Review: PUMA v1.11 Soccer Boot

If you’ve been enjoying the summer soccer international action taking place over the last month you may have seen the new PUMA v1.11 soccer boots (now available at World Soccer Shop) in action. The signature fluorescent green version of them was worn by standout midfielder Alejandro Bedoya during the USA’s run to the CONCACAF Gold Cup Final. FIFA World Player of the Year Marta has also been wearing them as she represents Brazil at the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2011. Inter Milan hitman Samuel Eto’o is expected to wear them during the 2011/12 season.

Over the past three weeks we’ve been testing the synthetic version of PUMA Soccer’s latest statement boot. Here is what our tester thought of them:

We’ve had a mix of scorching hot and rainy summer weather in my neck of the woods lately. This has given me a chance to use the PUMA v1.11 boots in a variety of field conditions ranging from ultradry to wet. My trial of the boots consisted of two break-in sessions to get attuned to the boots and two “invitation only” pick-up sessions with ex-NCAA Division 1 players, former professionals and a couple of free agents in the mix.

Aesthetics
The PUMA v1.11 features one of the standout designs of 2011. While building upon the look of the very popular v1.10, the v1.11 has a unique Velcro-fastened lace cover and what I found be a very visually appealing grip texture. Combine this with the boot’s fluorescent green / midnight navy and white colorway and you’ve got a cutting edge look that will surely have other players asking you the age-old question of “What are those boots?” Of course, the peril of wearing a boot as flashy as the PUMA v1.11 is that is that if you do not have the skills to match its flashy look, you may be the source of ridicule by trash talkers.

Fit
I have size 10 feet but tested a size 9.5 PUMA v1.11 because of my preference to wear my soccer shoes snug in order to minimize any gaps between the foot and ball that may affect by touch. The size 9.5 PUMA v1.11 boots provided the fit that I was looking for. However, I did feel that they ran slightly small. Therefore, if you’re looking for a snug fit you may consider buying these in your actual size versus half a size down. Another thing to keep in mind is that this and all other boots do stretch to some extent upon use.

A major fit difference between the PUMA v1.11 and the v1.10 comes from the lace cover. The v1.11’s cover uses a foldover design that exposes all of the laces of the boots and gives you space to adjust them to your liking. I found this to be better that the lift-up lace cover of the v1.10 that really only let you make the laces taut before tying them.

The Ride
At 8.2 oz., in weight, the PUMA v1.11 is marketed as a speed boot and does feel very light on the feet. After breaking them in, I found the PUMA v1.11 to feel extremely comfortable and almost running-shoe like when wearing them on well-maintained and slightly damp fields.

One interesting thing about the feel of the v1.11 is that they gave me the perception of being slightly elevated in the heel area at first. Upon examining the boots, I could not determine whether the soleplate had a slight upward incline from the toe to heel or not. Maybe this was just my perception. Nevertheless, because of this I did spend a little more time than usual breaking in the v1.11. By the time I was halfway through my second session, the feeling of my heel being raised was gone.

Touch
The PUMA v1.11 has one of the best touches of the speed boot genre. I found that it had just the right combination of light weight and much-welcomed increased padding over the v1.10 to allow me to readily make very accurate on the ground passes. Reminiscent of the feel of the Umbro GT Pro, the PUMA v1.11 allows you to quickly determine the right weight to put on your passes and low shots. However, the weight that you put on the passes is less than with other (particularly classic style) boots for the same effect.

I was a big fan of the wedge-like forefoot of the v1.10 and I’m glad that PUMA has retained this for the v1.11. As with its predecessor, this feature allows the wearer of the v1.11 to get a solid fit under the ball for long shots and crosses made with the  front of the foot. However, the added padding of the v1.11 imparts a bit more power into such crosses and shots.

Finally, one lovely feature of the PUMA v1.11 is that it works remarkably well for outside of the foot passes. Once again, this is because of the padding on the boot. Indeed, the effectiveness of such passes with the PUMA v1.11 is evocative of the soon to be classic PUMA PowerCat 1.10.

Protection
By now you’ve probably figured out that I am quite fond of the padding on the PUMA v1.11. What this also adds to the shoe is a rare high degree of foot protection in a speed boot.

While the v1.11 is not as light as other speed boots on the market (for example the sub-6 oz. PUMA v1.11 SL or adidas adiZero Prime), at 8.2 oz. it is lighter than your average soccer cleat. Yet the grip textured padding provides a similar level of protection as heavier boots. Therefore, when your feet are inevitably stomped upon during a game, your metatarsals are less likely to be injured that when wearing ultralight speed boots that have in which protection has been sacrificed in the interest of weight.

Durability
Roughly six hours into using them, the PUMA v1.11 soccer boots are holding up quite well. As expected from abuse on the soccer field, they do have some creases and scuffs. However, they show no signs of quality defects such as loosened stitching, ripping or damage to the soleplate. I think they should be good for at least three games a week for at least another year.

Conclusion
As PUMA continues to define the soccer boot market with innovative designs and the latest technology, the firm has come up with some great products over the past few years. The PUMA v1.11 is no exception. From its groundbreaking design and colorway to its rare combination of light weight and padding, the v1.11 is fit for every position on the soccer field. I look forward to using it over and over again and to see professionals like Samuel Eto’o and Marta mesmerizing defenders with it.

Thanks to Heather for making this review possible!!!

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