Wayne Rooney has had a solid campaign thus far for Manchester United in the Premiership. He has netted 13 times while providing three assists in 20 games. Some people may say it’s his natural talent that has brought him so much success, but I would argue it’s the cleats on his feet. The Nike Total 90 Lasers have been Rooney’s cleats of choice for many years now The last model of the Total 90 left a little to be desired, but the new version is a force to be reckon with. These totally revamped cleats should be catching the eye of players everywhere..
Style
The colorway I have in front of me looks smart. It consists of red, gray and white which go together very well. Generally, the Total90 series feature synthetic cleats, however, these shoes feature a kanga-lite upper just like the CTR series. Kanga-lite was developed to give you the touch of kangaroo leather while decreasing water uptake and increasing comfort. It also features a textured instep in order to give swerve on your shots and crosses as well as increased control. The lacing is also off-center to provide you with a cleaner striking surface. The studs are bladed in order to give excellent traction on all surfaces.
Feel
After the last version of the Total90, I began to lose faith in Nike’s striker boots. Thankfully, they have completely revamped this version and it is not as bulky and uncomfortable as the old ones; it is actually quite the opposite. These are some of the most comfortable cleats I have worn in some time. As soon as you slip this cleat on your foot, it feels like a glove. They have also taken quite a bit of weight off so they do not feel like you are wearing a brick on each foot during a game. The molded EVA sockliner is very soft on your ankles and shouldn’t cause blisters.
Overall
If you wore the old Total90 and didn’t like them, do not hold that against this version. This pair of cleats is hardly recognizable compared to the last version. They are lighter, more comfortable, and not as bulky. I wasn’t a fan of the old Total90’s, but I love these. You can definitely tell that Nike paid attention to what fans had to say and changed things accordingly. So if you are looking for a new pair of cleats, check these out, and don’t let preconceived notions hold you back from trying out a great pair strikers cleats.
Written By: Eric Stoyanov, Contributing Writer, soccerprose.com
