New Ultimate Cleats

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Adidas, Burn Speed, Cleats, Copa Mundail, Diadora, Diadora Stile LT 10 K MG 14, Firm Ground, Kings, new, NIKE, PUMA, PWR-C 2.10 FG, soccer, Speed TD, T90, Tiempo legend III, Ultimate, UltiNY, Warrior

SWEET NEW CLEATS

At least I think so!

For those of you that visit my Blog regularly, you may remember my post “Picking Out New Cleats“; for those new to my Blog, I published a post a while back (21 Feb 2011) discussing my need for some new footwear for Ultimate. I spent a lot of time going back and forth about purchasing new cleats for the up-coming year and outlined my final choices in the aforementioned post. I received some great comments from my teammates and other readers, so I wanted to follow up with a post about the ones I finally went with, and talk about trying on the different products.

Flash without Flash

Well, I ended up going with the Diadora Stile LT 10 K MG 14 cleats. I almost kicked in a few extra bucks for the “Pros”, but at the last minute decided to stick with the “Non-Pro” boot. The Pro model had two additional features I was interested in: Engage (an insole that offers additional comfort, shock absorption and helps with foot perspiration) and Double Action or DA (a material in the heel that helps to absorb shock). I was interested in the DA, especially, because I come down on my heel from time to time after an awkward jump. In the end, the base model had what I wanted, so I didn’t get more than I really needed.

SHOPPING – Finding the Right Fit

I’m picky…. I spent a lot of time talking with teammates and reading reviews online before I went to a number of local sports stores (Dicks, Modells, Sports Authority, Soccer Station) to try on the different spikes. However, the first hurtle I faced was actually finding each of the pairs I was interested in. This was due to two reasons: 1) it wasn’t soccer season and 2) not many places carry my size (even during the season, as I was told by one store). Soccer Station had the largest selection, but none that were in my size; this was a huge disappointment. Of the ones I did try on, here is my personal take on them:

Adidas Copa Mundial – I originally thought that these would be the cleats I would choose, but there were too many things that didn’t work for me. First off, they felt too narrow. None of the sizes (11, 11.5, 12) I tried on really fit my foot. The studs seemed too close together (lengthwise), or at least they felt that way, which made me feel slightly unbalanced, like I was on skates. They weren’t flashy, but that didn’t bother me. Even though the leather was pretty soft and the Copa was in my price range, it just wasn’t the right cleat for me.

Nike Speed TD – I liked these football cleats for the most part. They were lightweight, had an aggressive stud pattern that would be good for cutting and quick acceleration and were in my price range. The size 12 fit OK-ish, though not perfect. The heel was a little chunky (I was looking for studs all the way around, but these had broad square spikes in the heal), but not as bad as some cleats I looked at. Sadly, I couldn’t find a place that still had an 11.5 in stock, so I started to lean away from them. Since they weren’t leather and I wasn’t completely blown away by the fit, I passed on these, too.

Nike T90 Laser III – I originally wasn’t going to try these on, but because selection was limited in the stores, I thought I’d give them a go. The size 12 fit pretty well, but were a little stiff for me. Plus, since I wasn’t going to play soccer in them, I thought the features improving ball control were a little overkill. I do drag my foot from time to time when slowing down to change direction, so maybe the five rubber pods would’ve helped against wear…maybe not. I did like the bladed stud pattern, which seemed to offer great traction. In the end, I didn’t pursue them.

Nike Tiempo Legend III – These were the next boot I thought I’d end up with, but again I couldn’t find the right fit. They were just too long. The 11.5 was close, but didn’t completely do it for me. And the 11 seemed a little too snug. I have worn a friend’s pair for a couple games, but since I’ve done some serious damage to my big toes (or rather the nails) in these cleats, I shied away from them when they didn’t fit perfect. I’ve come to terms that Nike just isn’t the shoe company for me.

