Puma PowerCat 1.12 Review

A year ago, it was one of the less popular power boots on the market, crowded out of a competitive market by the more popular T90 Laser and Predator ranges. Then a makeover and some new endorsers has seen it suddenly become one of the most improved football boots on the market. It’s been a massive 6 months for the Puma PowerCat range, and the Puma PowerCat 1.12 truly symbolizes how much the Puma brand in general has improved. But it’s time to find out whether the boots of Cesc Fabregas can compete with Nike and Adidas in the power boot market.

Design – 4/5 (A perfect colourway that accentuates an already good looking boot)

Whenever you see a boot for the very first time, whether it be on the computer screen or in your hands, your very first impression of the design of the boot often dictates your mindset on the design of the boot long after you first see the boot. When I first saw the White/Blue version of the PowerCat 1.12, I immediately thought the look of the boot was fantastic. White leather boots ooze class, and pairing it with a blue and gold trim makes a good looking boot look even better.

Puma were very clever in debuting the PowerCat 1.12 in a White/Blue/Gold colourway. I mentioned how white boots make boots look classy. They also make the boot look lighter. Had Puma gone with the Black/White/Green colourway first, it would have made the boot look heavy, bulky and potentially seen as too heavy in the cut throat market. It may sound strange, but the White PowerCat 1.12s were a smart move by Puma and, hopefully, it will see them use white as a template for future PowerCat 1.12 colourways.

Comfort – 4.5/5 (A true contender for one of the most comfortable boots on the market)

When you consider the materials used in the making of the PowerCat 1.12, the weight of the boot and the reputation of comfort that is carried by Power boots, it would have been incredibly disappointing if the PowerCat 1.12 turned out to be an uncomfortable ride. Fortunately, the PowerCat 1.12 has delivered. Puma have genuinely given us one of the most comfortable boots on the market.

The use of a K-Leather upper was a big risk by Puma in a time where companies are shedding K-Leather off their boots (think along the lines of the new adiPure 11Pro and the lack of a K-Leather upper option on the new T90) in the race for lighter boots. Puma went in the other direction. While synthetic leather has been employed through the mid foot to reduce the weight of the boot, they could have easily made the decision to go with a synthetic leather upper to bring the weight of the boot down. Instead, Puma has embraced the heavier K-Leather, and it means we win in the comfort and touch stakes (more on the later further into the review).

There is very little that I can do to criticize the boot when it comes to comfort. In the Unboxing video of the boot, I noted that the upper wasn’t as soft as your typical K-Leather upper is. The leather broke in beautifully, in the Puma tradition, and by half way through the 2nd wearing of the boot, the upper was already soft and supple like the other K-Leather boots we love. It felt snug, and it felt fantastic. The insole is also nice and soft, and I had no issues in terms of sore feet or blisters during the review.

In terms of sizing, the boots do fit true to size. However, I often like to wear two pairs of socks when I play, and I noticed it was a little too tight around my toes. It wasn’t to the point where it was uncomfortable, but if you like to double sock, then you need to try the boots in a store before buying them if you would prefer a little extra room for your toes.

Performance – 4.5/5 (Does everything it says on the box, and a little bit more)

Whenever you hear about a boot belonging to the Power boot silo, you often wonder how they actually add more power to your shots. The Zygo Deztruct and the old Concave PTs were seemingly the only boots that fulfilled the brief of being a power boot. Can the Puma PowerCat 1.12 add itself to a very small list of genuine power boots?

Touch: Coming in with a K-Leather upper, the Puma PowerCat 1.12 has definitely nailed the brief on touch. My issue with some of the Power boots on the market is that the companies have concentrated so much on the striking element of the boot that they show total disregard for touch. Think the T90 Laser IV. We noted in our review of the boot that the abrasive swerve fins on the toe of the boot get in the way and hinder your abilities for small, intricate touches. This is where the PowerCat 1.12 excels. Whenever you need to rely on a decent first touch, the K-Leather comes into play and the 3D Power Shooting Technology (PST) doesn’t, offering the wearer a fantastic feel for the ball. Plus it’s the perfect thickness, which offers a nice bit of cushioning when controlling the ball.

Kicking: Before we go on about how the boot goes in the kicking department, it might be best to run through the new 3D PST. The new thermoplastic material is made up of two different degree of hardness. That sounds complicated, but the best way to explain it is that the blue part is a hard and rigid, while the gold part is a little softer and can be moves around a little bit by pushing and pulling it. This means the blue part is meant to make you kick stronger as it ensures no energy is lost when you kick the ball, while the blue part is pretty responsive and aids grip on the ball.

