The Adidas Nitrocharge gets a revamped and is the Nitrocharge 2nd Generation. There are significant changes to the Hybridtouch upper and the Energy Sling that alter the performance of the Nitrocharge, and make it a very different beast from its predecessor. Do we like them, or do we not? How will they perform on the pitch? Tune in to find out!
Adidas Predator Instinct 2014 Tribal Pack.
Unboxing and First Impressions coming soon.
The Puma Tricks series is easily one of the most recognizable boots on the field today. The unique bright 2 colour appearance, with inspiration from the rich Brazilian culture, was designed just for the World Cup, with full intention of standing out – and it does that with aplomb. Where wearing 2 colour boots are concerned, players have been doing that for a long time. Think of players like Benoit Assou-Ekotto formerly from Tottenham Hotspurs. Strangely though, the boot companies were slow to pick up that trend, but for the World Cup Puma have jumped straight in with radical colours – and the result is simply sensational. There are 2 boots in Puma’s Tricks series, the evoSpeed and the evoPower; for today, we bring to you the Puma evoSpeed Tricks.
Technical specifications
–      Upper: Puma’s proprietary monolayer, monofiber synthetic with a star shaped, glossy, sticky finish covering the entire upper. Reinforced with Puma’s EverFit cage for solid lateral stability.
–Â Â Â Â Â Â Tongue: A mesh padded tongue
–Â Â Â Â Â Â Lacing: Thin, flat laces
–Â Â Â Â Â Â Insole: Foam insert that is plush, soft and relatively thick. Provides arch support.
–Â Â Â Â Â Â Heel counter: Plastic, minimalist heel counter.
–Â Â Â Â Â Â Outsole: Plastic elastomer with the rigid SpeedTrack technology through the midfoot and hindfoot and DuoFlex system in the forefoot
–Â Â Â Â Â Â Studs: Conical studs. Slightly longer than most boots. 12 stud layout.
–Â Â Â Â Â Â Weight: 7.0 oz
Performance aspects
Touch
The touch of the Puma evoSpeed is undoubtedly premium. Puma’s proprietary monolayer, monofiber synthetic combines the virtues of the thinness of a synthetic with the padding of a pair of leather boots. By this, I mean that the boots offer a thin, premium barefoot feel on the ball but when taking shots, there is just enough sufficient padding to take away the sting on the impact. This leads to no fear and no hesitation when taking shots and is truly amazing given the inherent thinness of the upper (which by the way, makes dribbling a true joy). You can really feel the technology that Puma has incorporated into the making of this synthetic and more importantly, can truly appreciate during the course of a match where you feel as if nothing is holding you back. The only issue that might turn some people off is the addition of a glossy, sticky finish all over the upper that is shaped like parallel stars – this is in stark contrast to the previous previous colourways of the evoSpeed 1.2 where the GripTex was present in much lesser amounts. Quite interestingly though, I did not feel throughout testing that the grip provided by either of the two boots differed very much. So if you are worried that this model may provide something of a different feel from the previous colourway, your worries are quite unfounded. As with the previous colourways of the evoSpeed, the upper combined with sticky and glossy finishing allows for a grip on the ball that I would describe to be perfectly balanced. Puma’s combination allows you to make touches on the ball without having the feeling that the ball is perpetually slipping away from you, but at the same time does not make touches feel overly sticky which I dislike very much because it interferes with my game. The grippy texture has the added advantage of providing grip in wet conditions that is definitely noticeable.
Dribbling
As mentioned earlier, dribbling in the Puma evoSpeed Tricks is wonderful because you get a truly close feeling of the ball, a premium barefoot feel, because the upper is a thin one. The addition of the grippy texture only adds to an already immensely satisfying dribbling experience. While dribbling, you feel as if you are in complete control with each touch being very true, and the grip adds on an extra dimension of confidence because of the perfect amount of grip that is present. Dribbling is also influenced by the fit and the traction, so I will discuss these here as well.
The fit of the Puma evoSpeed is very anatomical. By this, I mean that the boots are designed to fit the curves and structure of the human foot very closely. At the toe area, looking from the top of the boots, there is a slight protrusion for the big toe, and then the angle quite acutely cuts off and follows the tips of the other toes very closely. This allows for the feeling that the boot was custom-made for you because they follow the natural foot anatomy so closely. Because these boots fit so well, the areas of flexion and extension are perfectly in sync with your feet movements so when dribbling, you always feel you’re in control and that if you desire a certain touch, that touch is what you will get.
