The Grand Guide To Futsal And Indoor Football Shoes - 2024
Last updated: October, 2024
The indoor season is upon us, and it’s time to swap your football boots with studs for indoor shoes with non-marking soles. In this article, you will get a comprehensive overview of indoor shoes and gear, along with other essential information to help you dominate the indoor and futsal pitches!
Why is it important to have indoor football gear?
Playing indoor football is a completely different game compared to playing outdoor football - tactically, technically, and physically - and the right gear will help you perform at your best and reduce the risk of injury. That’s why having the right indoor gear is crucial whenever you step onto thw indoor court.
What is the difference between indoor shoes, football boots, and sneakers?
The biggest difference between indoor football shoes and regular football boots lies in the outsole. Indoor shoes are made with flat, non-marking rubber outsoles, which provides better traction and grip. Compared to regular sneakers, which also have flat outsoles, indoor shoes provide way better traction, due to the special rubber that normal sneakers may lack. The non-marking part of the indoor shoes’ outsoles is actually a requirement in some countries, as a regular sneaker could damage indoor court surfaces - so wearing a sneaker might get you kicked off the pitch.
Worth noticing: When looking for indoor shoes, you should be looking for shoes including either IC, IN or IT in the product name, as that refers to the type of outsole.
The upper material also sets indoor shoes apart from football boots and sneakers. Indoor football shoes typically feature lightweight, durable uppers made from leather, synthetic materials, or mesh. This enhances ball control and comfort, offering closer contact with the ball during fast-paced indoor play. Some indoor shoes even have a special textured front of the upper to improve ball control further. These materials are also chosen for improving durability.
Why is it important to have indoor football shoes?
- Traction: Indoor football demands sudden stops, quick turns, and lateral movements. Indoor football shoes, with their non-marking rubber outsoles, offer the right balance of grip and flexibility to handle these movements effectively and reduce the risk of slipping.
- Support and Stability: Futsal involves rapid, multidirectional movements. Indoor football shoes are built with reinforced structures to provide ankle stability and midfoot support, preventing injuries such as ankle sprains during swift changes of direction.
- Ball Control: Indoor football shoes feature low-profile soles, allowing the player’s foot to stay closer to the ball. This design improves control and precision, essential for the fast-paced, close-quarter nature of futsal.
- Durability: Indoor football shoes are built to withstand the abrasive surfaces of indoor courts, like synthetic or polished floors. The materials used in futsal shoes ensure they maintain grip and structure over time.
As mentioned earlier, wearing the right indoor gear helps you to perform at your best, and avoid injuries. Especially the latter about injuries is true, when it comes to indoor shoes. So let’s just underline: Wearing a regular sneaker, or a pair of football boots with studs, is never a good idea for indoor football.
Which indoor shoes should you pick?
Whether it be futsal, or the more traditional form of indoor football, you are probably already looking into which indoor shoes to pick. Should you pick an indoor shoe from Nike’s innovative silos, or the Spanish kings of indoor football, Joma - or go old school with the adidas Spezial? We can’t make the choice for you, but we can help you well on the way with this overview of the indoor football shoe selection here at Unisport.
There are two different roads to go, when picking out the right indoor shoe:
- If you play football outside and already have a preferred football boot silo, that you love and never would leave, we recommend you rely on them too, when selecting your indoor football shoe.
- If you either want the premium choice, only play futsal and indoor football, or you don’t have any particular dedication to a certain football boot silo - then we would advise you to look towards the more traditional indoor football shoes.
Besides the overview of different kinds of indoor shoes, you will also find an introduction to other football gear that is important for playing indoor football and futsal.
Joma Indoor Football Shoes
Joma’s indoor football shoes are by many considered the very best available. Since springing into existence in 1965, sports shoes have been part of Joma’s expertise right from the get-go and they, therefore, have plenty of knowledge and experience to rely on.
Joma is a worthy bearer of the title “Futsal specialists” and their Joma Top Flex is without doubt some of the best shoes on the market. But Joma offers a lot of interesting indoor and futsal shoes, such as the Joma LIGA and Joma Regate, which both also do a great job.
We think you should dive into our assortment of Joma indoor shoes via the link below, and explore the Futsal shoes specialists’ assortment.