When a company says they are releasing a Power boot, it should allow you to hit a ball that flies off your foot and goes like a rocket. The PowerCat allows you to do that. The PowerCat 1.12 is probably the best boot I’ve ever used for kicking, it is that good. Whether I was driving the ball from 25 yards out into the top corner (ahem) to playing the perfect corner, the PowerCat 1.12 lets you do the delicate stuff and the power shots. The perfect weight of the boot makes driving fantastic, and while I think the PST could have been a little closer to the laces, it is still a brilliant piece of technology that makes kicking in the boot an absolute joy.

But one thing I must note is that if you aren’t used to wearing Power boots, it may take you one or two sessions until you adjust to the power offered by the PowerCat 1.12. It may sound really silly, but considering I’ve come off the back of reviewing the miCoach F50 adiZero, you tend to over power your first few shots. Once you get adjusted to the boot, it then offers the supreme kicking I talked about above.

Traction: The Puma PowerCat 1.12 has been made so that it offers maximum traction and maneuverability with a good degree of pressure distribution. I had no traction problems with the Puma PowerCat 1.12, and when you plant your left foot for a kick, it’s safe to say that you won’t need to worry with your foot moving.

Protection: Nigel de Jong and Phil Jones are just two of the names wearing the Puma PowerCat 1.12, and while the former probably looks for boots that have nice sharp studs for those times when you kick an opponent in the chest, both need boots that maximise protection for their defensive roles on the pitch. You can be sure that the Puma PowerCat 1.12 offers just that. One of the beauties of the Puma PowerCat 1.12 is that it’s still good for your rough and ready defensive players, plus it is still versatile enough to be worn by a play maker like Cesc Fabregas.

Value: 3.5/5 (Decent value, and will give you at least one season’s use)

The Puma PowerCat 1.12 comes in at a RRP of £130, but a lot of the online retailers are discounting their boots at the moment, and you may be able to knock off around £20 with some of the discounts that have been going around at the moment. Of the three Power/Accuracy boots that are being sold by Puma, Nike and adidas, the Puma PowerCat 1.12 is actually the cheapest boot of the lot. It’s £10 cheaper than the Nike T90 Laser IV (RRPs are being considered here) and £25 than the adidas Predator adiPower. Even though the T90 Laser IV is £10 more expensive, it does however come with a boot bag. Puma do not sell the PowerCat 1.12 with a boot bag. The boot bag is a big thing, and I’d be willing to pay an extra £5 if it came with a boot bag, so that’s a little disappointing, especially when you’re paying over £100 for a pair of boots.

Durability wise, the Puma PowerCat 1.12 is holding up very well. There has been no sign of deterioration and, surprisingly for a white pair of football boots, the boots still look white after one and a half month’s use! The boots will easily last a season of football, and they could probably be pushed a little further than that to a season and a half of use before they might start looking a little tired.

Conclusion:

Design: 4/5

Comfort: 4.5/5

Performance: 4.5/5

Value: 3.5/5

Total: 16.5/20 or 83%

Postives:

1. Comfort: While an uncomfortable Power boot would be very disappointing, Puma have gone a long way to make their Puma PowerCat 1.12 one of the more comfortable boots on the market. K-Leather, a soft insole and a boot that comes in at a generous weight all come together to make the boot a very comfortable ride.

2. Kicking: A combination of the K-Leather upper, the PST (funny to see technology on a football boot that seemingly works!) and the perfectly weighted boot makes the PowerCat 1.12 an amazing boot for anything from drives to delicate crosses. I’d go as far as saying the PowerCat 1.12 could be one of the best kicking boots on the market.

3. Design: The White/Blue/Gold PowerCat 1.12 looks absolutely beautiful and oozes sophistication. This isn’t the only colourway that looks great though, the whiteout and blackout versions may have been limited releases, but anyone who got their hands on them would be rewarded with a gorgeous pair of boots. Hopefully Puma carry the trend on to future colourways.

Negatives:

Value: It’s pretty hard to pick a negative out, but considering you’re paying £130 for a pair of boots, a cheap boot bag would have been a smart move by Puma, even if it means we pay an extra £5 on top of the boot.

Conclusion

The CTR360 Maestri II held the mantle at the start of the season as the best boot on the market, before the T90 Laser IV shared the title with the CTR360 Maestri II heading into Christmas. Coming into the end of the season, Puma has come out of nowhere and created what I see as one of the three best boots on the market at the moment. It’s an amazing all round boot, and while it is spectacular in the comfort and kicking departments, it does everything else really well. It’s an amazing effort by Puma, who have managed to revive a faltering Power boot into the boot the other companies probably wish they’d come up with.