Studs Up

This review is part of the 5 day feature Studs Up and Nike Football Inside The Bootroom putting the spotlight on Nike’s elite level football product with a series of SU Mega Reviews. Also, make sure to “Like” Studs Up on Facebook for a chance to win a pair of the Nike5 Lunar Gato.

The new Nike CTT360 Maestri II Elite is the first of Nike’s “Elite” series to get a refresh. Introduced for the World Cup, the Nike Elite Series was targeted at the prosumer – those amateur football players who wanted gear as close to what the professionals use as possible, and were willing to pay for it. The best analogy would be amateur photography, your regular football boots have been “point-and-shoot” cameras that you can keep in your pocket. Going with the Elite line is akin to busting out the DSLR and going to town.

With the Nike Mercurial Vapor Superfly being more of the “flagship” boot in that it’s Nike’s most expensive boot as well as being worn by its most high profile athlete (Cristiano Ronaldo) it was interesting that the CTR360 was the first to get a refresh. The reason? Sales, of course. The CTR360 has been the best seller of Nike’s football boots to date and especially amongst the Elite line. Any number of things could have fueled it’s success, but my guess is that the boot isn’t the cheapest (Tiempo) nor the most expensive (Superfly), nor the most plain (Tiempo) nor the most crazy-looking (Nike Total90 Laser Elite). That puts it right in the thick of the curve, where people can get a bit of new-age technology without going overboard and at a reasonable price.

The marketing of the boot helps too, the Superfly promoted in a way that makes it a polarizing boot,  leveraging high profile, often attention-demanding speedsters like Ronaldo who some players may not feel comfortable trying to emulate. On the other hand, the CTR360 is the ‘thinking’ players’ boot worn by the likes of Fabregas and Iniesta. Control the midfield, control the game, that type of thing. No one is going to make fun of you for trying to be like those guys, so it’s a bit safer walking out for your Sunday league match.

But on to the review. I’m going to be taking a look at the CTR360 Maestri II Elite on its own and then also looking at some of the differences from the CTR360 Maestri I Elite, because there are a fair few.

Let’s take a look a the official technical specs from Nike:

- KANGA-LITE UPPER: This synthetic leather provides optimal comfort and fit, despite the weather conditions.
- DAMPENING PODS: These cushion zones on the lateral forefoot give great first touch ball control.
- RECEIVE PAD: Improves instep ball control and makes trapping the ball easier.
- PASS PAD: Leads to precise distribution and placement of passes.
- LACING SYSTEM: The unique asymmetrical lacing design creates an expanded ball control surface.
- CARBON CHASSIS: The plate offers incredible energy return and strength, with bladed studs for optimal traction and stability.

Pretty straightforward, and for those who don’t pay super close attention to the tech specs of every boot from year to year there are some big differences in this version of the CTR360 Elite to the previous one.

THE SMELL:

Surprisingly strong, not sure if the various materials used contributed but these were much more aromatic than the previous version. It reminded me of a can of new tennis balls.

THE LOOK:

Nike has gotten big into bright colours, and two-tone boots the last few seasons. The official reasoning is to look cool, but also make you more eye-catching to your teammates in their peripheral vision and thus a more obvious option for a pass. I can definitely vouch for that, with not only my team but opposition players telling me pretty much all season long that my World Cup Elites were the first thing they noticed whenever they looked up with the ball.

These are no different, the distinct two-tone nature of the colourway should create that flickering effect that Nike seems to be going for whenever people are running. Obviously this pair is red and white so, depending on how seriously you take your club allegiance, you either love these or your eyes have spontaneously combusted.

I’m a sucker for bags and luggage, so one of my favourite parts about the Elite series were the excellent boot bags that each pair came with. They’re sturdy, have a nice grab strap on one end and mesh sides for both ventilation of your aromatic post-match boots but also so you can easily tell which pair you’re grabbing if you have multiple stacked in a pile somewhere. Small details like the swoosh on the zipper go a long way to giving me that warm, fuzzy feeling I’m looking for anytime I’m unboxing a new toy.

