Puma have been the company to watch throughout this and last year. A couple of quality releases, namely the Puma V1.11 and the Powercat C1.12, signified that “the Cat” was well and truly back following a period of mediocrity. Arguably the most intriguing release from Puma was the boot that represented their entry into the relatively new lightweight leather/heritage boot market, the Puma King SL. Puma took a classic boot in the form of the King, and gave it the ‘super light’ treatment. Initial images of the Puma King SL made them up to be an absolutely quality looking boot and I was understandably thrilled when I got my hands on a pair of the white/black/orange release colourway for review. However, I did have my reservations after the adiPure SL, which conceptually was a perfect boot, came up short and was ultimately a lackluster release from adidas. Would the Puma King SL prove to be the same type of release, or would Puma release the benchmark for the light weight heritage market? This is the Puma King SL review.
Design (4/5) - People will be drooling over your boots and begging to try them on
Simply put, the Puma King SL are a great looking boot. The Puma King Finales were always a classy boot, and Puma have transferred the great looks of the regular King to this super light version. The colourway we received was the launch white/navy/orange Puma King SL. While normally I’m not a huge fan of white boots, something about the simplicity of the design really appealed to me. Puma have taken a number of steps to shed weight on the King SL, and they have all contributed to the overall design of the boot. Visually, the biggest change is the omission of the rather symbolic Puma King fold over tongue. As someone that’s not really a fan of fold over tongues, this was a great move by Puma, as it sheds a lot of weight and makes the boot look a lot sleeker. Going back to the colourway, while it is not ‘flashy’ per say, I really loved how Puma added the orange studs and lining to the boots. You get a great looking boot, that is easibly recognizable on the pitch as one can quickly recognize the orange tipped studs.
Obviously, the only downside of a white boot is that it gets dirty pretty quickly. While this was one of my major concerns coming into this review, I found that while you do lose the pristine white-ness, it really doesn’t make the boots look any worse, and they can be cleaned pretty easily. Also, the “King SL” printed on the side of the boot did lose it’s shine and become a bit faded after a while, but it’s nothing that damaged the design of the boot very much. As you can tell by the images, I did choose to ‘personalize’ my Puma King SLs, and opted for red laces instead of the standard white ones that come with the boot.
Comfort (5/5) – One of the most comfortable boots on the market
In my opinion, comfort is one of, if not the most, important aspect of a boot. Why wear a boot if it’s not comfortable? In keeping with the standards that the King Finale set in terms of comfort, Puma have created a supremely comfortable boot in the form of the Puma King SL. It is hands down the most comfortable lightweight boot on the market, and blows the likes of the adiPure SL, and Tiempo Legend IV Elite (both of which have a considerable breaking in time) out of the water. Lots of this is in thanks to the supremely supple K-leather upper. The Puma King SLs take no time to break in, and I actually wore them straight into a match without any problems – something I wouldn’t recommend for most other boots. While the boots are extremely comfortable initially, the more you wear them, the more comfortable they become. This is because the leather starts molding to the shape of your foot and becomes less stiff, and literally starts to hug your foot, giving you a really secure feel. I’m also glad to report that Puma have fixed the problem that many people had with the King Finales, due to the weird fit of the Finales, it was common for ones heel not to be super secure, thankfully with the King SLs, you get a really secure fit and your heel is locked into the boot.
Sizing wise, unlike previous Puma releases these do fit true to size. I am a size 9.5US, so I tested out in that size and they fit perfectly. Puma have notoriously had some trouble with the fit of their previous Kings, but for the SLs they’ve hit the nail on the head and created a great fitting boot.
Performance (3.5/5) - A no-nonsense boot that will do everything you need it to
As a heritage boot, the King SL really don’t have any ‘performance enhancing’ features. That being said they do perform really well on the pitch. Coming in at a really light 7.7 ounces, the King SL do make you feel lighter on your feet. Nike took a similar approach with the latest Mercurial Vapor in acknowledging that under a certain weight, ‘light’ almost always feels the same, the same applies for the King SL. While they aren’t the lightest on the market by quite a bit, they don’t make you feel much bulkier than say the Pele Sports Trinity do – an obvious plus performance wise.
In terms of the touch that you get with the King SL, as expected with any leather boot you get a great feel on the ball. This can be attributed to a bit of a double-edged sword, while the thinner leather upper does make your foot that much closer to the ball, giving you a better feel, it does mean that you feel the full force of any crunching tackles that come your way. There is something about striking a ball with a leather upper that a synthetic upper will never come close to achieving, and you certainly get that great feeling with the King SL as you get a clean and crisp strike. The thin sole plate, mentioned before, also contributes to the good on pitch performance that the boot boasts. Due to the thinner sole plate, you do get a much more flexible boot, that reacts better to the movements that you make.
Value (4/5) - Worth more than you paid for, a great price for a good boot which lasts over a year, where extras are available
Puma generally make really good value boots, and the Puma King SL is no different. The boots have been used for about two months now, and although the King SL on the side is fading, I’ve experienced no serious durability problems. The upper has not started to split from the soleplate, and the studs haven’t been blunted or beat up. It is important to note that a majority of the time I was playing on a high quality turf surface, meaning that they should hold up even better on natural grass surfaces. Considering these are a k-leather boot I have been using leather cream to take care of the upper periodically. Leather cream is cheap and is a must have for any football player, so if you haven’t already go out and buy some as it’ll extend the life of leather boots considerably. In terms of extras you get a super classy black boot bag which is the perfect size for popping in your King SLs, socks and shinguards if you’re going out to play football. It’s not a draw string bag like the the ones you get with adidas/Nike boots but it’s still a much appreciated add on. In terms of pricing, this colourway is priced at a very affordable $150 US. To put this in perspective, the Nike Tiempo Legend IV release colourway is now retailing at $150 US, the now outdated adiPure IV SL are retailing at $150 US and the Tiempo Legend Elite will set you back about $210 US. Simply put then, the Puma King SLs are priced very well and you get a great value boot that should last you for a good while.