Last, but important note: Please be aware that Joma’s indoor football shoes sometimes run a bit large, so we would consider going a half or full size down.
Nike Indoor Football Shoes
Nike has established itself as a dominant player in the indoor and futsal shoe market in recent years. Nike’s innovative and futsal-specific Gato series, is engineered to handle the unique demands of small-sided indoor games. So let’s take a quick look at Nike indoor shoes below.
The innovative and futsal-specific Gato series, we are referring to, are Nike’s modern fan favourites Nike Streetgato , Nike Lunargato and Nike React Gato. They are all made with indoor football and futsal in mind, but each one offers something unique and different, that you can read more about on each product. These three silos have made Nike indoor shoes worth taking very seriously.
Besides the indoor-specific shoes, Nike are also offering indoor versions of their football boot silos for outdoor pitches. That means, you are able to directly transfer your experience from the pitch to the indoor court:
Check out the indoor versions of the football boot silos in the Nike Mad Ambition pack.
adidas Indoor Football Shoes
adidas has been part of the centre stage for shoes for indoor football and futsal for many years. In fact, they might offer one of the most legendary indoor shoes ever! So let’s dive into the highlights of adidas indoor shoes.
When it comes to indoor shoes, then you simply can’t (and won’t want to) ignore the adidas Spezial. This shoe has been the universally acknowledged king of indoor courts for years. Originally designed as a handball shoe, the world of indoor football quickly discovered how soft and supple its suede upper was. The comfort, the touch, and the ball feel - there's a reason you always see the Spezial on indoor courts.
Another great choice is the adidas Sala indoor shoes. These are adidas’ dedicated indoor court shoes, and they come in a variety of cool colourways each year. Besides the nice design, they’re made to help you perform at the top level of your futsal game. Worth a look for sure!
Besides the indoor and futsal shoes made for indoor play, you can also find a wide selection of adidas indoor shoes based on the popular silos from outdoor football. If you already play in adidas football boots, then you might already know the silos - but nonetheless, here there are listed:
If you want to match your indoor shoes with your outdoor football boots, luckily you are able to find indoor shoes in the adidas Vivid Horizon pack too.
PUMA Indoor Football Shoes
PUMA might not invest as much in indoor shoes as other brands, but they still offer great indoor shoes that are quite popular. Below, you will get a quick introduction to the small, but interesting assortment of PUMA indoor shoes.
PUMA Ibero is the name of PUMA’s top indoor shoes. PUMA Ibero are specifically developed for indoor football and futsal, and with the soft suede and the classic rubber sole, PUMA Ibero has the typical characteristics of a futsal shoe.
Another excellent indoor shoe is the freestyle classic PUMA Archive Lite. Right now, it is out of production, sadly - but we know our very own freestyle legend, PWG, are pushing hard to get it back in production, as he is a huge fan of the Archive Lite.
Like the other brands, PUMA also offers a round of indoor shoes, which mimics their popular football boot silos. So if you are a fan of PUMA’s football boots, then you can take them for a ride indoors:
If you are crazy about the PUMA Lights Out colourways for PUMA’s football boots - then you are in luck, as you can shop them as indoor shoes as well!
New Balance Indoor Football Shoes
New Balance remains a relatively new player on the indoor football scene, and they are not offering the biggest assortment on the market. However, that has not stopped them from developing one of the most critically acclaimed indoor shoes on the market. Let’s dive into the New Balance indoor shoes.
New Balance poster-boy is of course the New Balance Audazo indoor shoe. The silos are inspired by running shoes to promote better comfort, and aesthetically they also look like casual sneakers. They are extremely popular, and we understand why! Here at Unisport, we actually got to make our very own New Balance x Unisport Audazo colourway in 2023. You can watch a quick video about it at the bottom of this page!
Besides the Audazo, New Balance is only offering one more silo of indoor shoes - that is the New Balance 442. We also know the 442 as a football boot for outdoor use - and their popularity and premium comfort, has made New Balance offer them as indoor shoes as well.
Mizuno Indoor Football Shoes
Mizuno is widely considered the king of leather football boots, and they do not disappoint with their line of Mizuno indoor shoes.
Actually, we will go as far as saying that Mizuno Morelia Sala is among the very top in the selection of indoor football shoes, thanks to the leather upper. If you happen to be a fan of Mizuno football boots, then you will also end up happy if you shop for a pair of Mizuno indoor shoes.
