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!
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.
– Tongue: A mesh padded tongue
– Lacing: Thin, flat laces
– Insole: Foam insert that is plush, soft and relatively thick. Provides arch support.
– Heel counter: Plastic, minimalist heel counter.
– Outsole: Plastic elastomer with the rigid SpeedTrack technology through the midfoot and hindfoot and DuoFlex system in the forefoot
– Studs: Conical studs. Slightly longer than most boots. 12 stud layout.
– 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.
The Straight Shooters 