At some point as a shot-stopper, you may have wondered what football boots are best for goalkeeping.
Now don’t get me it’s very important that goalies are great with their hands, whether that be saving shots or coming to claim a ball from across.
However, with where the football game is now there is now a big focus on what they do with there feet.
With the top teams in the big leagues, the players who play in goal are seeing much more of the ball.
Therefore, they must be great with their feet.
Something that wasn’t necessarily needed in a goalkeeper years ago.
So if you play this position to have some quality footwear is therefore quite important.
Especially if you are playing more of a sweeper-keeper or role.
Where your club likes to build up play from right from the back.
Since this is a commonly asked question, I thought I would produce this guide on football boots for goalkeepers while including some nice pairs for you to check out.
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What To Look For In Goalkeeper Football Boots?
When looking for boots for a goalkeeper, you ultimately need to think about several factors and aspects.
One of the worst approaches a goalkeeper could make is to pick up any old boot.
Just for the sake of it being boots with studs on them.
Out there, you have boots that are made to help all positions better themselves.
So no matter if you are a midfielder who sees a lot of the ball or someone in goal who doesn’t see it much, it’s still key to carefully pick out boots that suit you.
Before we look at the football boots that I have found to be of great quality and worn by top goalkeepers in the game right now, I will go through some questions to help you out.
Type Of Goalkeeper?
When you play in goal for a team, your manager likely evaluates your strengths and weaknesses to set up a tactic that will work.
If you are a natural with the ball at your feet, your manager may opt for a tactic that includes building up from the back.
Now, if you not as comfortable, then the opposite may be suggested, which is to clear your lines and play safely at all times.
With these two roles, you have two potential types of boots to consider.
For sweeper keepers, a boot that concentrates on control of the ball and has a good grip is the type of boot you want to scour the market for.
The other type of keeper, which is clearing your lines and eliminating any risk of a dodgy pass that could lead to a goal, focuses more on striking the ball.
Instead of a boot primarily about passing and control, you ideally want some that help you strike the ball as clean as possible.
Of which, there are plenty of boots out there that will aid that department.
Your Budget
Another question to ask yourself is how much am I willing to spend on goalkeeping boots.
Now for goalkeepers, the priority always goes to the keeper gloves.
That is, the piece of gear that is going to help you save shots and parry/punch the ball out of danger.
So you might have a budget where your only allocating a small amount to the boots.
Or you might be someone who cares a lot about your footwear.
To help you narrow down your options having a price you are willing to go up to will help you find football boots you want quicker.
Surface
Another aspect that I think is crucial is the surface and having football boots made for the one you plan on playing on.
While some keepers may not see the ball at their feet as much as other players when called upon, they need to either pass accurately or clear their lines effectively.
If you are using football boots on the wrong surface, you risk losing your footing and injury when smashing the ball downfield.
A straightforward question to ask yourself is what surface will you be playing most of your football over the next season?
Will it be on either a wet or muddy pitch? If so, go with the soft ground boots that I will list later on.
If you play in a summer league or mild conditions, then the firm ground version is the best fit for you.
Maybe you have the luxury of playing on a crisp artificial pitch?
If that is the case, then sorting the results of boots by for 3g pitches or astro turf if its 2g is the route to go down.
With some commonly asked questions out the way, let’s get what football boots are best for goalkeeping with my list of the top 8 I was able to find.
1) Copa Sense.1
Copa Sense.1 football boots are an excellent choice for goalkeepers as they include technology to give you a compact fit but great control of the ball.
These football boots come with Kangaroo leather and fusion skin upper.
Which gives you a great feel for your feet and the football. It also allows you to control the ball effortlessly.
On the inside of the boots, you have a cushioned heel with foam pods that is put in for maximum comfort.
All in all, if you are a goalkeeper looking for a boot that looks class.
But also ones that put aspects like your touch first, then the Copa Sense 1.1 are worth considering.
These are also worn by top-rated keepers such as David De Gea, Manuel Neuer, Peter Gulasci and Neto.
2) Adidas Predator Freak+
The Adidas Predator Freak+, which have a look that is sure to intimidate opposition forwards, is another great football boot for keepers.
This set of Adidas football boots concentrate again on the control of the ball.
Made with Demonskin 2.0, you have a set of textured yellow spikes around the boot’s upper.
These spikes put footballers in control by helping you grip the ball while also allowing you to dictate the direction of the ball when striking it.
A mutated silhouette also gives you great comfort while inside the football boots.
That is because they feature a cushioning two-piece sock construction.
With an interesting design, it serves as no surprise that players like Pogba are wearing them.
As for goalkeepers, you have the likes of Marc Andre Ter Stegen of Barcelona and Donnaruma of AC Milan.
3) Nike Tiempo Legend 8
Moving to Nike’s collection, we have the Tiempo Legend 8’s, which would suit any keepers, including sweeper keepers.
While making a comfortable football boot, they have made a pair of very soft football boots, and you notice that within a few seconds of holding the boots.
With the premium kangaroo leather, the choice of material for the Tiempos.
You have a silky boot that will make bringing the ball down effortless because of the softness of the material.
