UPDATE!

It’s been six years but Nike has brought back the Lunargato after a hiatus. The new version is the same as the last Lunargato we saw. Pretty much identical in everything except maybe a slight tweak in naming. The “FC 247” aspect is gone. Identical in awesomeness too. Many an indoor baller will be glad about this return. Peep the new versions directly above.

The Nike 24/7 collection made sure to cover every facet of the indoor or short-sided game.  They released the amazing Elastico II for indoor, the impressive Bomba II for turg surfaces, and the LunarGato for street play or general wear.  The LunarGato, in order to be successful, has to be able to function effectively as an everyday shoe or perform at a high level if it gets thrown into the thick of a short-sided game.  The newest version of the Gato has been given a serious face-lift and been built with new materials, separating it from the previous version as a completely new entity.  With this review, we will be taking a look at the LunarGato and decide whether or not it is worth adding to your collection.

The Look- The last LunarGato was extremely boxy, and very few incarnations of it actually looked like legitimate shoes that you would want to wear if you weren’t playing footy at some point.  The LunarGato II could easily be mistaken for a regular tennis shoe, and the colorway combination makes it appeal to fans of soccer or to anyone simply looking fora fashionable shoe.  The instep and outstep are both made of a mesh-like material that Nike are calling HyperFuse, with the rectangular strips of HyperFuse being see-through.  The only area that definitely looks like it is part of a soccer shoe is the textured area around the edge of the toe-box that Nike tend to add to shoes in order to add some durability and help it avoid upper damage if a shoe is used on turf.

The Touch- Although this shoe functions perfectly as a sneaker, it does have a few benefits that come with being a soccer-specific product.  The upper of the entire toe-box is made of an incredibly supple goat-leather and that makes juggling or controlling the ball a dream.  The instep is also thin enough to feel every pass and touch, unlike a normal tennis shoe.  There is also a memory-foam insert in the tongue that makes driven shots or passes feel great coming off of the shoe.  I would say that I have used this shoe more for everyday wear, but I still have thrown it into the footy fray a few times and it definitely delivers the goods.  The only issue you might run into is wishing that the whole shoe was made of that fantastic goat leather!

The Feel- Considering this is the type of shoe that you would wear for longer than ninety minutes at a time, the comfort is extremely important.  Luckily, Nike has created a shoe that is a dream for your feet.  The goat-leather is so soft and it will definitely stretch so that the shoe provides a perfect fit after just a short while.  The foam insert on the tongue also prevents lace-bite and allows you to tighten the shoe as tightly as possible without any added pain or pressure.  After wearing these bad boys for a little over an hour, they already felt like well-worn shoes and I have taken to wearing them wherever I go.  Factor in that the comfort does not change whether you are going to the supermarket or running on a turf-pitch, and the LunarGato passes this category with flying colors.

The Verdict- If you are thinking about purchasing a new indoor shoe, then this is the shoe!  If you are thinking about buying some new sneakers, then this is STILL the shoe!  Never has a shoe been so multi-faceted, good looking, and as comfortable as the Nike LunarGato II.  The launch colors are great, and it will definitely be the type of shoe that I can walk around in for years!  If Nike continue to release fresh-looking colorways for the Gato II, then they have definitely created a winner.

4.5 / 5 stars     
 

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