Every pair also includes a code to activate a Nike Football + (or Nike Soccer +) account, which is Nike Football’s training program similar to Nike + for running. I’m interested to find out how that’s been going as it was a major story for them leading into the World Cup, so will probably do a separate piece on that another time.

Kanga Lite now has it’s very own hang tag, which means it’s not going anywhere and we’re unlikely to see a big return to K-Leather anytime soon. A shame for football boot traditionalists, a big win for kangaroos.

THE TECH

Upon closer inspection there are a lot of little features to this boot and a number of significant changes from the first CTR360 Elite. In fact, pretty much everything is different. I’ll start by taking a look just at the Elite II and then compare it to the Elite I and you’ll see what I mean.

The front of the boot features Dampening Pods, which essentially mean hollow-pods on the forefoot to help kill the ball’s movement upon impact. The coefficient of elasticity is lower, returning less energy to the ball and helping to “kill” the ball when trying to control it. In even simpler terms:

Where “S” is the ball and “n1″ is your ability to not have bricks for feet.

Only joking, I cut and pasted that formula from Wikipedia. I have no idea what it means. But basically think of dropping a ball on an empty box versus a solid cement block. The ball is going to bounce off a something solid more than it would something that ‘gives’ upon impact. It’a also interesting that the pods are only on the outside forefoot, which would often be a part of the foot used to control a ball, such as dribbling when keeping the the ball closer would be useful. However, I can still think of plenty of occasions where it’s not.

The heel counter features a perforated pad. Not sure if there’s any functionality to it as it’s a rock-solid piece of material unlike the similar perforated pad on the inner part of the boot that’s actually a soft and padded.

The carbon chassis has become a staple of Nike’s top boots and this one is no different. More space-age tech designed to return more energy to your foot and and stride.

The instep features two new Pass and Receive pads, with the former (red) apparently inspired by the grooves of a golf putter and the latter (black) pulling from some familiar traction fins we saw on the Nike Total90 Laser Elite. The story is that the receive pad has increased traction to bring passes under control with your instep while the putter-inspired pass pad will apply backspin. Backspin is usually what you’re going for to help the ball cut through the air in a precise manner and allows you to control the rate of travel.

How this actually affects your game is likely going to measurable in a lab and nowhere else. Features that affect things like weight, comfort or touch are usually fairly noticeable as they are all active on your feet. But anything that affects striking the ball for passes or shots gets into an area that will be dominated by how good a player you are, or just how well you happen to strike a ball at a given time. For me, the exception has been the Nike Superfly line where I’ve played with it enough, and reviewed enough boots alongside it, to notice a significantly better struck ball especially on volleys. I put that down to the fact that the Superfly is generally one of the stiffest, smoothest boots that feels more like a shell on your foot than a sock. That’s not ideal for pure comfort, but it does mean you’re whacking the ball with a more solid object.

So from a purely material science standpoint, I’m sure that a ball making contact with either of these pads is going to generate scientifically different results to hitting a piece of smooth leather and that Nike has the lab data to back it up from their testing. So enjoy the technology for what it is, have faith that there probably is some % difference being made to your effectiveness, but don’t get all upset the first stray pass you hit. I would think that goes without saying, but… you know.

ELITE I vs ELITE II:

I was so excited when Nike released the original Elite line, I couldn’t wait to see how far they were going to take things in delivering a new level of technology. After all, it’s easy to promise a new era of football gear technology but to make good on it is another especially when you’re the biggest sportswear company in the world. You really have no excuse for not delivering on that promise. Apple has set the tone for creating a product line defined by generational iterations and infrequent, but big, steps forward and that’s what I’m looking for from the boys in Oregon.

The initial Elites made headlines for knocking about 15-20% off the weight of the boot from regular to Elite version. With that sitter out of the way, my mind immediately went to what they planned to do from first gen Elite to second gen since only the finer points of technology remained. Would a full revamp come? Minor tweaks to existing tech?

