The best advice that we can give a player is to be conscious about their choice of footwear on a daily basis. As an athlete, your contact point with the ground is everything. A race car driver needs to choose the right tires to win the race, a skier chooses the correct skis for the event,  just as we need to find the right shoe for our conditions.

This is all too simple of a concept but it is very difficult for youth and high school players to process. I agree with "look good, feel good, play good," but not at the expense of performance and safety. You know what's cool? Playing your best and staying healthy. Choose function and performance first, then pick the shoe that looks the best. 

*Check the weather on a daily basis

Turf or Grass?

What's the Grass Like?

Will you be inside? If so where?

Be ready for all of these possibilities and know which shoe you want to wear in each case. Even pack multiple pairs of cleats if you are travelling. Once you get to the field you can then make the best decision.

The right footwear helps to prevent injury. When you make contact with the ground there is a great deal of force applied to both the ground and your body. How the force of that impact is received makes a world of difference on our bodies. Trying to find the perfect mixture of cushioning, stability and traction for your playing surface is key. Not all cleats or sneakers are good for all surfaces. 

There are some dichotomies to be considered so there is not a perfect recommendation for everyone. Being aware of what to look for that is important. Some things to think about are:

• Too much traction with no give can cause knee injuries, not enough will have you slipping and falling. 
• Limited cushioning allows you to apply maximum force to the ground but the constant pounding can create shin splints.
• Too much ankle stability in a shoe limits dynamic movement on change of direction, not enough can lead to twisted ankles. 

An athletes contact point with the ground dictates that amount of force they can apply to each step or each cut. With your choice of footwear, you should be conscious of this. With each slip and slide, there is a loss of power and efficiency that will play out for the duration of the practice or game.  This goes for sizing as well. When your foot slides within the shoe, you are losing force that can be applied to runs and cuts. Keeping your foot locked in place within the shoe or cleat will allow you to apply maximum force to the movement. Another downside to sliding around within a shoe is the friction that it creates. With friction comes blisters.

Traction characteristics between a shoe and a surface can be quantified for either linear or rotational motions. Although linear traction is necessary for high-level performance during any athletic contest, it is generally accepted that excessive rotational traction may precipitate ankle and knee injuries.... It has been observed the number and size of cleats on a shoe are correlated with the occurrence of ankle and knee injuries in American football, with less aggressive cleats producing fewer injuries. - read more

Rotational stiffness of shoes was found to be significantly different between the Nike Air Zoom (A) and the Nike Flyposite (B).