In previous months, the shop’s wall was decidedly dominated by firm ground boots. This dominance has since been tempered by the emergence of a plethora of indoor, turf and futsal boots. At the moment, I have the Nike5 Bomba turf shoes in the black with cool grey and “jetstream” colorway sitting in front of me; first impressions were mediocre, but, as per usual with me, time was kind to these boots. I definitely approve of them both in terms of looks as well as feel.
Turf is notoriously brutal on shoes, so clearly you need a shoe built to withstand the beating inflicted upon it. Depending on your frequency of play, this soccer shoe will do just fine for you. If turf is an occasional event for you, then don’t worry about going up to the Bomba Pro or Bomba Finale, but if turf is a several-times-a-week deal, consider the higher end options. ANYWAY, on to the turf soccer shoes at hand; the synthetic leather upper is bonded to the rubber sole with a stitched toe, so separation at the front end won’t be an issue. The tension points at the forefoot are also covered with a piece of fabric stitched over the synthetic leather to reinforce the stress point. The upper is constructed out of 6 pieces of fabric, all double stitched, which means you won’t need to worry about unraveling or tearing.
Given the low-profile of these boots and relatively coarse sock-liner, I wasn’t sure I’d feel comfortable in these shoes, but buddy was I wrong. While the ankle support is admittedly lacking, the boots still felt snug without being constricting, and the insole still cradled my foot without being too giving. It basically felt like a great balance between support and flexibility. I should mention, too, that the ankle support isn’t non-existent; I didn’t feel as if my ankle would break at any given cut, but there are probably more opportunities than normal for a rolled ankle. I wouldn’t let that issue deter you from the boots though, as that’s probably more to do with my own feet than anything.
Rounding out the construction, we have the sole, which is unique to say the least. The rubber hexagon studs are numerous and come in varying sizes to offer proper traction on the turf. Slipping and sliding absolutely won’t be an issue. Again depending on your rate of play, wearing and tearing may come into play. What I love about the sole is that it gives you ample grip without causing you to stick too much, so you can still be swift on the pitch.
Last but not least, we have the look of the boots. It seems reminiscent of the early 90s themed shoes from Nike, with the thick, all-caps NIKE making an appearance in grey over a black heel. From there, we have a grey forefoot with a silver toe-fabric overlaid. This would all be fairly boring if not for the complementing red and light grey sole. My eye is constantly being drawn to the red of the sole, which then causes me to notice the lustrous silver Swoosh on the outside of the foot. Even though the theme’s colors are black, grey, and red, Nike did a bang up job making it appealing and exciting. Kudos, Nike.
Be prepared to spend $49.99 on a pair of these boots, which I think is more than fair if you’re only going to play on them once or twice a week. They’ll last for quite some time while still providing proper touch and fit. Be confident that they fit true to size as well.
Written by: Kris Dyer, contributing editor, soccerprose.com
