Elevate Your Game: The Best Cleats for 2024
From fishnet dresses to boyfriend blush, the top summer trends are reviving our wardrobes and vanities this season. So why would we neglect our footwear? Like the standout runway fashion that is now touching down on the streets, the 2024 cleat trends will imbue your daily training and match-day ensembles with a fresh reset.
From New York to Paris, cleats have played a key role in themes of countless recent collections. Case in point: In February in Manhattan, Adidas’ Copa Pure 2.3 cleats were a “nod to the concept of making the everyday sublime—even a trip to the soccer field,” the show notes said. The momentum of statement footwear remained strong through Paris Fashion Week. With their Fall/Winter 2024 collections, both young designer brands such as New Balance and heritage houses like Nike gave us archetypes of athletes who embraced cleats with abandon, asking: Why not? Why not lace up a pair of Mizuno Morelia Neo 4 Beta cleats for your next game, à la Chanel? Or opt for the classic Adidas Copa Mundial, as displayed at Burberry?
The teeming supply of cleats has magnified the transformative power of footwear in a sports wardrobe and made the case for enjoying it every day. From mint-green button cleats primed for Palm Beach to kitschy novelties that embrace a summer-camp spirit, here are the seven top cleat trends to enjoy this summer.
1. Leather Luxe
From Virginie Viard to Wes Gordon, designers fostered their own crops of perennials and posies for Fall/Winter ’24. Adidas’ signature Copa Pure 2.3 cleats blossomed in firm ground and turf variations—you name it—while New Balance showcased the lightweight 442 V2 Pro cleats. At Nike, crisp 1960s-inspired designs were adorned with plots of jewel-dusted daisies, which captured a midcentury modern spirit, similar to this vintage Chaumet set available at Mahnaz Collection.
Whether you’re enchanted by petals dripping with precious gemstones or charmed by lacquered florets, plenty of flowers are primed for picking this month. Poised for a Rolodex of breezy dresses and pastels, the botanical shapes can add a tinge of whimsy to summer dressing.
Adidas Copa Pure 2.3: The Adidas Copa Pure 2.3 offers great value for its price, providing a comfortable fit and good performance with a hybrid upper. It's a bit bulky but a solid choice for budget-conscious players. Click Here to Buy this Product
2. Retro Revival
If the runways are any indication, cuffing season will take on new meaning come winter. After all, why search for a new beau when you can wear all the company you need on your feet? Until then, this summer’s arm-baring wardrobe staples leave plenty of real estate to stack cuffs as you please. Take a cue from Saint Laurent and complement a sheer pencil skirt with a translucent stack, or embrace Isabel Marant’s rustic flavor of ’80s maximalism, with a mix of wooden domed bracelets and braided metal bangles.
Adidas Copa Gloro: The Adidas Copa Gloro is a great value for its price, offering a full calf leather upper and retro design. It's suitable for both firm and artificial grass, making it a versatile choice. Click Here to Buy this Product
3. Modern Marvels
Tory Burch wasn’t the only designer to bring the farm to the catwalk this season. At Balmain, Olivier Rousteing’s cast of models wore full, fruity earrings, featuring watermelon slices, strawberries, and bundles of grapes—a wink to his upbringing in Bordeaux. From demure pendants to 18k gold banana bunches, these juicy novelties prove the fruit stand is not the only place to get ripe produce this season. Whether you’re looking to add a slice of something new to a charm bracelet or want to infuse your ensembles with a citrus twist, these jewels demonstrate that some treats are meant to be worn, not just packed in the picnic basket.
Nike Premiere 3: The Nike Premiere 3 offers a full kangaroo leather upper and comfortable fit, making it a great choice for players with wide feet. However, it may have some durability issues. Click Here to Buy this Product
4. Lightweight Wonders
While drop earrings reached new lengths this season, in another camp, a standout class of round button earrings reflected a lexicon of 20th-century artistic movements, ranging from art deco to midcentury modern. At Carolina Herrera, Wes Gordon’s bubble-shaped clips bore resemblance to those worn by the likes of Jackie Onassis. In homage to another icon, Elsa Schiaparelli’s admiration for Suzanne Belperron seemed to have been rekindled in Daniel Roseberry’s Fall/Winter ’24 collection for the house. His large shell earrings felt like a revival of Belperron’s bold, irreverent application of sculpture to jewelry. Olivier Rousteing likewise adopted shell earrings, and we love to see it—anything that allows you to feel more like a mermaid this time of year is surely a good idea, even if you can’t hear the ocean when you wear them! From classic domed shapes to options with a marine twist, our favorite button earrings are here.