Kids Indoor Football Shoes
Many kids enjoy playing on indoor courts during the winter season, when most outdoor pitches are unusable for training sessions and matches. Indoor football is not only a really fun and alternative way to play football during the colder months - but it also offers a great opportunity to develop the technical skills of football. Something that can come in handy, when moving to outdoor football again. That’s why having the right equipment is essential!
Fortunately, most of the brands mentioned above offer indoor shoes for kids. Some brands even offer the specific futsal shoes for kids, such as Nike Streetgato for kids and adidas Sala for kids. Most brands also offer the indoor versions of the football boot silos that we know from outdoor football. This means kids can still feel like the biggest football stars in the world, such as Kylian Mbappe or Lionel Messi, while running around and playing on the indoor court.
Indoor and Futsal Footballs
Playing with the correct indoor footballs, when playing indoor football and futsal might be just as important as wearing the right indoor football shoes. This is due to the indoor pitches being significantly harder than outdoor grass pitches. The hard surface makes most players prefer a slightly softer bounce, to offer a greater level of control - and that is why, most footballs made for futsal or indoor football, offer a softer bounce or simply less bounce, than a normal football.
Among the brands offering footballs for indoor football, you will find the Danish brand, Select. Select, who is considered one of the world’s leading producers of footballs, are offering high-quality footballs for indoor football and futsal - and they are not just offering one version for indoor football, but multiple different versions, that each offer something unique and different, in terms of weight and bounce.
The difference between footballs for indoor football and futsal
While you are able to use the same shoes for indoor football and futsal, then there are differences to find when it comes to the footballs. The indoor footballs compared to futsal footballs might differ in terms of size, weight and material.
- Size: Indoor footballs are similar to the size of footballs for outdoor use, thus being a size 5 (on some occasions, you’ll meet a size 4, ie. kids indoor football), while footballs for futsal are always equal to a size 4, and therefore smaller than a “normal” football.
- Weight: Weight is probably the most important difference, as futsal footballs are heavier than indoor footballs. Thus futsal footballs demand the players to be more technical and have better ball control, as the added weight means a reduced bounce.
- Material: The difference in weight already indicates that there are differences in material between footballs for indoor football and futsal. But another important difference is that futsal footballs often have a softer outer material, which further reduces the bounce of the ball and enhances the ball control.
Indoor Football Equipment
When playing indoor football, or futsal, the right equipment can significantly enhance your performance and comfort. So we’ve gathered a list of things that are essential to bring for your next indoor football match.
- Water bottle - Staying hydrated is a must during intense futsal and indoor matches. The smaller court size and fast-paced gameplay mean you're constantly on the move, and proper hydration helps maintain energy levels, prevent cramps, and improve concentration.
- Training wear - Wearing breathable, moisture-wicking training T-shirts and training shorts helps keep you dry and ventilated during matches. Indoor football and futsal's intense nature causes players to sweat more, and proper training wear prevents discomfort, allowing you to focus on the game.
- Grip socks - Maintaining solid traction on the indoor court is vital, and grip socks provide the extra grip inside your indoor shoes to help with quick turns and explosive sprints. They reduce slippage inside the shoe, improving stability, balance, and agility during high-intensity movements.
- Unisport laces - Adding a bit of flair to your game with the Unisport laces is a fun way to stand out on the court. Beyond aesthetics, our high-quality laces also ensure a secure fit for your shoes, so you don’t suddenly make a fool of yourself by tripping and falling on the hard indoor surface.
Get your team ready for indoor football
Through our Teamsport module you can design and customise your own team kit. Creating a custom team kit not only builds team identity but also boosts the team’s morale during the long winter.
And there you have it..! This was Unisport’s complete guide to indoor football - from indoor shoes and equipment to tips for staying comfortable and agile on the court. As you gear up for the indoor season, make sure you have the right tools to perform at your best and avoid injuries. Whether this guide has helped you selecting the perfect pair of indoor shoes or inspired you to add a personal touch with custom team kits and vibrant laces, every detail counts when it comes to dominating the futsal pitch. So, lace up and conquer the indoor season!
Watch a video with the Limited Edition Unisport x New Balance Audazo indoor shoe here!