For players serious about the sport, soccer cleats are a must.

Like most products, soccer cleats come in a variety brands, colors and styles to suit everyone’s personality.

Some, like Dominic Eslamian, a freshman forward/midfielder and member of CRC’s men’s soccer team, believes the type of cleats you wear says a lot about your personality.

“The color of the cleat matches  the style of the player, so if you have a flashy player they go more towards bright colors,” Eslamian said. “But if you have a player that wants to get down and dirty you go for black [cleats].”

Some of these elements are more important than others on the women’s soccer team. These elements also play a factor in their decision to choose what footwear they will feature on the field.

“I usually wear Nikes because they’re cuter,” said Megan Gomez, a sophomore defender and member of CRC’s women’s soccer team. “They have to be kind of cute.”

What it comes down to is a player’s need and preference. Others like Becky Gallo, a sophomore midfielder and member of CRC’s women’s soccer team, who sports a pair of Nike Mercurial Vapors emphasized comfort and fit over style.

Mercurial Vapors are a type of cleat designed for those players who have a need for speed, which offer a reduction in weight and increase arch support, according to Angelo’s Soccer Corner, a one stop soccer shop.

“There’s a reason [I wear the cleats I do] in that they are really comfortable and I like that they feel really light on my feet when I wear them,” Gallo said. “So that when I play with them on the soccer field, it feels like I’m playing barefoot.”

If there is one thing that the Cosumnes River College’s women’s soccer team could all agree is that Nike is one of the most, if not the most, popular brands for soccer cleats among their group.

“Adidas and Nike are the most popular,” said Alyssa Hanks, a sophomore forward/midfielder. “Half of our team has Nike.”

This isn’t surprising considering that Nike has operations throughout the world.

According to a Forbes Magazine article, Nike ranks number one in terms of the world’s most valuable sports brand, specifically having a value of $15.9 billion, according to Forbes Magazine.

Different cleats serve different purposes depending on the player’s style of play and their goals. Assistant men’s soccer coach Brandon Evangelista prefers a cleat that gives him better ball control.

“Some cleats are made differently. The cleats I have right now, they’re made for good ball control,” Evangelista said. “It has nice soft patches of material that gives you control of the ball better.”

The general consensus between both teams is that style, color and looks are just as important as comfort.

The cleats you wear may say a lot about the type of player you are, but it says little about how good you are. Ultimately, it is not the cleats that make a player, but it is player themselves.

“You are not the player you are because of the cleats you wear,” Hanks said.