What shoes for 5v5 and indoor soccer?
By the Poteau Team · updated
IN SHORT
For 5v5 on turf, get turf shoes (TF): a rubber sole covered in small nubs. Indoors on a hardwood or hard floor, flat-soled indoor shoes (IN). Screw-in metal studs are banned almost everywhere. On Poteau in France, more than 3 games in 4 are played at a 5v5 center. So TF covers most of it.
Where you'll actually play
Venue | Share of games | Surface | Shoes |
|---|---|---|---|
5v5 center | more than 3 in 4 | turf, often covered | TF |
Stadium, sports complex | over 1 in 10 | turf or grass | TF, AG or FG |
Gym | under 1 in 20 | hard floor | IN |
Soccer games played on Poteau in France in recent months, sorted by venue name.
Careful with the word “indoor.” A covered 5v5 field is usually turf under a roof. Not a hardwood court.
The letters, decoded
TF (turf). Rubber sole with dozens of small nubs. Made for the short turf of 5v5 fields. Also fine on an outdoor court.
IN (indoor), sometimes IC. Flat gum sole, often light so it doesn't mark the floor. For gyms and futsal. On turf, it slips.
AG (artificial grass). Lots of short molded studs. For full-size turf fields.
FG (firm ground). Longer molded studs, for dry grass. Too tall for the short turf of a 5v5 field. Some venues don't allow them.
SG (soft ground). Screw-in studs for wet grass. Not for 5v5.
Why screw-in studs are banned
They tear up the turf. And on a small field, you step on each other's feet more often. Nobody wants a metal stud landing on theirs.
Most venues ban them in their house rules. Some won't let you on the field with them.
7v7 and 8v8 are a different story
On Poteau, games with 14 players or more are mostly played at a stadium or sports complex. About three times in four. Bigger field, often longer grass.
There, AG or FG grip better. Check the venue before you pick your pair.
Only have one pair?
Get TF. They work on almost every 5v5 field, on an outdoor court, and do the job on full-size turf. The only place they're not ideal is a hardwood floor.
Running shoes will do for a first game. But they're not built for quick changes of direction.
Know the surface before you go
Every game on Poteau shows the venue. A dedicated 5v5 center is usually turf, so TF. A gym, IN.
Not sure? Ask in the game chat. The organizer's number is also on their profile before the game.
The Poteau Team