Best Cleats for Turf

The NFL Musculoskeletal Committee has coordinated extensive research on athletic shoe safety and performance. The committee has developed laboratory tests that evaluate which cleats best permit release on synthetic turf during potentially injurious loading.

The NFL Musculoskeletal Committee has coordinated extensive research on athletic shoe safety and performance. The committee has developed laboratory tests that evaluate which cleats best permit release on synthetic turf during potentially injurious loading.

The results of those tests are set forth on the poster below, and shared with NFL players, in addition to club medical, training, coaching and equipment staffs to help inform players’ selection of footwear. Other factors, in addition to the results of this study, should be considered by players when choosing cleats, including fit, shoe structure, comfort, durability, player position and the player’s medical history.

The laboratory test conditions were intended to represent potentially injurious lower extremity loading in the NFL. Therefore, the results of this study should not be extrapolated beyond the NFL, including to collegiate, high school or youth football.

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