Alright, folks. Today’s topic for discussion is the Under Armour Dominate Pro cleats—that’s right, Under Armour ventured into the soccer realm. As far as early tries go, these boots actually aren’t all that bad. They have some surprising upsides that I think some people will bite on.
Normally, the look of the shoe is a huge aspect of discussion; what colorway is best, what lace position looks best, what kind of lines and curves dominate the shoe, etc. etc. However, with these boots, look seems to be secondary. They basically look like a low cut football (read: American football) shoe. Everything about the shoe serves a utilitarian purpose, but it still has an appealing quality to it. For me, that attractiveness stems from the MPZ technology on the toe; it’s a black band that sprouts from either side of the foot and stretches across the foot, just beneath the lace and just above the tips of the toes. Aside from that, these boots are a standard looking black and white shoe with nothing too fancy or flashy about them.
Under Armour jam packed these puppies with technological utilitarian goodies, so hopefully that piques your interest. As I mentioned previously, these boots have the MPZ technology on the toes, which is meant to improve touch as well as protection. This may be the case, but, in my experience, the benefit is more or less negligible. It won’t turn you into a star in and of itself. The heel also has a protective cup on the outside that, by itself, is pretty darn sturdy. However, it’s glued into the much weaker K Leather, which allows the cup to flex a little too much. Had the cup been placed inside the leather, then I think it would’ve served its purpose much better. There are also a couple issues with the cleat pattern. Under Armour went with a mix of bladed and conical cleats, with the bladed at the heel and conical at the front of the soccer shoes. This certainly makes for an odd feeling when you first strap a pair on, but it may be something you could get used to. The problem lies with placement. The cleats at the front are positioned too wide, so your foot feels pressure in the wrong places and causes discomfort. The bladed cleats at the back are placed too close together, so your heel feels a little unstable.
That said, these boots do have some redeeming qualities, so don’t get discouraged. The laces, for instance, lack a tongue and instead have two overlapping pieces of K-leather that provide a tighter fit when lacing them up. The ArmourForm insole further keeps your foot in place with the textured pad, which also provides quality comfort. Then there is also the Under Armour Water Intelligence that repels water. We all know how annoying it is to have boots soak up water that bogs you down over the course of the match; that won’t happen with the Dominate boots. I’ve mentioned the fact that these boots are made from K Leather, which I love. You just can’t beat leather. It provides such comfort and flexibility once broken in that synthetics haven’t been able to match in my mind. However, Under Armour missed the mark just a bit. These boots are a little on the heavy side. They aren’t bricks, but they also aren’t adiZero boots.
At the moment, these boots retail for $189.99, with Soccerpro.com selling them for $94.99. If you’re looking for a water proof boot with a snug fit and comfortable insole, then you may venture into these pair. If not, then I don’t think anyone will blame you for checking out other options first. Under Armour had a good early try at a soccer boot, and I think they’ll do better in the future; for now, though, Adidas and Nike are top dogs.
Written by: Kris Dyer, who pays rent on time and cable bills around the due date, soccerprose.com
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