The traction of the Puma evoSpeed is a masterstroke as well. With this release, Puma has opted to use the more traditional conical studs. Nothing fancy there. What makes this truly work is that Puma has elected to increase the length of these studs just slightly but in doing so, making a world of difference. The slightly longer studs allow for greater and easier ground penetration and so offer explosive release and great grip on the ground; usually this comes at a sacrifice because rotation and maneuverability is limited once your foot is planted in the ground. However, because the studs are conical, there is no sacrifice here and rotation and maneuverability with your foot planted is as good as it gets. It is a true dribblers dream, with pace and agility all in one package. In addition, the conical studs make it easier to roll the ball under your feet, a la futsal style – again making these boots very attractive to players who love to dribble.
At this point, it is important to note that what contributes significantly to the excellent traction is Puma’s EverFit cage system and the rigid Speedtrack system. The lateral stability offered is up there with the best and gives you a very responsive feel and a great platform to make sharp cuts and turns. Without the EverFit cage, the traction would still be decent, but it is the Everfit that makes the locked in effect excellent. The Speedtrack system, because of its rigidity, gives an extremely responsive ride without sacrificing flexibility owing to the DuoFlex system in place at the forefoot.
Passing
We had some reservations about passing the ball in the evoSpeeds initially. This was due to the fact that the angle where the upper met the soleplate seemed unusually acute – how then would a player be expected to pass the ball on a convex surface? On testing, however, it was a completely different story. Upon slipping your feet into the boots, the boots conform to the shape of your foot (again playing on the whole anatomical fit angle of the boot) and passing becomes very natural. No problems that we initially anticipated occurred and we enjoyed using the boots thoroughly. Again, the sticky texture of the boot could be felt but just enough to generate friction without feeling overly sticky and frustrating. Kudos to Puma for creating this perfect balance.
Shooting
Shooting in the Puma evoSpeeds, quite surprisingly, has a certain Predator feel about it. Despite the thin feeling of the upper when you are dribbling, these boots give you the sensation of bulk when striking the ball. There is minimal sting on impact with the ball which gives the player a lot of confidence when striking the ball. Many players’ primary complaint about boots with overly thin uppers is that while it affords a great dribbling experience, shooting in them especially over the course of a game can be quite painful. The Puma evoSpeed manages to overcome that and it is great that Puma has taken players’ feedback into account. As mentioned earlier, the sticky finishing on the upper is just enough to allow you to generate friction to curve the ball, without sacrificing the overall feel in the sense of making it too sticky and unnatural. Well-played, Puma.
Protection
Protection is another area of the lighter boots that usually gets sacrificed, but with the Puma evoSpeeds, very surprisingly again, that is not the case. During the course of our matches we got stepped on with the full weight of the defender on our feet but they came through relatively unscathed, which was a very pleasant surprise. We expected to be hobbling out of the game but instead we gained more confidence with each challenge that failed to take us out of the game. For players looking for lighter boots but are unwilling or reluctant to sacrifice protection, the Puma evoSpeed is definitely a boot worth checking out.
Anatomy, Biomechanics, Injury Concerns
Here, we want to emphasize the great fit of the Puma evoSpeed. Everything about it is meant to conform to the anatomy of the foot, even if it was not very widely advertised. The ability of the upper to conform to our foot shape, the way the toebox is cut, it truly brings out the optimum function of the human foot. For Singapore players, and Asians in general, we find this pair of boots to be very suitable because it is slightly shorter than say the Mercurial Vapors and with the flex of the boot in sync with your foot, the amount of control you get is one of the best out there. Injury concerns are much minimized in this pair of boots as well, and this is something I was not expecting to say before I began testing the boots.
Personally, I have an average width foot to with a slightly wide midfoot, and I found these boots to fit perfectly, and true to size. I would even say that these boots have the necessary width to fit wider footed players, so for those players out there with a wider foot throughout the forefoot, midfoot and hindfoot, or those who have flat feet, this is a pair that you can consider if you are looking for a synthetic boot that is very light.
So that’s it for the written review from me. The Puma evoSpeed Tricks is a pair of boots that has defied my expectations, and is a pair that I would encourage many to try as well. If you are a player who has always wanted to try lighter synthetic boots but were put off by width or length, the Puma evoSpeed will give you a pleasant surprise, just as it has with us. We say, well done Puma.
