Laces or Laceless for kids’ football boots – which is better?

With back-to-school shopping upon us and the new football season about to begin soon, many parents and kids get into the age old debate – laceless versus laced boots – which is better?

We don’t have to keep telling you about the problem of laces coming undone during sport - we’ve created an entire business from it! However that’s not to say we’re anti laces or in fact against laceless options too. There are a number of factors to consider for your child before you hand over your hard earned dosh for those shiny new boots.

In this article we discuss the pros and cons of laceless football boots versus laced boots for kids.

Laceless Football Boots for Kids

Laceless boots are not just an option for children but some of the pro footballers are now wearing them too. You only have to wander into Sports Direct (other retailers are available!) to see the growing popularity of laceless football boots.

I think we all agree that laceless boots aesthetically look sleeker and many believe the cleaner striking surface aids better ball control. Less surface area when striking the ball makes the feeling on the ball more natural – often referred to as hitting the “sweet spot”. The jury is out on whether laceless football boots improve player performance or not but it’s easy to see the appeal for children (and parents!). Be careful though as laceless football boots often come with a higher price tag.

How do laceless football boots work?

Laceless football boots have an elasticated tongue sitting on top of the boot that basically allows the foot to get into the boot. This has to stretch so you can get your foot in and when they’re new this can be tricky for kids to do unaided. The not so tight fit of laceless boots has been known to cause heel movement and this can cause painful blisters.

The main issue for kids is that not all children’s feet are the same width and over time the laceless boots can loosen their grip. The longevity of a pair of kids’ laceless boots is often much shorter because once they have gone slack they aren’t much use. Unless of course you have a handy pair of laceeze to keep them fitting snug all season!

We would recommend taking your child to try them on in a store (I know, so old fashioned - right?) because if you’re lucky enough to find a great fitting laceless boot then you’ll be thankful you paid the extra bucks for them.

Laced Football Boots for Kids

More traditional laced boots are great in terms of fit because obviously they can be adjusted much more easily to the width of the foot. Manufacturers often refer to the “lockdown” of the boot on the foot – basically the tightness of the boot around the foot. When you have a conventional lacing system and you pull it tighter, the upper wraps the foot and pushes it down on the outsole and that helps prevent the foot moving forward. This gives the boot a much snugger overall fit and reduces rubbing. Less chance of pesky blisters!

Are laced football boots cheaper?

There are also currently more options in terms of laced football boot styles available for children and they are usually cheaper too. Laceless boots have more innovative technology so the price often reflects that. However, and this is where we come in, childrens’ laces come undone during sport and this can be disruptive to training drills and more importantly during match play. Laces coming undone time and time again is also one of the main frustrations for grassroots’ coaches!

The laced area is obviously never going to be as smooth as the laceless style so players often use our laceeze bands to flatten down the offending area, which also demarks their striking spot.

How do Laceeze bands help?

Our patented laceeze bands can give you the best of both worlds. If you have laced boots then our unique ribbed grip technology prevent the laces coming undone and if you have laceless boots then the durable silicon sheaf helps mould the boots to your child’s foot even when they begin to loosen.

We hope that this article helps a little when choosing your child’s next pair of football boots. We’d love to hear your thoughts and your child could feature in our laceeze hall of fame for rising stars. Please drop us a DM via our Instagram page.

Does your child play enough sport? Have the summer holidays turned them into YouTube addicted sofa sloths? Read our previous article Just a Few Reasons Why Kids Should Play Sport to help inspire them and you to get them back into physical activity.

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Laceeze are determined to make sport accessible to all children in the UK. Read more about the Laceeze Foundation here >>

What are Laceeze Bands? Designed in the UK and made from the highest quality silicon, laceeze bands prevent laces from coming undone and also help laceless boots keep their foot grip. They are easy to fit to any boot or training shoe in seconds. With ribbed technology to improve grip around your shoe, laceeze bands are suitable for use on most surfaces except concrete. Explore the range for yourself today and see how Laceeze can up-level your child’s confidence and performance in sport. 25p from the sale of every pair of bands is donated to grassroots sport via The Laceeze Foundation.

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