Comparison: New Puma King vs Old Puma King Finale

We have been inundated with new boot releases over the past few weeks, and we had yet another big name release last week with the re-launch of the timeless Puma King. While new heritage boots are sometimes very similar to their predecessor, the new Puma King definitely does not go down that path. With names like Pele, Maradona, Eusebio and Cruyff being past wearers of the boot, there is no denying the ‘Heritage’ feel of the boot, but there are some new things about the Puma King that suggests anything but that. We run our eye over what Puma have actually done in the release of the new Puma King.

Upper

This is without a doubt where the biggest change has been made, but we are surprised that this has not been publicised that much by our readers. While the Puma King had a full K-Leather upper, Puma raised the eyebrows of Soccer Reviews staff by rolling out the new Puma King with a “soft, premium leather upper”. While Puma have tried to decorate it by saying the new upper also comes with touchCELL properties that enhance ball control and feel, there is no hiding from the fact that Puma have ditched K-Leather off the new King.

Taking away K-Leather off a ‘Heritage’ boot feels like taking away the very soul of the boot, and adidas has been hounded by their decision to scrap K-Leather off the adiPure range last season. While we do understand Puma does have the best interests of the environment at heart by deciding against the use of K-Leather (the CEO of Puma has made it known they wish to greatly minimise the use of K-Leather on their products), they have strangely evaded any criticism about the upper similar to what adidas received. We are not sure what type of leather Puma are using on the new King, it could be a specially treated leather to allow for a glove-like fit (similar to the Galeo leather on the leather adidas F50 adiZero) or calf skin leather (similar to the Nike Tiempo Flight upper).

Outsole

The new Puma King has a lot of measures ultimately aimed at reducing down the weight of the boot, something that definitely goes against the traditional ‘Heritage’ boot that normally weighs over 250 grams. The old Puma King Finale had an outsole constructed from a “high performance thermoplastic elastomeric material” (think of it as a TPU injected outsole). While the outsole was engineered to be lightweight, Puma have used Pebax on the new Puma King. Pebax is not something we have never seen before, the Puma V1.11 SL and the Mizuno Morelia Neo are just two boots that have used Pebax in the past. An external heel counter is something we have never seen before in the history of the Puma King, which is meant to aid heel stability and fit.

But one thing that has not changed about the outsole of the boot is the use of the renowned Puma AptoLast technology system. AptoLast provides a snug, comfortable fit for the user by helping the boot conform to the shape of the foot quicker. It was something Isaac loved in his review of the Puma King SL, so it is good to see that Puma have included the technology that minimised the breaking-in time of both the old Puma King Finale and King SL.

Stud configuration

We have seen a big shakeup in the stud configuration of the new Puma King. A mixture of conical and bladed studs on a football boot is not overly world-breaking, but the new Puma King featuring a mixed soleplate has definitely raised some eyebrows. With conical studs on the instep providing a quicker release from the ground every time you take a step. Meanwhile, the bladed studs on the outstep provide the traction we need. In other words, when we decelerate and change direction, the bladed studs provide the ‘push off’ we need to change direction, and the conical studs draw out of the ground quicker to aid acceleration.

This is an indication of how much the Puma King has changed in this new release, it is not all about it’s past history with traditional conical studs, the Puma King is entering a new age which has called for a change to a mixture of conical and bladed studs. While Nike have also used a mixture of conical and bladed studs on the Tiempo IV, they have not used it on the front of the boot like Puma, suggesting Puma are perhaps moving away from that ‘Heritage’ feel of the King.

Design/Weight

These are two pretty obvious sections, but they are important none the less. We all remember the Puma King in the good old days coming with the fold over tongue right? Well Puma have decided to give it the chop. We feel the fold over tongue is a part of the Puma King that can never be removed, like the fold over tongue on the Predator. Removing the tongue may have the weight of the boot at heart, but it is a move that may shed a tear in the eye of the traditional Puma King fans.

Which leads us nicely into the weight of the Puma King. Puma have successfully brought the boot down to 237 grams (approximately 8.36 ounces) from 260 grams (9.2 ounces), bringing the boot below the unspoken yardstick of sub-250 grams. The removal of the fold-over tongue, the change in the material of the upper and the use of the lightweight Pebax soleplate have all worked together to bring the boot down below 250 grams.

But what does this really mean for the Puma King? While the Puma King has always been seen as a ‘Heritage’ boot, Puma are now starting to market the boot as a ‘Control’ boot. As we mentioned in the soleplate section of the article, it is the start of a new age for Puma. The release of the boot in a Blazing Yellow/Black/White colour way sums up this change, gone are the days of the traditional Puma King, the boot is now moving into new territory. It is a release that has divided the masses, while some have taken up the release of the boot with open arms, there has also been opposition left shaking their heads as to why Puma have ripped out the tradition of the boot. Either way, it is a boot we cannot wait to review…

The new Puma King has it’s full retail launch over the next few weeks, but will you be picking up a pair of the boots? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.