How to Get Cleats Off of Football Shoes

Football shoes have cleats on the bottom to give athletes a better grip while running and cutting laterally. The cleats reach down into the playing surface, which allows the athlete to move without fear of slipping. There are cleats that are optimized for artificial turf and different ones designed for natural grass, as well as multipurpose cleats, according to Dick's Sporting Goods. The best way to preserve cleats is to only wear them on soft surfaces such as grass or dirt. Wearing them on hard surfaces such as concrete leads to faster wear. Cleats must be replaced as they wear down. A specialized wrench is needed for the process.

Things You'll Need

  • Football stud key wrench
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Instructions

    • 1

      Ensure that the shoes have removable studs. Studs that are molded onto the sole of the shoe are not removable.

    • 2

      Place the stud key wrench onto the metal stud holding the cleat in place.

    • 3

      Rotate the stud counterclockwise to unscrew the stud from the sole of the shoe.

    • 4

      Remove the cleat and replace if necessary.