Review: Umbro Geometra Pro Soccer Boot

Introduced in late 2011, the Geometra Pro (now available at World Soccer Shop) is Umbro’s first ever control soccer boot designed for ball passers. While the boot designers may have had visionary players in mind, the Geometra Pro has become the first choice boots of a range of stars from goalies to midfielders including Jordan Henderson (Liverpool and England), Joe Hart (Manchester City and England), Diego Capel (Sevilla), Deco (Fluminese) and Jonas Gutierrez (Newcastle United and Argentina).

We’ve had a pair of Umbro Geometra Pro boots here at Football Fashion for the past few weeks. Here are our boot tester’s thoughts on them from using them in a series of off-season winter pickup games in a variety of field conditions.

Design
The Geometra Pro boasts arguably the most modern design ever seen from an Umbro soccer boot. It departs from the classic boot look of the Speciali in favor of a much more modern feel highlighted by a memory foam ‘pass pad’ called the Energy Control Zone (ECZ) on its instep to aid ball control and a silicon-bonded grip zone on the toe area. Throw in asymmetrical lacing and a unique stud configuration that includes a circular pivot zone set of stud and you’ve got one of the most distinctive looking boots on the market.

While the Geometra Pro is designed with soccer functionality in mind like most other Umbro boots, its design is also visually appealing. Umbro has cleverly incorporated secondary colors in the logo area, pass pad, studs and even the inside of the boot to create a work of soccer art.

Fit
The fit of the Umbro Geometra Pro is unlike anything I’ve ever experienced in a soccer boot.

From the time you loosen up the laces and slip them on, you’ll be amazed at how snugly and comfortably they fit the foot. I suspect that this is because the Geometra Pro is made of very soft, full grain ceramic leather that is thicker than normal leather. I also believe that this is by design since the Geometra Pro is intended to be a passer’s boot. Most soccer players will attest to the fact that a snug fit makes for better ball feel and, consequently, passing.

While the Geometra Pro does fit true to size, there is a small amount of space between the big toe and the front of the boot if you do not wear shinpads and soccer socks. So if you are a casual player who prefers to forego tibial protection, you may need to slip on an extra pair of socks to fill up this space.

Ride
After doing some jogging and ballwork with the Geometra Pro boots for just 15 minutes, it was tempting to take them down to the park for a run in a pickup game because of how quickly it was to become attuned to running and dribbling the ball with them. In fact, I thought they almost felt like a pair of cross trainers! A major factor in this feel was the EVA insole used for the Geometras. They reminded me of the superb Umbro GT speed boot but with a little more weight at 10.2 oz compared to the GT’s 8.3 oz.

Traction
Because of the current weather in my area, I wore the Umbro Geometra Pro on fields whose conditions ranged from dry to damp to near frozen. The Geometras had great traction in each case. I enjoyed using them the most on the damp fields in particular without any worry of slipping whatsoever.

A unique feature on the Umbro Geometra Pro is new stud configuration that features a squash shoe-inspired circular set of studs that act as a pivot point of sorts. I found this a much welcomed piece of soccer technology as it does make turning with the ball when pulling off moves such as the dragback or sharp turns easier.

I would not recommend the Geometra Pro or any other bladed cleats for wet fields however. They are not designed for such conditions. Stick to the soft ground boots that you see English Premier League players wearing in such instances.

Touch — Passing and Shooting
The touch on the Umbro Geometra Pro ranks amongst the best that I have ever seen!

The basis of the amazing touch of the boot is its leather upper. While well-padded and not ultrathin like on a lightweight speed boot, the leather used for the Geometra feels like a second skin on your foot. It gives an incredible feeling of intimacy with the ball not usually seen in a 10.2 ounce in weight boot. As a result, you feel more in control of the ball and can accurately adjust everything from the positioning of your body to the force you put on it with your feet to get the reaction you want out of the ball.

For both passing and trapping, the Geometra’s ECZ pass pads work amazingly! They are particular effective for low, on the ground passes made with the inside of the foot. I’m not sure what the technology is behind them but I thought that they let me impart the exact amount of power that I needed to on the ball for it to get to where I needed it to go and with the intended speed.

There is what Umbro calls a “silicon-bonded grip zone” added to the front of the Geometra Pro to aid with spin and loft. It’s a suede like surface above where your big toe would be — the area you would use to make a Beckhameque, accurate pass through the air. While the boot performs in an excellent manner for such passes, I’m not sure if it is because of the grip zone or the well-placed padding at the inner front of the boot. It could also be a combination of both. However, this suede area does give you a nice feel on the ball, particularly in damp conditions.

The front of the Umbro Geometra Pro is different from any other soccer boot on the market. Not only do you have the ridged padded area on the side of the boot at the front with a smooth middle forefoot, there is also asymmetrical lacing with a thin tongue underneath that creates a large striking zone for power shots and volleys. This creates an “sweet spot” for striking the ball or sorts and combined with the boot’s soft K-leather gives you an amazing feel on the ball when striking it. It does take a little getting used to so shooting practice is a must.

Protection
By now you’ve probably figured out that the Umbro Geometra Pro is a well-padded, robust soccer boot. As such it offers a high degree of foot protection. From its solid heel wrap forward, the Geometra Pro can take a beating from receiving and delivering tackles while shielding its wearer from injuries that might occur with some of the lightweight boots on the market today. The only area to be careful with if your game is very physical in under the laces where the tongue is thin.

Final Thoughts
After wearing the Umbro Geometra Pro over the past few weeks, it has quickly become one of my first choice soccer boots. It is a true passer’s dream! If you are a defender or midfielder or even goalie (Joe Hart seems to love them) then we recommend them to you. Forwards should like them as well if they don’t mind a couple of extra ounces of weight. Currently on sale for just $96.99 at World Soccer Shop, the Geometra Pro is one of the best buys in soccer right now.

Thanks to Dan and Maren for making this review possible!