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70 content pages plus our about and trust pages, grouped by section.
Gear by level
- Gear by levelThe full kit list for every age group from U6 through travel club.
- Rec vs travel soccer: what gear actually changesWhat the jump from one session a week to four actually breaks — and what genuinely needs upgrading.
- U11–U12: nine-a-side, and the travel questionAges 10 to 12. Size 4 still, 9v9 format, and the level where travel-club gear diverges sharply from rec.
- U13 and up: size 5, full pitch, adult sizingAge 13 and up. Size 5 ball, 11v11 on a full pitch, and the crossover into adult sizing.
- U6 first kicks: what your kid actually needsAges 3 to 5. Size 3 ball, shin guards, and an honest answer on whether cleats are needed at all.
- U7–U8 rec: the first real kitAges 6 to 8. Still a size 3 ball, but this is where the first real pair of cleats earns its place.
- U9–U10: size 4, seven-a-side, and a goalkeeperAges 8 to 10. The ball goes up to size 4, the format goes to 7v7, and someone has to play in goal.
Soccer Cleats
- adidas Goletto vs Copa vs Predator for kidsadidas's youth lines compared on price, width and purpose, with the Copa as the wide-foot answer.
- Best budget youth soccer cleatsCheap cleats that are actually worth buying, and exactly what each step up in price buys you.
- Best indoor soccer shoes for kidsNon-marking indoor picks from U7 up, why turf shoes will not do, and what a futsal season needs.
- Best laceless soccer cleats for kidsNo-laces options for kids who cannot tie them yet, plus the width catch and the free fix for laced cleats.
- Best soccer cleats for 10 year oldsWhere rec and travel picks diverge, sorted by width and surface, with the honest case for spending more.
- Best soccer cleats for 11 and 12 year oldsWhere position starts affecting cleat choice, plus the honest case for the Academy and Pro tiers at 11–12.
- Best soccer cleats for 4 year oldsPicks for a first U6 season, whether cleats are actually required, and the sizing rule that saves a wasted pair.
- Best soccer cleats for 6 year oldsFirst real cleats for a U7–U8 rec season, sorted by foot width, with the laces problem solved.
- Best soccer cleats for 8 year oldsCleat picks for an 8 year old by foot width and surface, plus when the step up in price is actually worth it.
- Best toddler soccer cleatsGenuine toddler sizing, the laceless options, and an honest answer on whether cleats are needed at all.
- Best youth soccer cleats for flat feetWhat a cleat can and cannot do about arch support, and which models give the most room and stability.
- Best youth soccer cleats for wide feetWhich lines genuinely run wide, which only claim to, and why sizing up makes a width problem worse.
- Best youth turf soccer shoesTurf shoe picks by age and width, and why the turf outsole does more for comfort than any upper.
- Firm ground vs turf vs artificial grass cleatsThe FG, AG, TF and MG decision table, whether one pair can cover a mixed schedule, and the cost of guessing wrong.
- How should kids' soccer cleats fit?The thumb's-width rule and four hands-on fit checks — because asking a kid whether shoes fit does not work.
- How to break in soccer cleatsFive steps to break cleats in without blisters, and why the water trick is a bad idea on modern uppers.
- How to clean soccer cleatsThe five-minute post-game routine, how to deal with turf pellets, and the two drying mistakes that wreck a pair.
- Nike Mercurial vs Tiempo vs Phantom for youth playersNike's three youth lines compared on width, weight and what each is actually built for.
- Soccer cleats for Sever's disease and heel painWhat footwear can and cannot do about a sore heel, with cushioning-first picks. Cited medical context, not medical advice.
- Soccer vs football vs baseball cleats for kidsWhich cleat swaps between sports are allowed, which are refused, and why the toe stud is the whole answer.
- When to replace kids' soccer cleatsThe four signs a pair is finished, how often replacement actually happens, and what to check every two months.
- Youth soccer cleat size chartUS, EU and centimeter conversions with approximate ages, plus how each brand's junior sizing actually runs.
Soccer Balls
- Best indoor and futsal soccer balls for kidsFutsal ball picks by age, why the low bounce matters, and how futsal sizing differs from outdoor.
- Best size 3 soccer ballsSize 3 picks for U6 through U8, the bladder difference that matters, and why you need a pump.
- Best size 4 soccer ballsSize 4 picks for U9 through U12, and the point where a match-quality ball starts earning its money.
- Best size 5 soccer ballsSize 5 picks for U13 upward, including budget options, and why quality finally justifies itself here.
- How to choose a soccer ball for your kidThree checks in order — size, bladder, where it lives — and what you can safely ignore below U12.
- Size 3 vs size 4 soccer ballThe U9 cutoff, what changes at the transition, and when to start practicing with the bigger ball.
