Review: CALLE Soccer Spring / Summer 2010 Collection

Exciting brand CALLE (“Street” in Spanish) is America’s first street soccer-specific company with a line of clothing, shoes and equipment inspired by the urban variation of the beautiful game.  CALLE is  also a main sponsor of the increasingly popular Showdown in ChinaTown annual street soccer series featuring NBA star Steve Nash and a host of international soccer stars such as Thierry Henry, Salamon Kalou and others.

We recently had a chance to look at several of the statement products from the CALLE Spring / Soccer 2010 collection. Below are our thoughts on some of the most innovative soccer products around.

You can find out more about CALLE at www.callerepublic.com. The CALLE soccer Spring / Summer 2010 collection is now available at World Soccer Shop.

CALLE Rilo
The CALLE Rilo is the only street soccer shoe that we know of on the market. It looks like a casual shoe and feels like a comfortable sneaker when you slip it on but is excellent for a kickabout on your local outdoors basketball court, parking lot or indoor facility.

We found the Rilo to be well-contructed and quite durable during our test of it in a couple of games on an asphalt surface . It survived the abuse that shoes suffer in such harsh urban environments most admirably. At the same time, its touch is as good as any indoor shoe on the market. If street soccer is your game, then the CALLE Rilo is your shoe.

CALLE Primero and Smooth Criminal Balls
Your normal soccer ball is not made for street soccer. Take it on the concrete or asphalt surface and it will not last for long. Consequently, CALLE has created a couple of street soccer specific balls in the Primero and Smooth Crimimal.

While both balls are size 4 balls with lower bounce than traditional soccer balls, the Primero is the grittier of the two with a soft-touch premium latex bladder and rubber outer designed to take a beating on the street. From our test on the asphalt, the Primero proved itself to be perfect for soccer in the city and quickly became our favorite ball off the grass.

The smooth criminal is a bit more flashy than the Primero. It’s marketed as an all-purpose ball designed for use both indoors and outdoors.” However, because this ball has cool graphics and smoother surface than the Primero, we preferred to use the Smooth Criminal indoors to preserve its good looks. What we found it ideal for is Futsal – the indoor game used in Brazil to develop the sharp foot skills and passing ability that players from arguably the world’s greatest soccer power are known for. With its small size and limited bounce, the Smooth Criminal is the ideal skills development ball.

CALLE Ball Sack
Also called the CALLE Army Canvas Ball Sack, this bag is features a screened CALLE logo and pigeon design and is made of tough, durable canvas. From what we can tell, the CALLE Ball Sack is built to last for a long time. We think that in addition to use as a ball bag, the supercool CALLE Ball Sack is great for the gym, running errands or even hanging out.

CALLE Antram T-Shirt
CALLE has a wide range of T-shirts of which the Antram is just one. It’s made of a cotton/polyester blend and features a cityscape graphic on its chest along with a positive message. We thought that its fit was quite comfortable and contemporary. This shirt is definitely something to wear just about anywhere from the street game to the pub to your next concert.