Brand new: Lotto Solista 100

Lotto’s new football boots have made a splash with a striking new colourway at Fútbol Emotion. You’ve already seen the photo. We know what you’re thinking: ‘What a copy of adidas!’ No, mates, it’s not a copy at all. There’s a word that perfectly defines what goes on in the world of marketing – including, of course, the world of football boots – and that is ‘benchmarking’. This involves taking something that already existed – particularly from the competition – and improving upon it. Even if you think that adidas’s first laceless football boots were the first of their kind, you’re wrong. No, adidas wasn’t the first to make laceless football boots; it was Lotto itself, which brought the incredible Lotto Zhero Gravity to the market in 2006.

Lotto Solista 100 Gravity laceless boots

The battle to be first in a niche market continued, as Umbro once again stayed one step ahead of the German brand, bringing us the first laceless leather boot: the current Umbro Medusae 3 Elite. Staying with the Italian brand, this is by no means the beginning of Lotto’s story, but what happened in 2006 marked a turning point for the brand. The Italian manufacturers launched their boot for the 2006 World Cup. Although it wasn’t the lightest design, its 210g weight suggested that something was changing. Despite this, at that time there was still a natural scepticism towards laceless boots, and the brand’s players unanimously decided to wear the laced Zhero Gravity version.

Behind this Lotto Solista football boot lie inspirations and visions for the future. Lotto’s position in today’s market, despite being one of the most iconic brands in the world of football, is by no means amongst the top four. This hasn’t stopped them from producing a boot with a completely flexible upper that feels comfortable on the player’s foot. Lotto’s new knit feels much softer than that of the competition, coated with a film on the outside, which provides much better grip and also offers a degree of water resistance. All this results in a clean, distraction-free striking area. And let’s not forget its little ‘sister’, the Lotto Solista 200 – a boot that’s very popular amongst Italian Serie A teams, and which, it’s worth noting, is a top-of-the-range boot.

Lotto is once again showcasing its creative flair by offering footballers a technology called ANKLE FIT, which ensures a perfect fit around the ankle. The philosophy of incorporating ergonomic design around the malleoli – an area that is so exposed and works so hard during play – has been neglected of late, but Lotto is reintroducing it. This fit cannot be too restrictive, which is why the new Lotto Solista 100 features an area on the instep called ERGO TONG. This ensures that the foot slips into the boot as smoothly as possible, thanks to a much softer and more elastic knit.

*First colourway of the Lotto Solista III Gravity from June 2019.

Our favourite feature is the outsole-midsole combination. One of Lotto’s main concerns was ensuring the boots were completely versatile; by this we mean that they should be suitable for all foot types, whether wide or narrow. Very often, laceless football boots are designed for a specific foot type; however, the Italian brand has included two pairs of insoles with this boot, so that, in the unlikely event that you have a narrow foot, you can achieve a much better fit and support by using both insoles.

To round off this review of the new Lotto Solista, we’ll take a look at its sole. One of the key features of the Solista 100 Agility football boot is its lightness; to achieve this, the boot features a reactive nylon plate incorporating PUNTO FLEX technology. It features five conical studs that ensure stability, flexibility and changes of direction; six semi-conical studs, known as EVO, positioned in strategic areas to ensure acceleration, traction and braking; and one laminar traction stud in the metatarsal area to increase propulsion. The aforementioned PUNTO FLEX technology is responsible for the plate’s resilience, ensuring better flex in the forefoot of the shoe.

As you can see, it’s the same philosophy, different technologies, but at the end of the day, it’s a NEW football boot. One thing we mustn’t do is pigeonhole this new release simply because it ‘looks like’ a boot that already exists. This new boot is due to be released around July, and you’ll of course have the chance to buy it via the Fútbol Emotion website. What do you think of the new Lotto Solista 100 Gravity? Let us know in the comments section or via our various social media channels.