This while making things comfortable and tight inside the boot to make sure you feel secure thanks to the Flyknit fit tunnel.
Tiempos has been one of the go-to models that keepers have turned to when it comes to Nike football boots.
Familiar shot-stoppers in Thibaut Courtois and Allisson are wearers of these boots.
4) Adidas Predator 19.1
The Adidas Predator 19.1 are a pair of boots designed for control of the ball.
Features such as Controlskin added to these boots help players become more accurate with the ball at their feet.
So if you are a keeper and receive a back pass from your defence, you have the confidence that you will be able to do exactly what you want to do with the ball.
Primeknit technology on the upper of the boots gives you a together feel throughout the whole boots.
5) Nike Phantom GT’s
The phantoms are Nike’s answer to the Adidas predators with their version of a pair of boots built for precision.
On these boots, there is a grippy texture that is generative and what this does is help you gain better control of the ball when it is at your feet.
Wearing these boots is like having a cheat code because the optimized control features give you more time over your opponents and allow you to be ahead of the game.
Like with the Predators, you don’t need to fear making loose touches when the ball is passed back to you as a goalie, as these will allow you to trap the ball efficiently.
6) Nike Phantom VNM
Primarily the Venom model of the Phantoms is made for strikers.
However, from doing some research on these, I found many areas that fit a keepers game.
First off, you have a laceless design that looks great, combined with the black and red colourway.
As for features, these boots are targeted to players who want comfort with the flyknit one-piece construction.
With the injected blades on the midfoot and the laces covered up on the lower half, they combine to give you the ultimate striking football boot.
While goalkeepers are rarely going to be called upon to shoot at a goal.
Being able to strike a ball cleanly and hard when called upon is key.
Whether that be from a goal kick or a ball passed back to you.
So with the ridges and the increased in size striking area, this makes it even easier for you and helps you be more consistent.
7) Mizuno Morelia Neo 3 ß
A fairly expensive football boot that goalkeepers like Jasper Cillessen wear, we have the Mizuno Morelia.
These are Japanese made football boots made to feel light on your feet.
Made with high-quality kangaroo leather that gives you a premium feel for the football.
With a collar that has been knitted with mesh windows, you have a pair of football boots that will feel secure as you move position within your 6-yard box.
8) Puma Future Z 1.1
While most commonly worn by Neymar Jr, these Puma football boots are also worn by two of the best keepers in the world, that being Ederson and Oblak.
Worn by keepers of different playing styles, these boots offer a little of everything.
The fresh design, it is also making these boots hard for players to get their hands on.
Aspects to love about these include the Fusion Fit Band that offers a comfortable fit.
Grip Control Pro tech, which is found at the end of the boot which consists of ridges, also improves ball control.
How Much To Spend On Goalkeeping Boots?
The amount you spend on goalkeeping football boots relies on two aspects.
One is what is your budget and secondly how much you care about the latest technology.
With football boots, brands are striving to make top-end models of boots that will compete with other brands and suit footballers’ needs.
As a result, you have tiers of football boots for each brand.
Where the top ones have all the latest technology, whether that be materials and additional components.
Which unless you’re making lots of money like footballers may not be worth it for you.
The cheaper models have the same design but are made of cheaper materials and don’t have all the top-end boots’ technology.
Now, if your searching for football boots, you’re going to need to figure out early on where or not you want the best boots on the market.
Because for these you are looking at a price range of about £175-300.
However, if you want the Mizuno Morelia Neo, for example, you can get the high tier ones for £275 but the low-end football boots for less than £50.
So ultimately, it depends on both what money you have to invest in your goalkeeping gear and how fussed you are about the newest boots.
Which Goalkeeping Football Boots Should You Choose?
So you have the budget figured out. However, you are still unsure of what football boots to go for.
If that is the case, then I can completely understand.
As when I first started searching for football boots, I was overwhelmed at all potential boots I could buy off the market.
What I therefore suggest is to go through these steps below.
As this is what I do every time I need a brand new pair of footy boots:
- Select out 2/3 pairs of football boots that you like the look of, and you can see yourself wearing on the pitch.
- Once you’re happy with your selections, pick out your sizes and order them online.
- That way, you see them in person, and you can get a good idea by putting them on whether they will be for you.
I recommend this because it’s arguably the easiest way to try out football boots and find your pair faster.
You don’t have to go through the hassle of going to the shop.
Plus once you are done trying the football boots out, you can send the unwanted ones back, getting a refund in the process.
Now Nike and Adidas, I know, have return policies of up to 60 days.
Where no matter the reason, you can send them back if you don’t like them.
However, for other brands and to be sure, it is always worth checking out the policies in place.
You can also check out this guide I made that takes you through what you need to know when buying football boots to help you out further.
Conclusion
If your manager has given you the number #1 shirt for the upcoming season, then this list of football boots will hopefully give you a place to start.
For each of the pairs of boots I have researched, they each offer quality, and with the highest tier versions, they give you a great experience on the pitch.
Before you go, let me know your favourite football boots from the list by dropping a number from 1-8 below!
I am also interested to hear what football boots are best for goalkeeping in your opinion? Do you have any pairs you highly recommend?
If so let me know below along with any questions you may have 🙂
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