The best black soccer cleats on the market, for players who don't like to be flash
(Image credit: Future)
If you love playing soccer but don't get the modern obsession with the bright and airy footwear, you'll want to find the best black soccer cleats 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 keep the no-nonsense player just as happy as the rest. 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 black soccer cleats on the market right now...
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 – and while they come in a range of colurways, the black pair are easily our favourites. The Umbro logo may add a fair amount of white, but only in the way any classic cleat always included a Swoosh or stripes in white.
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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2. Adidas Copa Sense
(Image credit: Adidas)
Adidas do "no-frills" awesomely well. They proved it with the original F50 cleats that launched in the mid-2000s complete with Djibril Cisse ad campaigns of the Frenchman donning tribal paint. The Copa Sense is the natural successor to those beasts – but may we go out on a limb and suggest they're now more iconic?
Worn by the likes of Jude Bellingham and Joao Felix, the Copa Sense is a defined understatement, stripping back the football cleat to its bare essentials. These cleats are immensely comfortable, perfect for any player who prides themselves on their first touch and despite the simplistic design, they look hella cool – but especially in black.
One for refereeing officials, the old guard and hipsters alike, there's simply nothing like the Copa Mundial football cleats, no matter how many times Adidas reinvent the wheel.
For the sheer comfort, nostalgia and reliability, it's virtually impossible to top these brilliant cleats, which still look as wonderful now as they did on black and white TV sets. The Adidas Copa Mundial is an icon – and if you're a soccer nerd, you deserve a pair of these at least once in your lifetime. You can have them in any colour: so long as it's black.
2006 was a simpler time (unless your name is Marco Materazzi). A time of Gnarls Barkley, Daniel Craig in Casino Royale and Zinedine Zidane rolling back the years to pirouette around the world… wearing Adidas Predator Pulse cleats.
You can still get them. Adi have re-released the Pulses complete with a more robust heel but otherwise true to the original design, from the oversized tongue and soft leather body to the three stripes wrapping under the sole and the instep panels that resemble scratch marks left by claws. It's one of the most beautiful cleats in history – and available in brand new colourways.
They're made of the softest leather and the tongue is pure nostalgia on these beauties. And as for the "9" insignia on the heel… Pippo has been immortalised with this instant classics.
Nike Air Zoom Mercurial Vapor XV Elite FG(Image credit: Nike)
Nike Air Zoom Mercurial Superfly IX Elite FG(Image credit: Nike)
The white ones were pretty – but these ones are something else. The Nike Air Zoom Mercurial cleats are streamlined, packed with tech and extremely sleek: all black, just like all the best cleats used to be, except for Nike's trademark Volt colour in places here and there.
There are two of these beauties, too – the Superfly and the Vapor. The Vapor is the classic, while the Superfly is the one with the ankle support on. Both of them are absolutely stunning.
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.
