleats for wingers before the new season kicks off.
Having the right cleats can make a huge difference to a player's game, with certain ranges specifically designed to assist defenders, midfielders, wingers and attackers. FFT has been dedicating itself to categorising designs to make cleat shopping easier for you. If you're simply looking for the best soccer cleats out right now, be sure to check out our other reviews.
But here you'll find the best soccer cleats on the market right now for wingers...
Best soccer cleats for wingers: Adidas X SPEEDPORTAL
As worn by: Lionel Messi, Vivianne Miedema, Mohamed Salah
Released in conjunction with a specially made Rick and Morty short, the Adidas X SPEEDPORTAL cleats are a natural evolution from the last X model while upgrading on the look, feel and comfort of the model.
We were blown away when they landed. These are the best-looking Xs in years, with a freshly-designed heel and the brand-new, textless Adidas logo. Bravo.
Nike Mercurial Air Zoom Superfly IX
As worn by: Cristiano Ronaldo, Kylian Mbappe, Erling Haaland
The latest in the peerless Nike Mercurial range, the Air Zoom Superfly IX, dropped in July 2022 and was given its first run out at the Women's Euros. They'll be worn this season by some of the biggest stars in the men and women's game, including at Qatar 22.
Aside from looking drop-dead gorgeous, in FFT's opinion at least, the Air Zoom Superfly IX is among the lightest cleats on the market and offer unbeatable traction – making them ideal for speedy attacking players. The almost sticky skin on the upper is designed to assist with your touch, passing and shooting, while also offering decent protection.
This is arguably the best soccer cleat ever made.
Buy the Nike Mercurial Air Xoom Superly IX from Pro Direct
Nike Mercurial Superfly 8
As worn by: Vinicius Jr, Jack Grealish, Jadon Sancho, Cristiano Ronaldo
Arguably the best soccer cleat on the market right now. In our Nike Mercurial Superfly 8 soccer cleats review, we praised the lightness of these cleats in particular. At just 190g, these are among the lightest cleats ever, despite being made from a material that does offer genuine protection and durability. They're so noticeably light, that even FFT (not quite blessed with the speed, say, of a young Theo Walcott) felt the difference in a game situation. They also offer great traction thanks to a unique stud pattern and are tight on the foot without any chance of coming off.
The latest Mercurial Superly also boasts 'Anti-Clog Traction' technology. So if your Sunday league pitches are susceptible to heavy rainfall and poor drainage, they could be a good option – no more stud plates caked in mud after the first five minutes of a game.
Lastly, they look the part, come in a huge range of colours AND you can customise your own pair on the Nike store if you're really up for pushing the boat out. If you can afford them (they are pricey), they're worth every penny. Trust us.
Buy the Nike Mercurial Superfly from Pro Direct
Nike Tiempo Legend 9
As worn by: Phil Foden, Harry Kane
While the latest Tiempo's have been snapped adorning the feet of a host of players in varying positions, FFT's Nike Tiempo Legend 9 soccer cleats review points out the fact that these are, in fact, cleats built for attacking players. That's because, while extremely comfortable and durable, they're among the lightest on the market, weighing in at only 207g.
It also features a number of other little nifty gadgets, including memory foam and touch pods, designed to specifically help forwards cross, shoot, dribble and control the ball. The chevron studs have been specially designed to add traction, helping wingers change direction more easily – perfect for bursting past defenders.
This is a stunning all-round cleat, and one any attack-minded players should consider adding to their toolkit.
Buy the Nike Tiempo Legend 9 from Pro Direct
Puma Future Z Lazertouch
As worn by: Neymar, Marco Reus, Christian Pulisic, Kingsley Coman
In our recent Puma Future Z Lazertouch soccer cleats review, we praised the authentic leather feel of the cleats worn by some of the nippiest wingers in world soccer. Neymar's version of the Future Z are lighter still, made by synthetic material as opposed to the leather on the Lazertouch, so you have a choice.
The boots are a fantastic fit, offer superb traction, look stunning and are light enough to make you feel as if you're wearing carpet slippers. More than any other cleat on the planet, the Future Z is geared towards wingers specifically, and comes in a range of easy-on-the-eye colours.
Order the Puma Future Z Lazertouch from Sports Direct
New Balance Furon V6+ Pro
As worn by: Sadio Mané, Raheem Sterling, Harvey Elliot
Lightweight, colourful and with touches of blue and red across them that just look beautiful, the New Balance Furon V6+ Pro are an absolute triumph. These cleats will give wingers the edge in a foot race since they're so weightless – but they're comfortable too.
These are the cleats that the likes of Sadio Mané and Bukayo Saka wear. Perfect for a speedster, these shoes look the part, too – and it's important for your forwards to have the style to back up their talent, right?
Buy the New Balance Furon V6+ Pro from Pro Direct
Umbro Velocita 6
FFT was positively stunned by how light they are when putting together our Umbro Velocita 6 soccer cleats review.
Weighing in at 190g – the same as Nike Mercurial Vapours – this is an area where this cleat sits comfortably alongside the absolute best in the business. During training and games we took these out for, we half expected to look down and find we were wearing crocs. Fortunately, what we found down there was one of the best-looking cleats on the market right now.
You'll absolutely fly past opponents in these, safe in the knowledge that if you are caught, you'll be well-protected by the tough shell and textile. There are some drawbacks, including a lack of flexibility in the soul. But check out our review to find out more about the pros and cons.
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Ed is a staff writer at FourFourTwo, working across the magazine and website. A German speaker, he’s been working as a football reporter in Berlin since 2015, predominantly covering the Bundesliga and Germany's national team. Favourite FFT features include an exclusive interview with Jude Bellingham following the youngster’s move to Borussia Dortmund in 2020, a history of the Berlin Derby since the fall of the Wall and a celebration of Kevin Keegan’s playing career.
- Mark WhiteContent Editor