[caption id="attachment_19601" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Nike Vapor Speed Lax Turf[/caption] LAX.com has received all the new releases of lacrosse cleats and turf shoes and they are flying off the shelves.  The big buzz surrounding turfs are both the Nike Vapor Speed Turf Lax and the New Balance Freeze Turf, and both of these models have really impressed our Pro's.  Both Nike and New Balance came to party with brand new styling, light weight, and hard charging new designs that are already gathering a following at the top collegiate and high school programs in the nation.  Let’s take a closer look.   The New Balance Freeze LX turf lacrosse shoe has the highest ankle support of the two offerings.  With a bit more of the ¾ mid feel, these lace up nicely around the ankle and really lock your heel and arch into the footplate.  New Balance calls it a “form-fitting tongue” that essentially customizes each pair.  Our Pro's at LAX.com just call it “ an awesome feeling” when you slip them on.  If you look closely, the tongue is actually one piece connected to the rest of the ankle support.  This means that you are not relying on laces alone for support, but the entire upper section of the cleat works as one unit to provide more ankle stability and cutting power.  This turf shoe isn't just for guys.  We had our female Pro try them as well.  She liked the stability of the shoe and found that they needed to size down a size and half from their normal shoe size.   [caption id="attachment_19611" align="aligncenter" width="640"] New Balance Freeze Turf[/caption] We tried the New Balance Freeze LX turf lacrosse cleats on both indoor astro-turf and more traditional outside turf with rubber pellets.  This cleat responded well on both surfaces and there was no side slippage or bulky feel during shoot arounds.  We like the low profile heel piece that does not stick out from underneath your foot.  These have a slightly narrow cut and feel a bit more snug than the Nike’s.  We did some line work as well and the New Balance Freeze responded well out of the blocks, on quick stops and pivots.  All in all, we love the new Freeze as a lightweight, supportive, mid-style turf with simple graphics and snug feel.   The new Nike Vapor Speed Turf Lax cleats feel so much more lightweight that then older Huarache turfs because they took all of the mid-ankle weight out and streamlined the sole.  Like the Freeze, the new wave here is the one tongue that is molded right into the rest of the cleat so the laces are really acting as secondary support.  These turfs are built for raw speed, and that is why you see the football Pro's wearing them on Sunday.  Superlight, low cut and likely the most grippy turf shoe we have ever tried.  One of our female Pro's tried this cleat on as well.  She could not believe how much cushion the shoe offered, and grip support.  She wore a size and a half down from her normal shoe size. [caption id="attachment_19631" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Nike Vapor Speed Turf Bottom[/caption]   Nike added yellow speed knobs on the bottom of the shoe and they have the effect of digging in when on a straight line, but have some give on the pivot.  The shoe also provided good lateral traction when our Pro's ran the lines.  Basically these turf cleats are all about speed.  Feather-weight downhill dodging and light-weight work between the lines.  The Nike Vapor Speed Turf Lax fit more comfortably than the Huarache’s, in our opinion since they are cut a bit fuller.   Basically, we can’t rate one of these over the other because we think these two new additions to the lacrosse turf cleat family excel over the previous models that have been launched in the past several years.  The New Balance Freeze LX turf and the Nike Vapor Speed Turf Lax will make the advanced youth players, both male and female, play better on most any artificial surface, even when wet.  The elite high school and collegiate players are already digging in and strapping both of these models on for the high performance soles, light feel and amazing fit.  You really can’t go wrong here.  If you favor the more open and feel of a speed cleat, get the Nike’s.  If you want some added ankle support, but still demand the highest cutting ability and on-turf performance, get the Freeze’s.   If you have any questions, just reach out to one of our Pro’s at 855-255-5294 or email us at questions@lax.com. Also, be sure to download the LAX.com FREE mobile app. We push our most amazing deals there from time to time and you will also gain access to the newest gear and mesh as soon as it hits the market. See you on the fields! The Lax.com Pro Staff