What type of shoe should I wear for soccer?

There are two basic categories of soccer shoes: cleats and turf shoes. Cleats work well on wet, muddy, and loose grass surfaces. Cleats with long studs work best in extremely slippery conditions because they dig deep into the surface. Cleats with short studs work best when the field is partially wet but mostly firm. If your soccer league plays on firm fields or artificial grass, buy turf shoes. These are similar to cleats, but they have many small bumps across the bottom rather than large protrusions, giving you the right balance of traction and stability. Consider buying a separate pair of shoes for each kind of playing condition. (This answer provided for NATA by the Saint Louis University Athletic Training Education Program.)