Hello again, folks! Hopefully you’ve had time to grab a drink and snack after reading Eric’s review; I’m going to keep up the boot trend by taking a look at the Puma King Indoor IT boots in the classic black and white colorway. Are the soccer shoes flashy? Nope. Are they built to take abuse and perform night in and night out? Absolutely.
We won’t spend too much time on the look of the shoe because, as I said, it’s classic. The upper is all black with the signature Puma swoosh in white on both sides of the boot, with an additional white and black puma logo stamped into the heel. Add in the (almost) trademark white flipped tongue with Puma King on it, and you round out the boot’s style. It’s simple and doesn’t mess with tradition; why take a heritage boot and add bells and whistles? The Puma King is one of the most recognizable boots on the market, regardless of playing surface, and I’m glad Puma kept it traditional. The look is maybe about 30% of these boots’ value in my opinion, with the other 70% coming from the construction.
The upper is made with 100% leather. This of course means a softer feel on the ball with a higher comfort ceiling once broken in. The upper is a bit stiff at first owing to the high profile of the shoe, but don’t let that scare you away from the shoe—it will break in after a couple of weeks. Moving down, you’ve got a stalwart of a sole which is thicker at the heel, presumably to absorb some of the shock of the harder indoor surfaces. Everyone knows how painful an awkward landing can feel on your heel, so good on Puma for making the heel more protected. You can’t feel it through the intertubes, but trust me the sole is firm and durable. Basically, it creates a solid barrier between you and the playing surface without sacrificing touch. My main (and really only) gripe with the shoes is the insole. The texture just feels a bit rough still, and I think it’s something Puma could tackle without scrapping the boot’s traditional look. It may just be my personal taste, but the insole could use something a bit more flexible. All-in-all, though, the boot is sturdy, built to take a beating, and provides solid touch on the ball.
As with most Puma shoes, these boots run a little small. I’d suggest going up a half size from normal, but as always, it’s best to find a way to try a pair on in person. A pair will run you about $90, so you’ll want to make sure the boots fit properly. I don’t think the shoe will win over new customers necessarily, but fans of the indoor Kings will not be disappointed.
Written by: Kris Dyer, soccerprose.com
Hello,
I was wondering if the sole of the Puma King Indoor shoes are made of gum rubber.
I need good sticky shoes to run on a slick surface. I do not play soccer. I play ball hockey on gym floors, and also on cement hockey arena floors (without the ice). But with the humidity and dust, the cement becomes very slick, and people are constantly wiping out. I’m looking for good sturdy shoes with a very grippy sole. I’ve heard ‘gum rubber’ is good for this gripping.
Would you recommend these Kings?
Help?
I would recommend the Puma Kings or the Adidas Mundial Goal. They both have a gum rubber sole, but the King is bulkier so it will offer a little more protection.