Pelé Sports are a brand on the up. Once viewed sceptically by many, the brand backed by one of the greatest ever players have quashed expectations with their new Trinity release.
But ask the likes of Nike, adidas or Puma and they’ll tell you, it takes a whole range to build a strong presence in the world of football boots, not just one success. So, how does the new Pelé Sports 50/50 turf trainer hold up? We find out as we go feet-on with this new release!
Comfort/Fit – 7/10
Right off the bat, the Pelé Sports 50/50 begins to distinguish itself from many of the other 5′s trainers I’ve had the pleasure of testing recently.
Whilst shoes like the adi5 have thin, textile uppers that pull as close to the foot as possible, the Pelé Sports 50/50 is a little more relaxed around the foot, giving you an excellent sense of comfort straight out of the box.
Whilst this does result in a little bit of rubbing if you overdo it on your first wear, as the leather breaks in with a few more wears, you can really start to pull the whole thing close to your foot, improving it in just about every way.
Feel/Touch – 8/10
As mentioned before, the full-grain leather upper does take a little bit of breaking in, but the area above the toes on the Pelé Sports 50/50 is excellent from the first wear.
This flexible patch of leather is perfect for quick touches, flicks and nudges of the ball to buy yourself an extra yard.
The instep is heavily re-enforced by additional patches of leather and rubber to improve durability and, thankfully, loses nothing in terms of feel in this vital area.
Looks – 10/10
I don’t think there has been a single time when I’ve put on the Pelé Sports 50/50and I’ve not found something else to like about them.
The boot is covered in little rubber symbols and motifs, with the more attention to detail than just about any other piece of footwear on the market.
That’s not to say it’s only a pretty face, though! Some of the touches are fantastically practical – notice how of the two rows of lace eyelets, one is exposed whilst the other is covered by leather, protecting it from abrasion from the ball.
Maintenance – 9/10
Okay, a bit of explanation for this score; if – like me – you plump for the whitePelé Sports 50/50, they will never be clean again. The creasing of the leather and large amount of stitch ensure that.
But aside from the fact they’ll look a little scuffed, these are a seriously tank-like pair of turf shoes.
The whole boot is covered in patches of extra enforcement, including a tough-as-nails section on the toe that stops any nasty rubber-crumb getting between the sole and upper.
Performance – 9/10
Whilst I mentioned the toe area is perfect if you have a deft touch, the two best things about the Pelé Sports 50/50 are the power and the sole.
The off-centre lacing is perfect for hammering the ball from distance (well, relative distance on a 5′s court), and the weight provided by the boot really lets you drop the hammer on your shots, reminding me of the old Nike Air Zoom Touch in terms of contact with the ball.
The sole is also excellent, getting your feet nice and close to the ground, but never sacrificing any grip.
Value – 8/10
At $84.99, the Pelé Sports 50/50 is one of the more expensive turf shoes on the market, costing $15 shy of the wallet-busting Nike Bomba Finale & Elastico Pro.
The reason I’m giving them such a high score is simply because of how rugged and well built they are. 5′s shoes have to put up with some extremely abrasive surfaces, and aside from some scuffs on the white upper, the Pelé Sports 50/50has taken everything I’ve thrown at them in their stride.
Overall – 8/10
It’s really easy to recommend the Pelé Sports 50/50 to just about any type of player, but if you’re more of a ‘power’ player or an enforcer on the small-sided pitch, these really are a top quality turf shoe that’s just about one-of-a-kind.
The only boot that even comes close to the Pelé Sports 50/50 in terms of that solid on-foot feeling, exceptional grip and high durability is the Nike Bomba Finale – which is really something considering this is Pele Sports’ maiden small-sided shoe.
No comments:
Post a Comment