There are three different types of hockey field: sand fields, semi-fields and water fields. It differs per type of field hockey shoes you can wear the best. And that mainly has to do with the type of studs and the stud pattern. You have hockey shoes with rubber studs, with plastic studs, with stud pattern for water fields, with stud pattern for sand fields and with stud pattern for semi-fields. Before you buy a new pair of hockey shoes, it is therefore important that you take into account the type of field you will mainly play on. That is why we tell you in this article which type of hockey shoe is suitable for which type of field.
Hockey shoes with rubber studs
As mentioned earlier, there are hockey shoes with rubber studs. In principle, these types of studs are suitable for all types of hockey fields. Rubber studs are generally blunt and round compared to plastic studs. Do you play a lot on sand fields? Then it is better to go for a pair of hockey shoes with rubber studs than for a pair with plastic studs. Rubber studs wear out less quickly on sand fields.
Hockey shoes with plastic studs
Like rubber studs, plastic studs are in fact suitable for all types of hockey fields, but unlike rubber studs, plastic studs are not blunt, but sharp. As a result, they offer more grip, which is very nice on sandy fields. However, the disadvantage of plastic studs is that they will wear out faster on sand fields than rubber studs. So think carefully about what you find more important: good grip or a long life of your shoes.
Hockey shoes for sand fields
The name says it all: sand fields are artificial grass fields with sand in between. Hockey shoes that are suitable for sand fields have a special stud pattern. These are coarse studs with a lot of space in between. As a result, hockey shoes for sand fields contain fewer studs than hockey shoes for other types of fields. Because there is more space between the studs, sand is less likely to get stuck between the studs
Hockey shoes for water fields
Water pitches are artificial grass pitches made of polyethylene fibres, where the pitch is sprayed with a layer of water. In hockey shoes suitable for water fields, the studs are narrower than the studs for sand fields and there is less space between the studs. As a result, the studs on water fields provide more grip and reduce the risk of slipping.
Hockey shoes for semi-fields
Finally, there are also hockey shoes for semi-fields. Semi-fields are actually a mix between sand fields and water fields. These artificial grass pitches are sprinkled with both sand and water and sprayed. The stud pattern for semi-fields is therefore a mix between a stud pattern for sand pitches and a stud pattern for water pitches. So if you regularly play on different types of fields, semi-field hockey shoes are an excellent choice.
