The Puma King Lazertouch

Today, Puma football boots take centre stage. Many of you will no doubt have already noticed that, once again, Puma is championing more traditional football boots, as this model will instinctively remind you of the Puma King Platinum, which was unveiled in mid-2019. Yes, it’s a similar concept – 90 per cent so, but with some notable differences in design and weight, which we’ll analyse below.

Technical features: Puma King Lazertouch

Visually, it bears no resemblance to the classic Puma King football boot; perhaps, amidst so many creative and structural advances, the Puma ONE 20 football boot is the one that most closely resembles this new release. But let’s be honest, friends: football boots, just like the tactics and all the different aspects of our sport, need to be adapted to the times from time to time. Of course, we can still use the classic, traditional boot, but we’ll miss out on all the benefits and technologies that the brands provide to enhance our game.

These new football boots embody the main reason behind their launch; for although technological innovations in the uppers are the ‘talk of the town’, leather boots will never let us down. It’s as simple as that. This time we’re seeing extremely soft kangaroo leather, and the positive aspect highlighted by Puma is that this leather doesn’t stretch excessively with use; this means that, like any leather, it adapts quickly to your foot, stretching but without going too far. And this is because the new Lazertouch technology is integrated throughout the upper. These are created using lasers to engrave patterns, which fuse with the leather to create textures that allow the boots to perform at their very best. In this case, a pattern has been applied to selected impact zones to further enhance the leather’s control over the ball.

As we’ve seen before, the new King features a conventional lacing system with an upper very similar to that of the Puma One, made from evoKNIT, for a smoother foot entry. For a better fit, it features the new external heel counter, which will, of course, ensure unbeatable stability during more aggressive movements.

As for the sole, it’s nothing short of versatile. A boot for everyone. As indicated by the FG/AG marking – and as you all know – Puma allows us to use it on natural grass pitches, whether dry or wet, or on artificial turf pitches. We must make a point here, as the AG designation generally means the boots can be used on any artificial turf pitch. As a word of advice, we don’t think this outsole is the most suitable for first- and second-generation AG pitches, as the contact surface isn’t ideal for older pitches made from this material. The Rapidsprint plate is made from Pebax, featuring a mix of conical and laminated studs, offering good bursts of speed as it is extremely lightweight, as well as good rotation during turning manoeuvres.