Do Cleats Make You Faster? | The Real Answer On Speed

Yes, sometimes—cleats improve speed mostly through better grip on grass and turf, with the effect modest and surface-specific.

The short answer to whether cleats make you faster is a qualified yes. Cleats generally won’t boost your raw leg speed, but they can make you quicker on the right surface by improving traction and reducing slippage. This helps most with sprinting, acceleration, and cutting—especially on grass and turf where a stable footing makes a measurable difference.

What The Research On Cleats And Speed Shows

Studies provide a mixed but informative picture. In sprint-running research, performance improved by about 2.6% when athletes wore spiked shoes versus running shoes. Researchers attributed 1.7% of that gain to the cleats themselves and 0.9% to the lower mass of the footwear.

A study of soccer and football cleats found only minor performance differences between the two types. Of 17 performance-associated measurements, just one differed significantly—the out route was faster in football cleats. This suggests the specific cleat design matters less than matching the shoe to the activity.

Football-surface research showed soccer cleats improved turn mechanics because they provided increased translational and rotational traction. Notably, they did not improve straight acceleration compared with indoor shoes on turf—grip matters most when changing direction.

Why Traction Beats Raw Speed

Cleats make you faster by keeping your feet planted. On grass or turf, a cleat digs into the surface, preventing your foot from sliding backward during a sprint start or outward during a cut. That transfer of energy from leg to ground is what produces faster acceleration and sharper directional changes.

The effect is strongest for:

• Short sprints and acceleration from a standstill
• Cutting and change-of-direction movements
• Braking and deceleration on soft or slick surfaces

On hard, dry, or artificial surfaces, the benefit shrinks. Indoor shoes or trainers may perform just as well for straight-line running, since there’s less give in the surface to grip into.

When Cleats Won’t Make You Faster

Cleats don’t reliably help in every situation. The wrong surface match can reduce traction and alter your mechanics, potentially increasing injury risk. Wearing long metal studs on hard ground, for instance, can leave you unstable and slower than you’d be in proper footwear.

Common Mistakes That Kill The Advantage

• Assuming all cleats boost top speed equally—design and fit vary widely
• Using a cleat type not designed for the field, which reduces grip
• Treating lab-measured improvements as guaranteed game-speed gains
• Ignoring comfort and fit, which can offset any traction benefit

Fit matters as much as the cleats themselves. Studies showing benefits tested athletes in controlled settings with properly fitted, surface-appropriate footwear. A loose or uncomfortable cleat that alters your stride will cost more speed than the traction gains.

Does Cleat Position Affect Cycling Speed?

Cycling research offers a related insight. Two separate studies on cleat-position changes found no significant difference in sprint performance, even though joint angles at the hip, knee, and ankle changed noticeably. The authors of both studies flagged possible overuse-injury implications from altered kinematics. For cyclists, cleat position is more about comfort and joint health than raw speed.

If you’re looking to upgrade your footwear for speed, focus on matching the cleat to your surface and sport first. A well-fitted cleat designed for your activity will help you accelerate and cut faster on grass or turf. For hard courts and gym floors, stick with trainers or indoor shoes.

For tested recommendations across sports, check out our roundup of the best cleats for speed and traction.

Key points to remember: cleats help most on grass and turf for sprinting, acceleration, and direction changes; the effect on straight-line speed is modest; and the wrong cleat-surface match can hurt both performance and safety. Buy for your sport and surface, prioritize fit, and the traction advantage will follow.