What’s the Puma King Pro about?
After a long awaited return, the Puma King has made its triumphant return to the soccer boot world. Players like Diego Maradona, Johan Cruyff, and Pele have made the Puma King famous over the years. Lately though, the King has been absent from what has been a strong Puma line up. There was a version released in 2013 that was sub par at best, a showing that could have killed the boot all together but thanks to some modern technology and the classic look of keep-it-simple on a boot, the King has made its way back to the market in two variations that will certainly get boot nerds and leather loving players, excited to give it a run out this season.
The King Pro keeps a beautiful low profile, blackout colorway with some white accents on the tongue for branding. I have long said a blackout and whiteout colorway can make nearly any boot look like a winner. The low cut ankle area is a nice escape from the collar-game that seems to be taking over most brands “high end” boots. The leather lowcut boot offers a simple look at what a solid cleat should look like. When a soccer cleat has little to no distractions or gimmicks, that boot will most likely turn out to be a winner for you longterm.
Getting into the nitty gritty of the boot, we have some surprising tech specs to sprinkle in with the performance of the boot. First and foremost, Puma has listed the leather upper as a Kangaroo Leather. Hard to believe for a $100 boot right? The leather reminds me a lot of a thicker version of the Puma evoSPEEED SL Leather boot that released a few years ago. The leather is soft and supple to the touch, while having a decent thickness to it to offer a sturdy upper that can last long term for any player. The leather makes up all of the toebox, instep, and wraps around to the outside of your foot to give a solid surface area to strike and control the ball. The back part of the boot is made up of a faux leather that can add more stability and longevity to the boot. Playing in the boot is an absolute dream. The soft leather is perfect for controlling the ball, a perfect upper for midfielders or defenders. I would not be surprised to see some players like Vincent Kompany lacing up in the King Platinum this season for Anderlecht as their new Player-Manager. The boot seems made just for players that love a classic boot feel; on a new technology style plate and some next level fit.
As far as playing matches or in practices with the Puma King Pro, the boot is a dream to play in. A lot of times with soccer cleats, the best feeling is taking them off after you are finished playing. I was surprised how well the boot fit my slightly wide feett and still performed incredibly even after a little extra stress from a wider foot. The soleplate is made up of a lightweight TPU plastic that is both flexible when sprinting and solid in the heel area when you are stopping. The King Pro features one of my favorite features in a cleat, conical studs. I have always enjoyed the ability the conical stud gives to make 360 degree movements at any moment without having to worry about any extra traction.
After two weeks of testing the boot, the King is looking like a real winner. The leather has softened up even more than I thought it would at this point, and the “collar” allows for easy on and off when getting ready for a match, shoot around, or anything you may need the boot for. The King Pro is now one of the best boots to find for anyone looking for a solid cleat on a budget. For $100, you could snag 2-3 of these for the price of one high-end boots on the market. I would highly recommend this boot for the “casual player” who plays in Sunday league, pick up games, or even school soccer. High Level players would love this boot to go back to the roots of comfort in a soccer cleat while still looking like a contestant for our Colorway of the Year award in the “Booties”.
I briefly mentioned some of the players who are famous for rocking the old school Puma King like Maradona, Pele, and Cruyff. But one to watch out for this season would be Vincent Kompany (Anderlecht) and any up and coming City players this season as the club was just picked up by Puma this season. A solid option for anyone in an academy that requires the use of blackout boots, much like Manchester United does for their youth academy.
Overall, the King Pro is a real winner. From its Kangaroo Leather upper, to the solid TPU plastic soleplate. I struggle to find anything I really dislike in the King Pro. Of course when you compare the boot to the Platinum, it is clearly a takedown boot of a superior cleat. However, I see this as one of the great deals I have seen a boot. The King Pro offers a solid option for any player at every level. If you can find this cleat on sale, pounce on it. You wont regret it.
7.5/10
at 16:23
Any guidance on sizing? The reviews are great but I don’t see any mention of sizing up or down. I have wide feet and would also love to see recommendations of wide-friendly models since copas seem to be about the only boots that don’t change or get end of life’d.
at 15:57
I would say if you have a wide foot, maybe go a half size or full size up on the King. The collar on the cleat is tough to fit wide feet into. Other options that could work for you could be the Future (especially past years models), Predators, and Wide fit New Balance options.
at 07:47
I wouldn’t say I have particularly wide feet but I bought these in my size (instead of half a size up) and couldn’t wear them. I loved the look so really wanted to believe I could stretch them out. I wore them around the house for a week and stuffed them whenever not wearing them. However on the first run out I barely made it through the warm up before having to put my old boots back on. They were just so narrow across the mid-foot that the tightness soon made my feel go numb!
Gutted.