Review: PUMA evoSPEED 1 Soccer Boot

PUMA recently launched the cross-sport evoSpeed footwear series. The lightweight shoe range includes footie fan’s Usain Bolt signature evoSpeed Runner and the evoSpeed 1 soccer boot (now available at World Soccer Shop, Big Toe Soccer, Kitbag  and soccer.com.

Quite popular among professional players the evoSpeed 1 is currently the first choice boot of strikers Sergio “Kun” Aguero (Manchester City and Argentina), Mario Gomez (Bayern Munich and Germany) and Olivier Giroud (Arsenal and France).

Over the past few weeks one of our diehard soccer boot testers has been rocking a pair of evoSpeed 1s in summer league and pickup action. He’s also even dabbled in rugby sevens a bit in them. Here’s what he thought of them.

Looks
The PUMA evoSpeed 1 is definitely one of the best looking soccer boots on the market today! Its designers have done an excellent job in creating a sleek boot that screams speed via the use of well-selected and just as well-placed graphics and colors on its one piece Teijin leather upper. The most prominent among these is the evoSpeed edition of PUMA’s iconic Formstripe in a lightning-feel spectrum of similar colors.

Coupled with a prominent soleplate / heel counter combination that has an exoskeletal look, the evoSpeed 1 looks like a soccer boot that means business. We’ve even seen a pictures of a Bob Marley version of it on the internet that looks so good that they belong nowhere else but in a showcase.

Fit
As with all of the PUMA shoes that I’ve tried out over the past few years, the evoSpeed 1 fits true to size. Indeed, this did surprise me since this is a lightweight shoe. Given my experiences with them, they can often be somewhat on the smaller side. However, I was able to slip my feet right into the evoSpeed 1 and feel right at home in them.

One innovative Fit factor worth noting with these is the innovative EverFit cage used for the first time in the evoSpeed 1. This consists of three perforated inserts on the inside of the upper meant to aid with stability.

What I found was that the EverFit cage worked well to support the upper during running, tackling and the twists and turns that accompany any match. I hope to see it again in future PUMA shoes.

Ride
The PUMA evoSpeed 1 is a soccer boot you won’t want to take off once you put it on and take it for a runout. Without doubt, it is the most comfortable speed / lightweight boot (of the less than 7 oz. in weight variety) that I have ever had a chance to wear.

Some speed boots seem to sacrifice comfort for the sake of weight, not so with the evoSpeed 1!

The first thing that struck me when running in them was the fact that I felt no stud pressure on my feet. From what I can tell, the lightweight insole of the boot has quite a bit to do with this via the use of memory foot throughout.

I also noticed that the outsole is extremely flexible. Via the use of PUMA’s DuoFlex technology, the very front of the evoSpeed 1 can be bent to almost a 90 degree angle. This adds a very welcome dimension of agility to this new boot.

Lastly, the evoSpeed 1 is the first PUMA boot with a hybrid stud set consisting of a combination of bladed studs and rounded studs. I quickly became a fan of this blend as I found the bladed studs in the heel area to provide excellent traction while the conical studs worked well for rotational footwork.

Achilles Support
The PUMA evoSpeed 1 is the first soccer boot that I’ve used with an Achilles support feature. This consists of a silver strip of support on the outer heel area of the shoe that I very much enjoy having.

I can attest to its effectiveness since I did have some Achilles soreness after a harsh spring season. While the evoSpeed 1 was not a cure for this, it did reduce the discomfort that I felt when playing in it.

Touch
The touch of boots in the sub-7 oz. realm can be unpleasantly surprising at times. I’ve run into some ultralight boots that take at least two hours of solid ballwork to get used to. This was not the case with the PUMA evoSpeed 1 as PUMA’s designers used what I thought was a near optimal thickness for the Teijin leather upper on the boot.

Reminiscent of the Teijin leather-based Umbro GT series in feel, the PUMA evoSpeed 1 introduces an amazing level of intimacy with the ball on every touch. This feel combined with the light weight of the boot aids in allowing you to make quick decisions and quick moves (whether skills, passing, trapping or shooting).

While the high-profile players wearing the PUMA evoSpeed 1 are all strikers (at least until the 2012/13 European leagues kickoff later this month), I did find the boot to be quite a passer’s delight. This is because of the aforementioned feel that the boot provides. I found that it allowed me to more accurately place the exact amount of weight on the ball necessary for some of the most well-placed passes that I’ve made all summer long. Indeed, when I wear the PUMA evoSpeed 1, I feel like I can never make a bad pass — short and on the ground with the inside of the foot or long and in the air with the top of the foot. Expect to see them on the feet of some big name playmakers come next season.

Durability
Over the last month, I have logged over twenty hours of game time in the PUMA evoSpeed 1. Below is a picture taken this weekend of what they look like after all of this abuse. As you can tell, they’ve held up quite well (particularly for a lightweight boot). The only sign of wear is the expected creasing of the upper from the twists, turns and striking of the ball that are part of any soccer match. I expect them to remain intact and take me through what is sure to be a competitive fall season.

Rugby Use
Over the summer I have been playing a bit of recreational rugby sevens. Given the constant running and frequent sprints that are part of this game, I gave the PUMA evoSpeed 1 a few runouts on the rugby pitch. What I found was that their lightweight and traction made them excellent rugby sevens boots. They will keep you firmly grounded during tackles and give you a speed advantage on offence and defence. Given that soccer boots are used by many rugby players, the evoSpeed 1 is definitely worth a look if you play your football with the oval ball.

Final Thoughts
With the evoSpeed 1 PUMA has introduced one of the best lightweight / speed boots on the market just in time for the new soccer season. They provide just about everything serious soccer players look for in a boot — speed, touch, traction, great fit and a comfortable right. They certainly have my recommendation!

Check out our Football Boots section for more on the latest soccer footwear.