Rating
– Comfort 4.5/5
– Weight 4/5
– Dribbling 5/5
– Passing 4/5
– Shooting 5/5
– Protection 3.5/5
– Durability 4/5
– Biomechanics 5/5
– Injury concerns 4/5
– Suitability for Singapore 5/5
Score (Singapore context): 44/50
Score (Local conditions not taken into account): 39/45
The Puma evoSpeed Tricks can be bought at Puma Concept Stores or Weston Corporation for SGD219.
Watch how these boots perform in performance related domains such as dribbling, shooting and passing, and see if our initial impressions from our first video changed after rigorous testing of the boots!
Puma EvoSpeed 1.2 Tricks FG World Cup 2014 First Impression Review is out! Check it out here:
Introduction
The Nike Mercurial Vapor X has had a largely underwhelming release, playing second fiddle to the much-hyped Superfly IV. This is very unfortunate as with the Mercurial Vapor X, Nike have released a Vapor that is much-improved over its predecessor. The Vapor may seem like a lower grade model compared to the Superfly IV, but this is definitely not the case; both are top-grade, premium boots, simply offering their own unique experiences that is up to you to decide which one you prefer. Here, we bring you the lowdown on the new technology the Vapor X incorporates, but more importantly, we bring you how the Vapor performs in a game, our ultimate standard by which all boots are assessed.
Technical specifications
Upper
According to Nike, the Mercurial Vapor X still features the Teijin OLM12 synthetic, similar to the ones used on the Vapor VIII and IX. There are key differences, however, between the Vapor IX and X that make the Vapor X a very different animal. With the Vapor IX, we saw the introduction of the golf-ball dimples that in all honesty, to us, did not feel very significant in influencing the touch of the boot; if anything, the slightly tacky gloss finish played a larger role in determining the ever-so-slightly sticky feeling on the ball, which could explain Cristiano Ronaldo’s preference for the leather version of all his Vapors. The Teijin used on the Speed Control version of the Vapor IX was relatively soft and flexible, and became even softer after a few hours of break-in time, and expanded just a little to accomodate more players than its narrower predecessors. With the Vapor X however, Nike have completely redesigned the upper to make it more of a matte finish, which gets a thumbs up from us. For those who have a bit of trouble imagining it, think of it as the same “matte-ness” as the heel portion of the Vapor IX, that would be a good approximation of the feeling of the Vapor X. In addition, Nike added texturing on the boot that is best described as micro-protrusions – these purportedly add just the right amount of friction on the ball without being too tacky or sticky – a common complaint that users of the Vapor IX had when it came to the Speed Control version of the boot. It must also be noted that the upper of the Vapor X is thinner than the already super-thin upper of the Vapor IX, and this continues the Mercurial tradition of premium barefoot feel – this time, the feeling of playing barefoot is even more pronounced. In addition, it is softer and in fact, elastic (it actually stretches like a resistance band when you pull it hard enough) – and because it is so, it wraps and envelopes your foot unlike its relatively (note that it is relative) stiffer predecessors. For those who enjoy playing barefoot, this comes the closest where the Mercurial line is concerned.
Another radical change of the Vapor X is the fact that the upper is now almost completely a one-piece upper. Almost, because part of the tongue that is nearest to the ankle is not attached; for all intents and purposes, however, we would still consider it a one-piece upper. This allows for a seamless fit once you put the boot on, even without tying the laces. Once you do, however, you get a true lockdown effect and with the boot cradling every curve of your boot, it is truly a sensational feeling.
The boots are treated with All Conditions Control (ACC), which does allow for better grip on the ball in wet conditions.
Comfort (Fit, Inner materials, Sizing)
While the fit of the Mercurial line has always been up there with the best, this time round, the change of the Teijin synthetic to a softer and more flexible one means that the fit is even more improved. The boots seem to hug every curve of your foot, and this makes for a great feeling on the ball. The only complaint that we have about the fit of the Mercurial is its length; strangely, and more applicably to Asians, the Mercurial Vapor always seems to fit a tad too long. This increase in length however is not sufficient enough to warrant going a half-size down, which leaves many of its users in limbo. This means that when you flex your foot, the area where the boot has maximal flexion between the forefoot and the midfoot does not coincide with the maximal flexion of your foot itself; as a result, there is always a feeling that you are compensating for the fit of the boot with your touches, so the boot does not feel as if it has disappeared on your feet. While this does not have a major impact if you are having a casual kickabout, in the heat of a match, when close touches are crucial and the pace is faster, it is difficult to compensate every time and so quickly so invariably, touches get either too heavy or too light and it can be quite frustrating at times. Our recommendation is not to go a half-size down however, as the fit gets way to narrow and your feet start to feel ischemic (blood supply gets cut off). This is a point worth considering if you are a serious, competitive player.
