Football Boots
Review: Umbro Tocco 3 Pro Soccer Boot
In recent times we’ve been testing the Umbro Tocco 3 Pro. This is currently one of Umbro’s premium grade soccer boots that is being worn by a host of the Manchester, UK-based firm’s sponsored soccer players throughout Europe, South America and beyond. It builds on a line that has been out for the last three years.
Here are the key features of the Tocco 3 Pro from Umbro:
- Tocco 3 Pro redefines touch and takes ball control to new levels thanks to Dyneema innovation.
- Dyneema fabric is fused with leather to make Tocco 3 lightweight and ultra-thin for greater touch sensation.
- Keeps your foot in place and reduces movement within the boot, so you can focus on tracking the opposition and make those crucial tackles.
- Follows the contours of your foot so you worry less about your feet and focus on making runs, intercepting the ball and moving it up the pitch.
- Dual-density Pebax Control+ outsole for maximum energy return so you can cover more distance for longer.
Now here’s the Football Fashion review of the Umbro Tocco 3 Pro soccer boot from a former NCAA Division 1 player currently plying his trade in one of our local leagues.
The Test
It hasn’t rained much in my area for some time. Thus, the fields that I tested the Umbro Tocco 3 Pro boots on were quite dry and hard. Most of them had not been kept up at all over the summer because of local city budget cuts and were essentially patches of dirt with a bit of brown grass on them. My test consisted of the following:
- One break-in session in which I ran some dribbling, turning and shooting drills and practiced skills moves
- Two pick-up games featuring several former NCAA Division 1 and 2 players
- One Sunday league match.
Aesthetics
I tested a pair of the Black/Deep Surf/Vermillion Orange colorway Umbro Tocco 3 Pro soccer boots pictured below. As you can tell from the pictures throughout this article, the latest version of the Tocco maintains the line’s heritage with a truly classic look that stands the test of time. I was thankful for this breath of fresh air in design after being inundated with a multitude of gimmicks from boot manufacturers meant to attract impressionable buyers over the past few years. The classic, 90s to 2000s-reminiscent design of the Umbro Tocco 3 Pro is simple, yet effective. It looks like a purist’s soccer shoe not meant for flash or ball tricks but for serious business on the pitch.
The Fit
I usually wear US size 10 shoes but got size 9.5 Umbro Tocco 3 Pro boots because of my preference for snug-fitting game footwear.
The Umbro Tocco 3 Pro was comfortable from the time I slipped it on. I didn’t even have to adjust the laces to get a good fit. What I did notice was that there was a little bit of toe room towards the pointed front of the boot. After wiggling around my toes a bit, I quickly got used to this. After playing in the boots a couple of times, I went on to adjust the laces a bit to make them a little tighter. This is nothing out of the norm with any new shoe – soccer, running or otherwise.
I was also amazed at the light weight of the Tocco 3 Pro. You’d never think that a boot with a classic design like the Tocco 3 Pro could be a lightweight affair and feel like next to nothing on the foot!
In-Game Performance
It took me about two hours of practice time to break-in the Umbro Tocco 3 Pro boots. Most of this time was spent getting use to the boot’s light weight and passing and shooting attributes. However, after the break-in session I felt extremely comfortable in them and was ready for action on the pitch during the following day’s pick-up game.
Touch
Touch maketh a football boot and with the Umbro Tocco 3 Pro, touch reigns supreme. Its ultra-light largely leather upper combined with great stability makes trapping and passing the ball on even the coarse fields that I play on the Tocco on nearly effortless. I cannot wait to use them on a pristine, well-kept field.
The shape and padding of the Special Pro at the instep works wonderfully for trapping both on the ground and slightly above ground balls. I found that this combination was an excellent momentum-killer leaving me with that extra half second of time so important in making a pass under pressure. The same combination works excellently for accurate, on the ground passes. I suspect that the boots stability (provided by its heel counter and sole plate) may also factor into this.
My favorite “touch” feature of the Umbro Tocco 3 Pro is the padding at the front of the boot. The best way to describe it is as being traditional. It’s the type of padding and stitching that is found on soccer legends like the Umbro Speciali and Puma King. This amounts to a forefoot area with which you can easily trap low balls with the inner or outer foot, cushion high balls with the front top of the boot and execute powerful and accurate shots and crosses (more of this later). Try doing that with one of those paper thin neon boots that are in proliferation these days.
Shooting
Because the Umbro Tocco 3 Pro has a classic design, it’s the type of boot that most soccer players born before 2000 would have used in the past. As such, it doesn’t take much practice to become acclimated to shooting with it.
The light weight of the boot was its one characteristic that took me the most amount of time to get used to when practicing shooting with it. This was because the weight led me to think that I needed to put more power than usual into my shots. However, after a few over the crossbar misses, I was quickly able to adjust to shooting with the Tocco 3 Pros.
Once used to shooting with the Umbro Tocco 3 Pro boots, I became addicted to them. The feel of a light, yet adequately padded and extremely stable boot like this when striking the ball for a top of the foot power shot is terrific. It’s almost like being barefoot but getting a great deal or power and accuracy with such shots.
The Umbro Tocco 3 Pro boots also work wonderfully for low “placement before power” type shots. I attribute this to the Touch features of the boot mentioned above given that such shots are essentially well-placed passes into the goal meant to leave a goalie stretching in futility. In fact, the first goal that I scored with the Tocco 3 Pro was such a shot – a one-time side footer into the lower left-hand corner of the goal from about three meters out and courtesy of a low pass.
Stability
I regard stability as one of the most important features of any soccer boot. As with Touch and Shooting, the Umbro Tocco 3 Pro did not disappoint in this area.
I suspected that the shoe would have good stability from just looking at it. I’m no shoe engineer but from its ergonomic shape and its Fast Flex feature towards the front, the Tocco 3 Pro’s soleplate appears to be a quality unit, designed and built with this factor in mind. A tap of the boot’s backheel reveals a sturdy heel counter under the lightweight leather and Dyneema.
The true test of the Tocco 3 Pro’s stability came when I used them on the aforementioned rough fields. They held up remarkably well for running, trapping, passing and shooting even on these grassless dirt patches on which one could easily roll an ankle during even the simplest of moves. While absolutely no soccer boot could afford a great deal of comfort on the abused fields I used the new Umbro boots on, playing in the Tocco 3 Pro’s minimized the displeasure in what could have been a much more harrowing experience.
Durability
I’ve logged about six and a half hours of practice and game time in the Umbro Special Pro soccer boots thus far. Sadly, they picked up a thin coat of fine dirt because of my use of them on dusty fields. However, structurally they are as good as new. They show absolutely no signs of quality defects such as ripping or anomalous shape distortion. Like its predecessors, I believe that the Umbro Tocco 3 Pro is definitely a quality product that will stand the test of time. It’s the type of soccer boot built to last for years.
Final Thoughts
From their fit to their light weight to their touch, shooting attributes and all-important stability, the Umbro Tocco 3 Pro boots are as world class as the England internationals wearing them. They proudly continue the fine heritage of one of Umbro’s signature lines. I recommend them for any player of intermediate to advanced skill.