The immediately obvious change is to the lace system. The first gen CTR360 elites had an inner-lace system which apparently caused a few people problems with lace loops breaking among other things. So Nike returned to a traditional, albeit still asymmetric, lace system for the Elite 2. The change in laces also gives the boot a bit more of a sleek profile, as the previous inner laces meant that the material surrounding them was a bit loose and flappy.

The front dampening pods also got a bit of a re-shape, literally. I’m no sure if it was solely influenced by the change in lacing system and a larger side-swoosh but a more triangular form is in place for the Elite 2.

The instep of the boot also undergoes pretty much a full change. The old control pad has been done away with for the new two-part “Pass & Receive” pad. There was also a dampening pod on the instep of the previous version which is gone as well.

Now ignoring the impact of such changes, it’s hard to argue that there hasn’t been a lot of work put in to improve, or at least significantly change, the boot from Elite I to Elite II. It’s also heartening to see some changes, like the laces, appearing to come directly from consumer feedback.

THE SLIP ON:

Immediately, I noticed a suede-lined heel on which boded well for the slip on. It was a fairly easy slide, the boot felt like it had give and between that and the suede heel my finger made it through in relative comfort. I know the suede is more for comfort while playing, but it was a welcome addition for getting these on my feet.

The inside of the boot featured a raised pattern, no word on whether they’re meant to do anything but they had some pretty significant feel to them at least when running your fingers over it.

THE FIT:

Good. No pockets of air anywhere really, it feels snug without being tight. My second toe is longer than my big toe, which can create issues for sizing where the “right” size for the rest of my foot means my second toe is crushed, and the right size for my second toe means the boot is too big. But no such problems here. Of course fit is the most subjective of all areas and this review is more to help you figure out whether the boot is right for your foot when you get to try it on.

Which brings us to…

THE FLEX TEST:

For those unfamiliar with my flex test, basically it’s one of the main ways I predict whether a boot will be right for me and my feet. Basically, I pop a few squats or lunges to replicate a running motion and see how the boot feels under an extreme flex. Having a comfortable boot when you’re standing in them is one thing, having it be comfortable while walking is another, but I’ve found the Flex Test is the best thing for anticipating any problems during an actual game. If I feel any points of pressure or discomfort during the test, I know that I’m going to at least have a tough break-in period and possibly even find I have to change boots.

A good flex test will see a lot of folds and ripples across the forefoot, suggesting it is conforming nicely to the bend in your foot. A bad flex test has one giant crease across the middle, which is far less of a gentle bend and basically just the entire boot flexing in half rather than with your foot, toes, and joints.

In general, I’ve found that leather boots like the Umbro Speciali perform better than synthetics, and boots with stitching in the forefoot perform better than those with just a single, flat piece of material like the Nike Mercurial which tend to bend a little more unnaturally – often with one giant crease across the middle.

Now remember, if you want to do this in a store you’ll need to be discrete. No one wants you creasing up their shoes if you aren’t going to buy them. So pay someone to do a dance and distact the sales staff or something.

The CTR360 Elite I and II both feature grooves at the forefoot which Nike has specifically said are to “Flex grooves at the forefoot for a more natural, efficient range of motion”. So if that’s true, you’d think by definition their boots which don’t have these grooves, like the Superfly, have an unnatural, inefficient range of motion. But anyway…

Now you’ll notice that the grooves in this next picture are completely hidden from view. That’s because the boot is folding over exactly where those grooves are, which is good news for Nike designers. You can also see a number of crunches and folds, which means that the boot is folding over nicely and smoothly with my foot. Inside the boot, my foot felt no pressure points or discomfort, which is great. A bad flex test boot would create pressure right where the boot is folding and jabbing into your metatarsals, but no such problems here.

Now here’s the CTR360 Elite II side by side with the Mercurial Vapor Superfly Elite II Safari. I mentioned earlier that a boot like the Mercurial, which has a single piece of flat, synthetic material at the forefoot generally does poorly at the Flex Test and you can see what I mean here. The CTR folds right over with a number of creases, whereas the Mercurial doesn’t even look like it’s bending that much at all. There’s also really just one big crease in the middle, almost creating a pocket of air at the forefoot of the boot.

