Although in ESSC Turf Soccer leagues, we umbrella all of our facilities under the term ‘Turf’, there is actually a pretty significant difference in the turf material used between facilities. I’ve explained these differences below, which will help me explain to you what type of shoe you should wear and why.
Astroturf:
Astroturf consists of two parts; dense, artificial grass blades and the mat to which they are attached. Normal soccer cleats will not bode well for you on Astroturf because cleats are designed to penetrate the ground surface for traction; on Astroturf, the turf mat is impermeable and cleats will provide pretty poor traction.
In ESSC Leagues, the Edmonton Soccer Centers, Millennium, and Leduc all use Astroturf. Not only do we not recommend using normal soccer cleats for the reasons above, but the facilities themselves actually won’t allow it. Why? Because normal soccer cleats can actually wear down and cause damage to the Astroturf. Here, we recommend wearing indoor turf soccer shoes. They have hard outsoles that feature dense, raised threads; these threads are shallower than the studs on normal soccer cleats and they are designed to hold onto the dense turf.
Artificial Grass:
Unlike Astroturf, artificial grass uses an infill material in the mat, giving the surface far more cushioning and acts more like artificial earth than just a rubber mat. The infill, made of materials such as sand and rubber crumbs, provides you with better traction, more shock absorption, and natural footing.
In ESSC Leagues, both Commonwealth and Athlete’s Nation use artificial grass, not Astroturf. Although players are welcome to wear indoor turf shoes at these facilities, we actually highly recommend wearing normal soccer cleats. Why? Because the artificial grass is thick enough that cleats dig in similar to real earth/grass, giving you better traction and more natural footing during your game. Indoor turf shoes will actually hinder your traction on artificial grass, giving you a slight disadvantage in your footing and ball control.