- Size 4 vs size 5 soccer ballThe U13 cutoff, the real weight difference, and how to prepare for the last ball-size change there is.
Shin Guards
- Best kids' shin guards with ankle protectionStrapped guards with ankle protection for U6 to U11, and why that is the right style for young players.
- Best slip-in shin guards for kidsSlip-in and sleeve picks for U10 upward, what they give up in protection, and the sock that stops them sliding.
- Do you need shin guards for indoor soccer?Whether indoor leagues require guards, why the smaller pitch argues for them, and what style to wear.
- How to put on shin guard sleevesThe right order for sleeve and slip-in guards, and the mistake that makes them slide mid-game.
- How to stop shin guards from slippingThe three real causes of slipping guards and the fixes in order — starting with the one nobody checks.
- Slip-in vs ankle shin guardsThe protection trade-off stated plainly, the age the answer flips, and the sleeve option in between.
- Youth shin guard size chartThe height-based size chart, how high guards should go, and the crouch test that confirms the fit.
Backyard Goals & Rebounders
- Best backyard soccer goals for teens8x5 and larger goals that survive a teenager, and why anchoring matters more as the goal gets bigger.
- Best pop-up soccer goalsPortable pop-up picks for U6 to U10, honest about the narrow age window where they work.
- Best soccer rebounders for kidsRebounder picks by age and yard size, and why a rebounder often beats a goal as the first purchase.
- How to anchor a backyard soccer goal safelyThe CPSC tipover figures, the anchor types that work on grass and hard surfaces, and how to secure a goal not in use.
- How to build a backyard soccer goalBuilding a PVC goal or rebounder, where DIY beats buying, and the safety rules that still apply.
- Soccer goal vs rebounder: which first?The decision table for goal versus rebounder, the combined units, and the case for waiting.
- What size backyard soccer goal do you need?Goal size by player age and by yard, the run-up measurement people skip, and official sizes for reference.
Goalkeeper Gear
- Best budget youth goalie glovesCheap glove picks for a rotating rec keeper, and exactly what the budget tier gives up.
- Best youth goalie gloves with finger protectionFinger-protection picks for a regular keeper, what the spines do, and how to size gloves properly.
- Goalie gloves with or without finger protectionThe injury finger spines prevent, the feel they cost, and a decision table for which kids need them.
- How to wash goalie glovesThe washing and drying routine that extends latex grip, and the one mistake that cracks a palm.
- Why do soccer goalies wear gloves?The three reasons keepers wear gloves, what a young keeper needs, and what the position actually asks.
- Youth goalie glove size chartGlove sizes by age and palm measurement, plus the fist test that tells you whether the fit works.
Team Kit & Bags
- Are grip socks worth it for youth soccer?What grip socks actually do, when the cost pays off, and why they are hard to justify below U12.
- Best gifts for youth soccer playersGift ideas sorted by how much you know about the kid — and what to avoid buying without a size.
- Best soccer bags for kidsBag picks by age, the one feature worth insisting on, and why adult team bags do not work on kids.
- Best youth soccer practice jerseysPractice jersey picks, the sizing catch that catches everybody, and why two is the right number.
- Best youth soccer socksSock picks that actually hold slip-in shin guards, plus whether grip socks are worth the money.
- Youth soccer gifts under $50Budget gift ideas that actually get used, sorted by what you know about the kid. No tat.
- Youth soccer jersey sizingWhy jerseys run small, whether to size up, how much they shrink, and what to do mid-growth-spurt.
Gear hubs
- Backyard soccer goals and reboundersPop-up goals, rebounders and teen-sized goals — plus the CPSC anchoring guidance you need to read first.
- Cleat & ConeYouth soccer gear guides organized by age and level.
- Goalkeeper gear for young playersGloves with and without finger protection, the size chart by age, and how to keep the grip alive.
- Shin guards for youth soccerSlip-in versus ankle protection, the size chart, and how to stop guards sliding round the leg.
- Soccer ball size by age — and which ball to buyThe official size-by-age chart, plus picks for size 3, size 4, size 5 and indoor futsal.
- Socks, bags and the rest of the kitSocks, bags, practice jerseys, grip socks and gift ideas — the kit that gets bought last and matters more than expected.
- Youth soccer cleats, by age and by footAge-by-age cleat picks, plus wide feet, flat feet, heel pain, turf, indoor and sizing.
About & trust
- About Cleat & ConeWhy the site is organized by level, and who writes it.
- Affiliate disclosureHow this site is funded.
- ContactReach us — corrections especially welcome.
- Editorial policyAuthorship, updates and corrections.
- FAQThe questions parents ask most, answered in one place.
- How we pickThe method, stated plainly, including what we do not do.
- PrivacyWhat we collect and what we do not.
- SitemapEvery page on the site, grouped by section.
- Terms of useTerms of use for this site.
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