A few things contribute to this. On my foot, the Mercurial feels more like a lightweight shell around it. It’s a stiffer outer, and there’s a pocket of space between my foot and the boot in a number of areas. That means during the flex test my foot is almost flexing inside the boot rather than with it hence the lack of creases or bend. Not ideal. You can see the CTR is moving with my foo much more.

I’ve added this second part to the Flex Test recently, as in new for this review. I continue to believe a good football boot for your feet is one that most closely approximates the movement and feel of your naked foot itself. You want to feel the ball through the boot, and you want the boot to move as naturally with your foot and toes as possible.

So in addition to putting the boot under serious duress by lunging or squatting on my toes, I also wanted to see how well it flexes upwards using just my toes. An ideal fitting, comfortable boot should flex upwards well with your toes. If the boot barely moves, or if your toes move around inside and independently of the boot, or if its a might struggle, that’s a warning sign of possible discomfort or bad fit issues.

The CTR had a solid toe flex, I wasn’t particularly strained trying to get the toe up. I’ll have to go back and try this one out with all my other boots too to see.

THE RUN OUT

Because these just arrived, I didn’t get a chance to put them through my usual run out of about 5-10 games/practices over the course of at least a month or two. But one of my main goals with these reviews is to help you figure out if a boot is right for you when your only option is trying the boot on at the store. If my entire review is based on you trying a boot out for 2 months before you buy it, that’s not really going to help you.

So in addition to analysing the technology, the fit and Flex Testing the hell out of these boots. The last test I put it my boots through in the comfort of my home (or store) is to make myself look like a fool. Basically, a couple of short sprints, some squat jumps, a lot of foot shaking and, if a ball is nearby, tossing a ball in the air and feeling the touch on the ball when you bring it down. I also make sure to pretend to take a few full-speed shots, penalties and free kicks. This last one makes you look like an idiot, but I’ve found it crucial ever since I had to change out of my AdiPure II’s after about 5 minutes of my Sunday League semi-final. After walking around in my house and feeling great earlier that week, the moment I planted my foot to shoot in the match I felt an excruciating sharp pain up my ankle. It happened every time I planted and I noticed it was because my foot was literally shifting off the soleplate as I planted and I was basically twisting my ankle a little bit every time.

Since then, I’ve made sure to do some hard plants with every new pair of boots. I also try to pay close attention to any pressure points, chafing, pockets of air where the boot is too big. You’ll have to make up your own mind how much margin for error you’re going to give yourself, but just pay close attention and the more you get to know your feet the quicker, and better,  you can make these decisions.

OVERALL

We’re never really going to know the impact that some of these new boot technologies are having on our game, but you wouldn’t be reading this if you weren’t curious. Evaluating these boots is always going to require the suspension of disbelief that a dampening pod here, or a shot shield there, even though we can’t really put our finger on exactly how or whether we should credit the boot for that last amazing pass, or blame it for the cross that went into the stands. But I drool over new technology and product advancements in all kinds of industries, so football gear is no different. There’s something admirable about those who choose to wear Copa’s for their entire life, but that’s not nearly as fun.

But the core fundamentals of a boot remain comfort, fit and touch. And the CTR360 Maestri Elite II does well in all of them, the rest of the bells and whistles and gravy.

And keep in mind, all of my reviews are about these boots on my feet. My goal is to take you through my process for figuring out if a boot is right for me before it’s too late (i.e. bought and used) and you should always try before you buy. Your feet aren’t my feet cause, I dunno, you might have 12 toes or something.

PROS:

- Significant technology changes from the original CTR360 Maestri Elite.

- Two tone colourway is excellent for those whose club colours match.

- Very comfortable, secure fit on my foot.

- No clear weaknesses as a boot.

CONS:

- Tone tone colourway is a death knell for those who take club allegiance seriously, and don’t support a red-and-white team.