Puma Kings – Since I owned Puma cleats before I thought I’d try on some of their models. The Kings were nice and the 11.5 fit alright, but there was something that didn’t feel absolutely right about them. The price was fine (though at the higher end of my price range), the stud pattern was good, the color was fine, nothing flashy, and the leather and suede material was comfortable. I think it came down to having a bit too much room in the toe for me, so I didn’t choose them.

Puma PWR-C 2.10 FG (Green/Limeade) – I loved how the toe felt on these; they fit perfectly there. The leather was soft. However, whomever designed the outsole heel of these cleats makes me wonder. The plastic came all the way from the midsole to almost the edge of the heel tab/ Achilles notch. When I flexed side to side, I could feel the hard plastic dig into my foot. Uncomfortable! No thanks.

Warrior Burn Speed 4.0 LT– The fit of these lacrosse cleats was close to what I was looking for: The size matched my foot (size 11), the insole was comfortable, they were also pretty lightweight. The biggest drawback was how stiff they were. I think that is why I decided against them in the end.

Just out of the Box!

FINAL CHOICE – Why I went with Diadora?

What a Stud!

I will say that, from a shallow point of view, I liked the look of these cleats first and foremost. I like a bit of flash, but not to the point of overstatement. The White/Yellow/Black color combination caught my eye much more than the Black/White/Silver.  That was one of the early reasons why I started looking into them. Moreover, with every review or product description, I liked them more and more.  When I read reviews, they always raved about the softness of the Kangaroo leather used in the production of these boots. And when I pulled mine out of the box I saw why. They felt like they were already broken in.

The cleat is also very flexible. The outsole and its 14 studs are very responsive without being stiff.  I also liked the low profile stud pattern, which I think will be good for both firm ground and indoor surfaces.

Bottom line they are a quality, super-comfortable cleat.

Sooooo Soft!

FIRST OUTINGS – How do the stand up so far?

I played my first game in them today (UltiNY Saturday League). They felt great! Good traction, snug fit, no blisters or other injuries to speak of. I am very happy with them and look forward to having some fun in them this season!

Thanks for reading. And a special thanks, once again, to Jen for taking some awesome pictures for the post!

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Picking Out New Cleats!

Tags

Adidas, Burn, Cleats, Copa Mundail, Diadora, F50, Facebook, Frisbee, Gaia Ultimate, Mercurial, NIKE, PUMA, Scorch, Speed TD, Ultimate, Ultimate Frisbee, Warrior

It’s a new year and that means a new season of Ultimate is now underway. I kicked off 2011 with the indoor team and hat tournaments of First Nights of Flight. It was a lot of fun and it got me psyched to get out there as much as I can in this year’s “preseason”. However, the tournament did tell me something about my feet… they want new cleats. I’ve been putting this off for awhile, but it is finally time to get some new cleats for Ultimate. I will be going to the Huck all Night, Sleep All Day Hat tournament the first weekend of March, so I’d like to have them for this, but it might not happen. I’ve also signed up for Ultimate Rec’s Spring League on Randall’s Island, which starts in April, so that is my absolute deadline.

My Old PUMA Cleats

The last pair of cleats I purchased were PUMA V series or Powercats (I cannot remember, I threw them out once they were destroyed). I bought them late in the 2007 season while living in Denmark. After the initial break-in they fit pretty well. I didn’t care too much for the stud pattern and felt that they caked up with dirt too easily; when it was muddy I was constantly clacking them together. Ultimately (ha ha), though, they did the job. Toward the end of their life last summer both toes were torn from edge to edge — thanks to being cleated multiple times. I had Duck Tape holding them together, but after a wet North Shore verses South Shore game, they were done. So, it’s time to do some research.