Soleplate/Traction
Following the success of the Nike Hypervenom, and of its nylon soleplate, it comes as no surprise that Nike have adapted it to the Vapor X. What makes it even more tantalising this time round is they have taken the low profile, comfortable soleplate with the perfect balance of stiffness (for push-off) and flexibility (for freedom of movement) and made the conical studs bladed, but with rounder edges than the Vapor IX. What this means is that you get the aggressive push-off that Vapor users love, while maintaining the ability to rotate once your foot is planted on the ground. It truly combines the best of the Hypervenom and Vapor soleplates, and we have grown addicted to it – there is truly nothing like it on the market. The closest any traction has come to this is the CTR360 Maestri IIIs with the “half-moon” studs, but that had a bit of a drag that we disliked. This traction pattern is something else. The insole is a typical lightweight perforated Mercurial insole, for which we have no complaints.
Weight
Nike have managed to shave off more weight for their Vapor X compared to the Vapor IX. It now weighs in at 6.2oz, a 0.4oz decrease from the Vapor IX. This difference, while minute is noticeable in-game, but very, very subtly, so for all intents and purposes if you want to have a gauge of the weight, simply pick up a Vapor IX and that would roughly be it.
Performance
Dribbling
The main attraction of a Vapor, to many, would be the barefoot feel on the ball when dribbling that gives a precise idea of what you’re doing with the ball and where the ball is going to end up with your every touch (assuming you are skilful enough – we cannot stress the importance of ability over boot type). The Vapor X, in this aspect, gives us something of a mixed feeling. While we thoroughly enjoyed the thinness of the upper and the way it conformed to the shape of our feet, we couldn’t quite get past the extra length that it had and the aberrant area of maximal flexion as mentioned earlier. At crucial moments of our matches, where we had no issues with other boots such as the Hypervenom and the Adidas Predator LZ 2, we seemed to take too heavy touches on the ball and our minds were more occupied with compensating for that flexion difference rather than that we were going to do with the ball. That said, this issue is not a huge one and if it is something that is acceptable to you, then this boot is perfect because we have no other gripes about it. The traction, as mentioned earlier, allows for great aggressive push-off and rotation once your foot is planted, crucial movements when dribbling and we have to say we thoroughly enjoyed it. If Nike could just decrease the length of the boot by a small bit, we believe the boot will be flawless – the lightweight nature of the boot, the way the boot moulds to your feet, the amazing traction and the thin, flexible upper make the Vapor irresistible.
Passing, Shooting
Where passing and shooting are concerned, the name of the game in the Vapor X is precision. It does not have any extra padding or extra material to soften the impact or allow for more material between your foot and the ball, but this lack of material is more than made up for with the precise strikes that you are able to make with the Vapor. Paradoxically, we found the Vapor to offer us a better platform for harder strikes on the ball, and we were able to generate more power in our shots. Why? Because the Vapor wraps around the foot, following every curve of the foot, and so when striking the ball hard, especially when taking a shot at goal, you are able to use precisely the base of your first metatarsal to strike the ball, giving a very optimum and sweet strike. Perhaps an easier way of putting it would be the Vapor takes away all the gimmicks of a boot and gives you just enough protection for your technique to shine through. We love the feeling of shooting in this Vapor.
Off-the-ball running
The Mercurial Vapor X are very lightweight, so we expected them to have the sensation of disappearing on our feet, but because of the bit of extra length, we were conscious of the fact that they were there throughout the match. This however is just a small minus in the many great virtues that the Mercurial Vapor possesses.
Protection
Protection is not an aspect that the Mercurial line focuses on and therefore is very strong in. If you get studded, it is going to hurt. With a boot this light and flexible, something has got to give, and protection is sacrificed in this aspect.
Durability
Being such a lightweight boot, the durability is great. The material is elastic and offers some stretch, and because it has a sort of give to it less stress is placed on the seam between the upper and the soleplate so sole separation is actually less likely. The upper itself is durable and will not rip easily, while the soleplate, being made of nylon, does not wear out very quickly. Playing on artificial turf will decrease the lifespan of the boots compared to if you played on natural grass, but even then, we found the Vapor to hold up very well and it feels very solid in general.
