I'll Never Buy My Kid Crappy Cleats!

I think my parents did it because it was my first year playing football, and they weren't sure if I would like it or not.  Maybe the salesman convinced them that white cleats would make me look fast?  Maybe it looked like the lightweight, cushion-less design was more aerodynamic than others :) 

For whatever reason, my first set of cleats were horrible.  Even thinking about them now, my ankles begin to swell.  To get a better idea, look at the cleats up above, and perform the following steps:

1. Remove all color and make them completely white
2. Remove all cushion from the sole, midsole, and the ankle
3. Replace the plastic plate on the bottom of cleat with a heavy metal one  
4. Remove the adidas symbols and put a generic symbol 
5. Remove the leather outside and replace with shiny white plastic

I remember the pounding as my heel would hit the metal beneath it with each step.   I remember thinking that my feet would look fast as I ran... they didn't!  Mostly, I remember the squeek of the plastic outside as it bent with each step.  

Luckily, my parents learned their lesson and bought me great cleats the next year.  Black, cushioned, lightweight cleats!  But to this day, the memory still haunts me... and that is why I will never buy my kid crappy cleats.