Design (4/5)
Comfort (5/5)
Performance (3.5/5)
Value (4/5)
Total (16.5/20) – 82.5%
Conclusion: Puma have come out with a phenomenal boot in the form of the Puma King SL. It blows away the competition when it comes to a lightweight leather boot simply due to its superior comfort, better value, durability and great looks. I certainly wasn’t sure what to expect coming into this review but coming out of it I’m pretty sure I’ve found my favourite boot release of the year, if not ever. In some ways you get the perfect package with the King SL as they are supremely comfortable and light weight, so in my mind there really is no point in buying a pair of King Finales when you can just get the SLs. The Puma King SL definitely completes Puma’s meteoric reascension to the top of the football boot market, and it quite simply is the best lightweight leather boot around.
About Isaac Abraham
The turf dosen’t seem very deep, maybe is the photo angle?
I ask this because I will start to use my CTR I Elite in turf, and I am unsure about how deep the field needs to be.
I play in many fields, and I even use a regular futsal boot in some fields who are more shallow.
Hi. I have a serious question because I am thinking about getting this shoe. How is the traction on this shoe? Like does it have that acceleration set up that the adizero and mercurials have.
I actually just got the new colorway they released for the euro. They are VERY comfortable, and as far as the traction Jim is not set up like the mercurials or f50s but is still pretty good. A great boot overall and unlike the 11pro where is most synthetic leather, this is the most complete boot in its category.
In comparison to the adipure IV sl i can only believe this boot is better in appearance and price. I’ve worn both and both are top of the range boots however i feel the leather on the Adipure IV SL is softer making it better also it’s lighter. However when you factor in the price of each boot the king sl wins.
I just feel this article was a little biased in favour of this boot and not objective enough.
I did enjoy reading this article and all your previous ones. I always find it funny how you americans say cleats (im from London).
We also will sometimes say spikes instead of boots.
Hey Antoine,
I tried incredibly hard to identify some weak points that the SL had, but in all seriousness the only problem I experienced, as mentioned in the review was the white upper getting dirty.
I actually think that this upper is softer, but if you’ve read my adiPure IV SL review you’ll be able to tell why I wasn’t a huge fan of the boot. As it is more of a concept boot than anything, I felt that it wasn’t exactly the finished product where as the King SL seemed polish and actually designed for footballers rather than consumers. (notice how not a single professional took up the adiPure IV SL?)
You scared me into thinking that I had actually said “cleats” in this article. I’m not American!
Hey Isaac, Very fair and valid points. I guess i could be biased myself since i brought the adipure IV sl. Also i really don’t go on player endorsements since Nike and Adidas have the most money hence the biggest stars wear boots from their lines (endorsements). This is proven by the fact very few top level footballers wear ‘Skins’ underarmour. I think the reason players haven’t taken up the boot is because the companies like to put the boots that will sell the most on the forefront.
The only way i can explain this is by saying if you go into Sports Direct Soccer you can find the puma king SL you can’t do the same with the adipure IV SL. It just wasn’t marketed in the same way.
Interesting review. These boots do look great but every other review I have read out there has stated that stud pressure can become an issue because of the thin soleplate. Also all other reviews advise to go 1/2 size down because of the thin leather stretching much more than normal. I’ve tried pretty much every cleat out there except for these and have found the Tiempo Legend IV Elites to still be a cut above the rest. I might just grab a pair of these in the black colorway and give them a try. Although I doubt they will feel better than my Tiempo Elites.
Have a look at some Mizuno boots you’ll be pleasantly surprised.
Hey Kyp, I have 2 pairs of Puma King Finale i SLs (white/black/orange and the new white/red/blue colorways) and I would definitely say that stud pressure was a problem on them. But what I did was switched the poor quality puma insoles to that of my adipure II insoles and now the stud pressure is pretty much all gone and the comfort level is extremely high – i would go as far as saying they are more comfortable then my CTR360 Maestri II Elites. Also with sizing I would recommend your normal size for a comfortable snug fit (not too tight but not loose either). Length wise they are perfect and width wise they stretch nicely to mold to your foot. Its not my favorite pair of boots, but they are solidly built, definitely last a season or more, and comfortable and the thin k leather offers fantastic touch. definitely in my top 5 favorite boots that I have worn and I have won virtually every boot on the market as well.
it really bothers me how he folded his sock over a little at the calf….
i see you are wearing the trusox. Are you reviewing like you guys said you would?
Hey Taylor,
Yup. The review is currently underway and should almost certainly be up by the end of the month
What size should i get? I’m normally a size 8 but i heard the leather stretches heaps?
Personally I stuck with my size 9.5 and they fit perfectly fine. The leather does stretch, but not enough to a point that the fit becomes roomy. If I was you I’d stick with a 8, but if you’re really concerned, going with a 7.5 won’t do much harm.
PLEASE do a PowerCat 1.12 SL review!!!
Hey Yaseen,
Yes, there will be a Powercat SL review.
I totally agree with Isaacs review. These boots are the most comfortable boots i have worn. I ordered a 1/2 size down they were tight at first but with a bit of time they became a perfect mold to your feet you are always excited to put these on. I have had boots in the past with shooting elements (preds-ctr)etc but find that with a thin leather boot you can strike the boot with more of your foot making the the shot more powerful, same for curling and chips plus the feeling is unmatched. I am officially done with experimenting with synthetic boots and am back to K-leather.