Diadora Maracana Turf Cleat Review

When playing on turf I usually go straight for firm ground shoes, but recently I started wearing turf specific shoes during training. I have to say that they have been working out real well! The reason I prefer firm ground cleats is because they feel more natural too me, especially as a winger as I do a lot of crossing. Wearing turf’s feels more like wearing sneakers. But I decided that it would be worth trying out a pair of Diadora Maracana’s to review. I wore a size 9US for testing, which is my regular size and they fit very well.

Breaking-In
These shoes are super comfy, and I did not suffer from any blisters, which is always a plus. The are made of an ultra-soft, water-resistant kangaroo leather with an anti-stretch lining.

Performance
One benefit to wearing turfs shoes is that you don’t have worry about ripping up the toe area as it has a suede toe cap. The front of the shoe has touch control – several sticky stripes that run across the shooting zone. Personally, I didn’t really notice any increase, but I am sure there is some improvement. The shoes weigh in at 9.8oz, which is very similar to the weight of normal cleats, for example they are the same weight as adidas Predators. The soles are a lot different to your typical cleat. They have 20-30 small riveted areas, nearly like miniature studs for extra grip on artificial turf surfaces. The tongue comes over the top region of the laces, I am not a big fan of long tongues, so I would prefer these cleats not to have any at all. I love Diadora’s firm ground cleats that have a strap to hold the tongue down, but obviously this is not feasible with the turf cleats. Finally, they also have an external heal counter that protects in the event that someone clips your heals or catches you with a tackle. For me, this is something that is very beneficial!

Summary
Overall, I would recommend getting a pair of turfs, whether they are Diadora Maracana’s or something else. I am enjoying wearing the Maracana’s and will do for the upcoming season! They are not as natural as firm ground cleats, but they do offer other benefits. For example, I think they will last a lot longer as they are designed for artificial turf surfaces.