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PaperclipPerfector  3d ago (text post)   1553 thread views

Friday Fun Thread for May 30, 2025

Be advised: this thread is not for serious in-depth discussion of weighty topics (we have a link for that), this thread is not for anything Culture War related. This thread is for Fun. You got jokes? Share 'em. You got silly questions? Ask 'em.

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Random question?

How big of a social faux pas is it to wear football shoes off the turf? I haven't played football in a decade, but I was secondhand shopping and saw an Adidas pair I really liked, with modest cleats as they go.

My best friend insists it's not right to wear those as casual footwear. What about at the gym, as spare gym shoes? I just think they're neat :(

I'm going to go against the grain and say I don't think it's a faux pas at all. I don't give a shit if someone wears cleats off the field, and to be honest I would think less of anyone who does.

My prejudice against psychiatrists deepens...

:(

If you mean what we call studded football boots then the only time I can imagine someone wearing them off the pitch would be if they were under 12 and so excited about their amazing new boots that they couldn't wait until football practice.

The main reason nobody wears football boots off the pitch is that the studs are hard and provide zero grip and maximum damage on hard floors. I'd expect you would get an immediate request to change them if you wore them at a gym. It's not a matter of bad taste, visually they're no worse than most trainers, they're just anti-practical. It's like wearing golf spikes at a bowling alley.

I wouldn't call it a faux pas, in the way that wearing a football jersey to a formal dinner is rude and shows a lack of taste.

If I saw someone wearing cleats outside of a sporting competition, I'd consider a mild sign of some kind of mental retardation.

So like, what kind of cleats are we talking about here?

You know, I'm something of a retard myself.

I've attached a picture, they're Adidas Speedportal 3s.

https://ibb.co/C51sDWjy

When I was last in the market for soccer shoes in the US probably ten years ago, they came in three varieties: cleats (which are what you see professionals playing in with hard plastic knobs), turf shoes (which look like yours with heavily textured rubber outsoles), and indoor (flat rubber soles for playing on hard gym surfaces). The indoor shoes would be completely reasonable as casual street shoes, and I've definitely seen similar styles sold as such. Turf shoes are a bit of an odd choice, and you might track more mud indoors with them, but I suppose they would work tolerably. IMO, try to get indoor shoes at least, but it looks like such a variant exists for the model you pictured.

Sambas were originally designed as indoor soccer shoes, and they've reached the point of acceptability for casual wear that publications like GQ suggest you can wear them with a suit (not recommended, as most suit pants aren't cut like jeans). It does appear that what he's looking for is available in an indoor model, but one thing I'd caution is that shoes made for soccer might not be the best for wearing around town. I definitely wouldn't wear cleats around town, as, aside from all of the other concerns, they'd be damn uncomfortable.

I mean they look small so someone might not notice... But if they did see, or more likely hear, the cleats, yeah, you're gonna look retarded. I don't mean that in the jocular way, like the way Mrs. FiveHour would tell me "don't wear Pit Vipers to the restaurant you'll look retarded" but in the way that I'd feel seeing someone wear a helmet or something.

I guess in answer to original question it's essentially a complete faux pas.

Cleats are very slippery on hard surfaces, that would be my concern. I wonder if you could grind the cleats down and glue a rubber sole onto them without killing the look?

That would be the first time I'd have tried such a thing. I'll keep it in mind, but so far I don't think I've had any actual problems wearing them even indoors.

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