Home / Product Reviews / The Best, Most Overlooked, Most Affordable Soccer Shoe This Year: The Umbro GT Pro

 

Umbro used to be the premier soccer manufacturer in the world, they pioneered fitted soccer jerseys and shoes after all, but recently they have fallen on hard times. Last year they were bought by Nike, and since then they have totally revamped their product line integrating Nike technology. The first Umbro shoe to sport Nike tech, is the Umbro GT Pro, and I have to say its the best soccer cleat under $150 that I’ve seen in years.

The upper is made from the same Teijin leather as the Nike Superfly, its got touch pads modeled of the CTR360 Maestri on the instep of the toe, and the same cleat pattern as the venerable Tiempo Legends. But, its still an Umbro shoe at heart, and sports the best piece of tech they have ever come up with, the A-Frame. This is basically an set of straps that run through the upper on both sides of your foot and are fastened to the sole at the base. The other end of the A-Frame is integrated into the lace loops, and when you put these on you can feel it pressing your foot into the heel cup. No matter how hard your run, you’ll never feel these shoes get lose.

The inside of the shoe has the same memory foam comfort as the CTR360 Maestri and feels great, but it fits a little tighter around the toe. It also has an EVA sockliner and your feet won’t get sweaty or too hot when your playing in these. The memory foam interior also means you won;’t have to break these shoes in first, they’re ready to play as soon as you put them on.

The cleats are patterned like a Nike Tiempo Legend, and they’re held in place by an ultralight cleat bed that helps to make these shoes lighter than the Nike Superfly. Overall, these are great shoes, and definitely the sleeping giant of the boot world, and at $139.99, you can’t beat the price.

Written by: Matthew Wall, editor, soccerprose.com

 

About the author: Matthew Wall

 

I've played soccer since I could walk thanks to my father and love keeping up on all the latest gear and gab. I'm in my twenties, and I'm lucky enough to have found work in search marketing for a leading soccer retailer after completing my M.A. at Georgetown in 2008. My team is Liverpool, and national side is Ireland, but I've also got a passion for GAA and a number of sports. Feel free to give me a shout on Google+

 

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