Local Quirks
1. Asian feet
We found, as mentioned earlier, that these boots run just a tad too long in length, but not enough to go a half-size down. For players that prefer a fit that is perfect in length relative to your foot, you might want to try these pair of boots to see if you can accept the extra length. Another alternative is to wear thicker socks to make up for the increase in length.
2. Hot artificial pitches
We are happy to announce that these hold up really well! In previous incarnations of the Vapor, most notably in the Mercurial Vapor IX, the heat that built up in the soleplates on a very hot day was just unbearable. Some players had to temporarily sit out because the boots became too hot to stand in. With the new nylon soleplate in the Vapor X, it absorbs and traps heat much lesser than its predecessor and it was a joy to finally forget the pain and focus on our game.
ABC (Anatomy, Biomechanics, injury Caution)
In general, we find that the Mercurial Vapor X fit longer feet better. For players with wider feet, these boots are actually more forgiving than previous generations, and even players with slightly flat feet will be able to fit into these boots. That said, we always recommend going down to stores to try these boots out yourselves, if you have the option of doing so.
Where biomechanics are concerned, the Mercurial Vapor X maximises the biomechanics of the by virtue of its ability to follow the curves of our feet. Because it ensures no dead space (except where the length is concerned), the foot is able to move very fluidly, which is good thing. However, it must be noted that the Mercurial Vapor X is (as Mercurials have always been) a bit on the restrictive side and the muscles of the foot may not be able to perform at their optimal length and tension – this means that throughout the course of the game, the amount of compensation or effort that you put in will be greater than another pair of boots that is less restrictive, for example the Nike Hypervenom. While this did affect our touches, it was less pronounced than the Mercurial Vapor IX, so there is a definite improvement in this aspect.
For the Mercurial Vapor IX, the studs were very aggressive and there were only 2 of them in the heel that were rather long so it actually predisposed players to ankle sprains due to stud breakage, with many complaints of that actually happening around the world. In the Vapor X update, this problem is solved, not only because there are now 4 studs at the back (leading to better pressure distribution) but also because they are shorter in length. For those who are worried that grip and traction will be sacrificed, fret not – the Vapor X still performs amazingly where these 2 aspects are concerned.
Comparisons
The most common comparison that we get is: how do these boots compare to the new Superfly IV? Is it worth it splashing out more cash for the Superfly? Our answer is, it all depends on personal preference. These 2 pairs of boots are very different even though they both carry the Mercurial name. The Vapor has more of an elastic feel that feels thinner than the Superfly, and it is great for the player who prefers something more traditional (although we must stress that the Vapor is not something we would define as traditional, given the new concept of the one-piece upper). The Superfly on the other hand, focuses more on the lockdown effect that the Flywire provides with an upper that is just a tiny bit thicker. The Vapor X weighs in at 6.2oz while the Superfly weighs in at 7.1z, so with a difference of nearly an oz, the weight disparity is certainly noticeable in-game. We actually find the Vapor X to be a more traditional Vapor which focuses on touch, traction and decreased weight, while the Superfly seems more to us like a tighter Magista with a focus on fit. If you want the traditional Vapor experience, go with the Vapor X; if you want to try something that is Vapor-like but with additional tweaks, go with the Superfly.
Common concerns
The boot is durable, so for those who worry about it not lasting a season, if you take proper care of the boots, they will. The other concern has to do with the length of the boots, it is just a little bit long – but if you can get around the problem with thicker socks or simply just bearing with it, then the Vapor X has a lot to offer.
Conclusion
On the whole, the Mercurial Vapor X is a definite improvement over its predecessor. With a thinner upper that is softer and more flexible, a closer fit, a traction pattern that outperforms the Vapor IX in both grip and rotation when the foot is planted, Nike has produced another winner in its venerable Mercurial Vapor line. There are many boots out there where companies make changes simply for the sake of doing so, but for the Vapor X, Nike has listened to feedback from players and redesigned aspects that were not fully satisfactory, resulting in a boot that is much improved and quite simply, a joy to play in.
Rating
– Comfort 4/5
– Weight 5/5
– Dribbling 4/5
– Passing 5/5
– Shooting 5/5
– Protection 2/5
– Durability 4/5
– Biomechanics 4/5
– Injury concerns 4/5
– Suitability for Singapore 4/5
Score (Singapore context): 41/50
Score (Local conditions not taken into account): 37/45
The Straight Shooters 