A lot of our readers in the northern hemisphere are just starting to hit the start of their pre-season training regimes, so it is probably time for a new pair of boots! Not everyone is fortunate enough to own multiple pairs of boots at the one time, and we know you guys are concerned whether your boots can hold up a whole season of football. Our definitive guide looks at (what we have found) to be the most durable boots on the market that should hold up for 12 months.
Note: For the purpose of this article, we are only commenting on boots that Soccer Reviews has had in it’s possession for more than 3 months. This is why boots such as the leather finish Vapor VIII and Predator LZ will not feature in this guide, simply because we have not held it long enough to comment on the durability of the boots. All of these boots have gone through intensive use (used 3+ times a week) on both artificial turf and regular grass to ensure we push the boot on the durability front.
adidas Copa Mundial
Puma PowerCat 1.12
While there is some light discolouring of the leather where the upper meets the soleplate, it does not affect the actual durability of the boots and is simply because of my kicking style where I tend to lightly drag my foot along the ground when I kick. The upper is still securely attached to the soleplate and there are no other cuts or areas worth noting. While we cannot comment on the synthetic ‘Gravity’ Puma PowerCat 1.12, the launch colour way Pearl White/Puma Royal/Team Gold PowerCat 1.12 is available for less than $150 on Soccer.com and the boots should last beyond the next 12 months.
Nike Tiempo Legend IV Elite
The thing that ensures the Legend Elite makes this list is the fact that Nike had enough faith in all of their Elite boots to slap them with a two year warranty. No matter if some bruiser comes through and makes it his life purpose to destroy your boots, Nike are prepared to take these boots back within two years of purchase and either exchange them or give you a Nike credit. This might not seem like it helps with “durability,” but it certainly helps that lump in your stomach that you feel when you drop cash on a pair of boots. For our purposes, we will say that the Tiempo Elite is not only extremely durable, but it takes a lot of the risk and fear out of buying an expensive boot.
adidas miCoach F50 adiZero (Synthetic)
Our Energy/White/Electricity boots look brilliant when they come out of a wash, despite their 6 months of use. Except for one or two scuff marks in the instep (when I got stepped on accidentally) and near the toes due to my kicking style, they still have that brightness about them just like the first day I started using them. We know the miCoach F50 adiZero may get knocked about for feeling like plastic bags, but we must admit that they do hold up outstandingly well. While buying your synthetic miCoach F50 adiZeros with the miCoach bundle can be expensive, you can grab the Infrared/Bright Blue/Running White colour way seen all over the EUROs for $200 at soccer.com.
One last note
While we have found these boots to hold up very well, the durability of a pair of boots does ultimately depend on the user. You have to treat and care for your boots well. When we say that, we mean that you clean it every time you use it with the traditional brush and water, refrain from drying them outside in the sun or near a heat source and use leather cream for your K-Leather boots.
Storage is also important, I keep my boots in the box it first came in with newspaper inside them. If you do this, then you give yourself the best chance to have a pair of boots that will last you 12 months. If you are still concerned about paying full price for a pair of boots and being concerned they will not last, you can always buy a lower tier boot for training sessions and have your expensive boots just for match day.
About Jordon English
The last two boots I bought were great performance-wise but both very poor in durability — Blue AdiPowers and Bright Mango Vapors
Copa’s on Artificial grass = NOT durable
Copa’s on Grass = Already more durable
I concur! My copas have separated at the front due to a few sessions on artificial grass..
The old made in Italy speciali used to be indestructible. The sole is cemented, riveted and sewn on to the upper. They were a lot more durable than what you can find today as they were made with care not like those made in China stuff.
Laser 1 and 2 synthetic are the most durable boots in my book
My tiempo legend iii’s lasted me just about a year and three months, with little care i didn’t wear them on cement. So if you need a good cheap boot check them out.
with this post you’ve changed my mind about the adizero..for my style of play I would like to try a speed boot but I was always worried about durability, because I don’t want to pay a lot of money for a boot that will last just a couple of months, even if I play just on natural surface..maybe I’ll get these adizero..
