For all those who follow this section closely and are already familiar with the history of futsal, you know full well that futsal began as an indoor variant of the beautiful game. However, in recent years it has continued to grow, with the number of players and fans increasing steadily. Added to this is greater media coverage and, as a result, growing interest and investment from major sports brands, such as Nike. For this reason, the American brand aims to reaffirm its leading position in both football and futsal with a launch as significant as the one it is presenting to us today.
Nike React Gato futsal shoes
Nike is thus introducing an innovation in a sport that has not seen anything like this, nor any major advances of this calibre, over the last 10–15 years. Beyond making a bold statement to put the spotlight on its brand, Nike aims, with the launch of its new futsal shoes, to make clear its intention to completely transform the futsal industry, raise performance levels on the court and, once and for all, demonstrate the brand’s commitment and passion for the sport.
For the more traditionalists amongst you, we want to make one thing clear from the outset: these new shoes have not been designed to replace the traditional Nike Lunar Gato. This silo will remain part of Nike’s range and will continue to be produced in different colours and combinations. However, the Lunar Gato will not feature this sort of innovation, as that is precisely what the React Gato has been created for – a new model that joins the Lunar Gato as part of the Nike Gato collection.
Technical features: Nike React Gato
We’ve now reached the bit you’ve all been waiting for: a look at the technologies featured in this new range and what we can expect from it on the pitch. The new Nike React Gato futsal shoes introduce a truly revolutionary concept, based on a new way of understanding control and cushioning underfoot.
Turning to the outsole – which is, in fact, one of the features that gives these boots their name – we can see those small yellow dots, which are the flexible modules. These are responsible for providing what is known as ‘control’ underfoot, which in turn translates into greater sensitivity with every touch of the ball. The sole is made almost entirely from REACT foam, a material that sets these futsal shoes apart from many others on the market. This foam provides much more responsive cushioning, whilst offering a great sense of softness and springiness with every movement and every impact.
The upper of these shoes is no exception and has been completely redesigned. The React Gato is built to withstand the abrasion typical of futsal pitches and impacts, whilst also offering better ball contact. The softness you notice the moment you put them on is down to an extremely flexible upper made from Flyknit. At the same time, the addition of a protective TPU layer provides greater strength and durability. The combination of both materials results in a very comfortable and adaptable fit, enveloping the foot and offering a natural feeling of support.