In a recent post, the Ultimate Facebook page ran a “What Cleats Do You Wear” survey, which received around 235 comments. This gave me a rough idea about what is on the average Ultimate player’s foot, but not necessarily why. The first thing I did notice was comments advocating (I use this term loosely, because not many comments supplied even a minimal amount opinion) for Soccer over Football or LaX. And if they weren’t mentioning one of those they were touting a love for going barefoot, which is always a primary point of contention among Ultimate players. Do I go barefoot or where shoes? Do only hippies or those who play “Frisbee” go barefoot?  Personally, I do not go barefoot (unless I’m on the beach) because of the perceived and actual potential for injury (getting stepped on for one). However, other Ultimate athletes see the absence of cleats as a sign of not being a serious player, or that it doesn’t legitimize our sport. I do not buy that… entirely. I’ve played against some amazing players in sneakers, cleats and barefoot. I might be able to out cut barefoot players from time to time, or have a slightly quicker acceleration on loosely packed ground, but it doesn’t make them any less of an Ultimate player. It just isn’t for me.

Unlike other sports, Ultimate doesn’t have shoe companies designing boots specifically for Ultimate. As far as I know we’ve only had one company make an Ultimate cleat–Gaia’s Strike and Endura. I always wanted to purchase a pair of Gaia cleats, but I do not think they make them anymore. The still do jerseys, but I didn’t see anything about cleats. I found one independent website that sells them, but wasn’t too sure about its authenticity. So, that leaves me with finding another sport’s cleat, which brings me back to what players were saying on Facebook.

If the responder did mention specific footwear, they broke down mainly into two brands Nike and Adidas, though there were a couple mentions of Diadora, Umbro and Warrior. The big models were Mercurials, Speed TDs, AdiZero F50s, Copa Mundials, Scorchs, Burns and even one comment mentioning Vibram Five Fingers (speaking of Five Fingers, I think I am going to get a pair to try out, but that is off topic).

When choosing a cleat it is important to know what you want relating to Manufacture (Brand), Fit, Material, Stud Type and Cost. So in relation to that list, what is it I want out of a cleat? Primarily, it needs to fit really well. I’ve have a bad habit of getting blisters, and losing toenails, so I want a cleat that really molds to my foot, creating a comfortable, snug fit.  I am a cutter, so I also want a cleat that will be lightweight and allow me to make quick changes in direction. I am leaning toward K-Leather over synthetic materials, but might not entirely rule them out. And, I am looking to stay around the $100 mark. So, I am going to decide between these few options:

Adidas Copa Mundial (FG) (link) – these are a versatile cleat which can be used in all conditions… firm or soft ground. They are made from Kangaroo Leather and extremely durable. A couple of my teammates use these and I see them a lot on Ultimate players. I’ve always wanted a pair, but I really need to try them on before I set my mind on them.

Diadora Stile LT 10K MG (link) – I like the stud pattern on these and the reviews I’ve read rave about the durability of the cleat. Diadora wasn’t a popular brand on the Ultimate Facebook post, but I still want to check them out. I like the white and gold model. Maybe I should add aesthetics to the list?

Nike Speed TDs (link) – these are said to be really lightweight and great for cutting. I’m not a big fan of the heal stud pattern, but the rest of the boot looks solid and a lot of Ultimate players commented on liking them. The downside is that these are not leather.

Nike Tiempo Legend III FG (link) – I like the Tiempo line. I had a loaner pair of these, but they were a half size too big. Even with the foot damage I sustained I am interested in looking at them in the right size. They do come in K-Leather, so I know they will fit snugly and stand up to abuse on the field. I’ve also seen the lower and higher priced models on a lot of players recently.

Warrior Burn Speed 4.0 LT (link) – I’ve played with Ultimate players here and there that really enjoy LaX cleats; they say the movements of lacrosse are very similar to those of Ultimate. Like the Speed TDs I’m looking at, these are also not leather, but I’ll give them a try.

For more information about choosing a cleat that best fits your foot, check out articles relating to cleat selection by clicking on the following links: the Ultimate Handbook, Soccer Training Guide, Buying the Right Cleat, Selecting Soccer Cleats and an interesting article exploring knee injury as it relates to stud patterns found on the blog, Science of Soccer. I also found some helpful information on Soccer Cleats 101.

Thanks for reading! If you have any comments, I’d love to hear. I’m off to try on some cleats!