Sports writer picks out best value indoor football boots on the market

09 November 2023 , 16:01

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There's no guarantee buying a pair of Mundials will make you play like Zidane but you can give it a go (Image: Getty Images)

It's that time of year when football pitches are often waterlogged, frozen or just in a bad way from weeks and weeks of adverse weather conditions.

As a veteran of many, many makeshift five and seven-aside teams, I know how this goes. It's a freezing November evening and you run out onto something resembling an ice rink more than a football pitch and you spend the next hour skating around air kicking everything and committing the worst challenges this side of Roy Keane in a foul mood.

So, the decision is made to haul the game indoors, or even onto an icy-free outdoor synthetic surface, which is great, however you now need to ditch the studs and find something that's compatible with your new home for the next six months. Then you need to decide just what boots you're going to buy, so let me, a somewhat very average but determined five-aside stallwart, guide you on your brand new indoor football shoe.

If you're just starting out and looking to make a name for yourself in your weekly five-aside game then you could do a lot worse than opt for these adidas Predator Accuracy.4. Predators were once the game's ultimate boot worn by Premier League icons like David Beckham and Steven Gerrard and while these aren't the same sleek design they used to be, this indoor pair are marketed towards those beginning their football journey, and at £43 down from £50 they're definitely worth a go.

Do you remember Ronaldinho gracefully gliding across the pitch in World Cup 2002 on his way to humiliating David Seaman and to World Cup glory? Then I'm sure you recall the boot he did it all in. Now, the Nike Mercurial Vapor 15 Academy isn't exactly the same as that iconic boot, that both he and R9 wore in 2002, in fact the new colourway isn't my favourite by a long shot but at £77.95 these are the boots if you want to get in behind the last man and just generally like enjoy others up on the indoor pitch.

Football, 2002 FIFA World Cup Finals, Quarter Finals, Shizuoka, Japan, 21st June 2002, England 1 v Brazil 2, Brazil's Ronaldinho scores the winning goal from a direct free-kick,Credit: POPPERFOTO/JOHN MCDERMOTT (Photo by Bob Thomas Sports Photography via Getty Images) (Bob Thomas Sports Photography via Getty Images)

If you're a bit more seasoned and like the stripped down approach then these adidas Kaiser 5's don't just look the part in that old-school no nonsense way but are actually one of the more robust pairs of indoor boots on the market. However don't just take it from me, several reviewers have submitted glowing write ups of the boots with one saying, "Best pair of football trainers I have ever owned! Comfortable, and they don’t rub." while another added "Had many of these over the years . Still are the best for indoor football."

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Yes they are the real deal, however if there is one downside it's the sizing of the Kaiser 5 with many people noting that buying a size or half size up will save you the pain of limping around the pitch or the annoyance of having to return them. They're also quite pricey currently sitting at £100 so maybe you're on the hunt for something slightly kinder to the wallet, which brings us nicely to the Nike Tiempo Legend 10 which are £49.95 and come in two colourways of White/Crimson and Black/Chrome and Navy.

The kaiser 5 are one of the best looking boots on the market right now

The Tiempo has a glorious history and I remember buying a pair as a teenager after seeing Franceso Totti tearing up Serie A in them for Roma. Now they're not quite the same as they once were but nothing ever looks as good as it did on Totti in the early 2000s, and Nike do say the new Tiempo are "Lighter and sleeker than any other Tiempo to date" and that the "Legend 10 is for any position on the pitch".

Now, I'm not advocating for any journeyman full back to wear a replica of one of the most stylish boots of all time but these are a good fit for anyone who loves a turn of pace and while they're not as nice-looking as they once were they're still a good find at this price. Sticking with adidas, let's say if you're looking for something that will assist you on outdoor astro turf and you've been saving up so don't mind a high price then the X Crazyfast.3 from could be for you.

These come in three colours and run from size three to 13. Reviews on adidas range from the good, with one happy buyer saying, "Worth the money and comfortable. Breaks in pretty easily" while a downfall seem to exist around their width and narrow fit of the boot with one reviewer stating, "Takes some getting used to. Width needs to improved on".

If we're going to finish on a high then you can't really beat adidas Mundial. Worn by the likes of Oliver Kahn, Franco Baresi, Franz Beckenbauer, Lothar Matthaus, Frank Lampard, Zinedine Zidane, Gary Linekar and Eric Cantona, these are perhaps the 'GOAT' of the football boot game, and even if the indoor versions are slightly different to the Copa style worn on the pitch by the greats, it's still the best boot in the business. That said, a pair will set you back £120 and so a cheaper alternative that also does the job could well be on your radar.

Chris Burns