Children's football boots from other brands

Hummel Top Star : the shoe for little ones

Founded in 1923 in Hamburg, the brand with the bumblebee (hummel in German) is now Danish and known for its chevrons. Its Top Star is designed for the youngest, starting from baby sizes: a Velcro closure paired with elastic laces, which allows the child to put on their shoes independently while providing good support.

It comes with molded stud soles for grass, MG for switching between grass and synthetic surfaces, Turf for hard surfaces, and IC for indoors, ready to take the child on all the pitches at football school. The Hattrick rounds out the brand's offering in MG version.

adidas, Puma, Mizuno and the entire children's range

For comparison, adidas children's shoes offer the F50 Hyperfast and Predator, Puma children's shoes include the Future and Ultra, while Mizuno children's shoes feature the Japanese models Morelia and Monarcida. The complete range of children's football shoes gathers all the brands, and the other brands adults page takes over when the child wears adult sizes.

Under Armour, Kappa, Joma, Givova: other approaches

• Under Armour: the American brand founded in 1996 by Kevin Plank, based in Baltimore, offers the Shadow, a molded stud shoe with a sleek design for juniors.
• Kappa: the Turin brand with the Omini, its two back-to-back silhouettes designed in 1978, provides young players with the Kombat Player.
• Joma: the Spanish brand, founded in 1965, presents its Top Flex, a reference in futsal, in a junior indoor version.
• Givova: the Italian brand founded in 2008 in Scafati, Campania, features the Flash, a simple shoe for beginners.

Choosing a sole when the child frequently changes surfaces

A young player often moves from a grass pitch to training on synthetic surfaces, then to the gym in winter. The MG (multi-ground) sole, with its short and numerous studs, is the most versatile outdoors: it grips well on firm grass without sticking the foot in artificial turf.

The Turf soles with studs are suitable for city pitches and hard surfaces, while IC soles with flat rubber are essential indoors, where studs are not appropriate. If the child is to have only one pair, get it for the surface they play on most often.

Good occasions for a beginner's pair

These brands offer accessible models, and special events make them even more affordable: Black Friday, year-end holidays, winter sales, followed by French Days for children in spring and summer sales just before training resumes. Throughout the year, watch for children’s promotions and clearance sales for baby sizes and small sizes, which sell out quickly.

Frequently asked questions

What age can a child wear studs?

From their first steps in football, around three or four years old, if the child plays on grass or synthetic. Choose short molded studs or an MG sole, never screw-ins, and a Velcro closure that they can manage by themselves.

Are baby stud shoes really necessary?

For a toddler kicking a ball in the garden or at the club's football initiation, a shoe with short studs holds better on grass than a trainer. Baby sizes of the Hummel Top Star, with Velcro and elastic laces, are made for these first steps.

Can an indoor shoe be used for five-a-side football?

Only in emergencies: the flat rubber lacks grip on synthetic carpet and wears out quickly on a hard surface. For five-a-side football outdoors or on artificial grass, a Turf sole like that of the Hummel Top Star is a safer choice.

How to dry wet children's shoes?

Remove the insoles, stuff the shoe with newspaper, and change it after a few hours. Avoid radiators and tumble dryers, which distort the upper and detach the sole; overnight at room temperature is usually sufficient.

Should you get a size up to account for growth?

At most half a size. Shoes that are too big can slip off the foot, hinder kicking, and cause blisters; it's better to keep eight to ten millimeters of space and buy a new pair when the toe touches the end.