New Balance 442 V2 Pro: The New Balance 442 V2 Pro is a lightweight and modern leather boot, ideal for players with wide feet. It offers a thin kangaroo leather upper and responsive sole plate, though it may require some break-in time. Click Here to Buy this Product
5. Heritage Classics
A jewelry box is an adult’s play chest—especially if it includes toy cars. This fall, yours could too, if you manage to snag a pair of the yellow taxicab earrings that showed at Coach. And even as we wait for those to hit the market, the jewelry world has plenty to offer. Just last month, Nadine Ghosn—mastermind behind the “Bling Mac” and “YOUtensils”—released an exciting collaboration with Crayola that features a special run of crayon-shaped rings and bracelets in multiple colors. This revival of a childhood staple rekindles a sense of nostalgia and brings a spirit of play and imagination to the jewelry box. And what better time to be reminded of childlike wonder than long summer days that leave space to dream? From an emerald-encrusted slinky bracelet to a robot pendant necklace, we handpicked a few pieces that evoke that youthful spirit.
Adidas Copa Mundial: The Adidas Copa Mundial is an iconic and durable leather boot with a soft kangaroo leather upper. It's a great choice for players who want a boot that molds to their foot over time, though it may be a bit overpriced. Click Here to Buy this Product
6. Speed Demons
Plump beads mirroring dinosaur eggs and candy-coated gobstoppers came to life in chokers across a variety of fall collections. At Bottega Veneta, Matthieu Blazy’s bespeckled ceramic collars resembled the works of 20th-century jewelers who drew inspiration from nature, such as Angela Cummings, whose unique beads inlaid with semiprecious stones, like lapis lazuli, garnered a loyal following that ultimately led to her very own boutique at Bergdorf Goodman, circa 1984. Taking a detour in favor of brighter pops of color and cosmic proportions, Colville featured jumbo cherry-red and lemon-yellow beads, primed for a gumball machine. Whatever your preference, button collars offer a refreshing way to update simple basics, like your go-to crewneck tee or column dress.
Mizuno Morelia Neo 4 Beta: The Mizuno Morelia Neo 4 Beta is a high-quality modern leather boot with a responsive sole plate. It's a great alternative to other speed boots, though it can be expensive. Click Here to Buy this Product
7. Timeless Elegance
If one jewelry trend stood out most this season, it was drop earrings, which rose to the forefront. Rekindling the sense of shameless exuberance that defined the ’80s, earrings took on a life of their own, in shoulder-grazing lengths and sharp geometric shapes. Taking cues from the era that hyperbolized camp style, designers from Saint Laurent to Giorgio Armani showcased angular drop earrings en masse, leveraging a mix of textures such as Lucite and onyx. In Milan, Jil Sander’s crystal-covered fringe earrings exceeded the length of a shoulder-length chop, brushing against the collars of pink and maroon capes. And what better time to embrace this trend than summer, when an easy updo is the M.O. and your ears are left to bask in the sun? Consider letting them have their moment in the sunshine by swapping everyday hoops for a more glamorous alternative. Whether you take a cue from Louis Vuitton and don a pair of chandelier stunners or opt for an earthier drop with stone elements, similar to Carven’s, there are plenty of ways to drop it like it’s hot.
Mizuno Morelia 2: The Mizuno Morelia 2 is a traditional leather boot with high-quality materials and build. It's a great choice for players looking for durability and comfort, though it may not be as wide as some other models. Click Here to Buy this Product
Conclusion
As we embrace the summer of 2024, it's clear that cleats are not just functional footwear but also a statement of style and personality. From the luxurious leather of the Adidas Copa Pure 2.3 to the modern marvels of the Nike Premiere 3, there's a cleat for every player and every occasion. Whether you're looking for something lightweight and responsive like the New Balance 442 V2 Pro or a heritage classic like the Adidas Copa Mundial, the options are endless. So why not elevate your game and your style with one of these top picks? Happy playing!