Jordon do the CTR 360s last long too??
I’ve had mine all season long (in australia), and they’re holding up quite well!
Hey Edson,
While we can’t comment on the CTR III durability, we can talk about the durability of the CTR II. Kanga-Lite has a good track record of being being durable to last at least a season. The issue with the CTR is that the fins on the instep do wear out, a bit like the fins on the T90 IV. There isn’t much you can do about that, but the Kanga-Lite upper requires little maintenance, it doesn’t need any leather cream because it is a synthetic upper. Just keep them clean and they should serve you well
All sprintframe soles have terrible durability so why even name the adizero here?
Pedro – these companies make millions of pairs a year so theres always going to be the odd few which dont meet qulity standards, as with any product. But the adizero synthetic has great durability without a doubt. I personally dont know anyone who has had problems. I could still wear my adizero chameleon launch shoe from 2010 if i wanted to…the only reason i dont is because i wanted miCoach. Great work adidas.
My name is Perdo you douchebag. I bet you believe in anything the advertise says as you obviously don’t have any idea of how many pairs of the current adizero that have been returned.
good to here ordered the synthetic micoach yesterday, i also been wearing the leather adizero 4 past year and half w/ no probs other than paint chipping. the laser 1 are the most durable boots ive ever worn, i dont wear them as much anymore but for the first 2 yrs i had them i wore them everday and they survived the test. the lacing system on my ctrs gave out after about 6 months, i owned the ctr 1 and the upper started tearing away from the sole with minimal usage. been wearing adizero since then and they hold up for me
i meant the lacing system on the laser 2, though i heard the ctr 1 had this problem too
Not sure what you guys are doing to your boots but I wear various leather boots including Tiempos and they have lasted me at least 2 years. I only got rid of them because the insole was flattening too much at the front and my feet were rubbing as there is no padding in that shoe.
I still use my blue marine talarias from 2008 once in a while and they sill have like a year in them left so not sure why you guys have durability issues but tiempo legend elite iii are definitely more durable than the iv’s.
i had a pair of mizuno ghost striker hard grounds last me 3 seasons, that was playing on artificial and grass and a pair of mizuno ghost striker soft grounds last 2 seasons. for me mizunos are awesome and also fairly light for leather boots.
My Nike Mercurial Vapor VII’s, that’s 7 not the newest 8, have held up quite well after nearly a year of rough varsity soccer. I think it’s due to the thick upper and stiffness. Anyways, I already bought a new pair in one of the newer colorways for next season!
Jordon, I normally am not a fan of your writing here (a bit sexist for me– you usually rag on players wearing pink boots) but I am ecstatic that you tell kids to store their boots properly. Even if you use your boots 5 times a week, wiping them down and stuffing them with newspaper after practice or games (and use leather conditioner if you have it) will extend their life tenfold. Great advice!
Hey daniel,
Haha, sorry if my writing is seen like that, but it is very hard to come up with something for every single boot spotting that is humorous, different and able to absorb the reader (which is where I assume this comes through)! But I do see where you come from, I only wish I had the bravery of those players who wear pink boots! Thanks for the feedback anyway!
I take it your English Jordon? Cause I think it’s an English thing mate. I never understood it. I almost exclusively had colourful boots and the only country I ever played where people had issues with colourful boots was England
I could be wrong, but it does look like the picture you used for the Copa is a fake.
PERDO!! I was trying to provide a sensible comment based on facts i know. Contrary to your comment which goes against what a lot of people say. Go home son…
Well you eleven old insider of the internet do you perhaps work at a sport store? Don’t think so.
I dont need to justy my credentials to you…but when you play in a decent llevel in Germany, which is the home of adidas and where almost every 2nd player is playing adidas boots…you kind of get a feeling how well the product performs. Aside from that..soccerreviews wouldn’t name it in their article if it didn’t have some truth.
Jordon, how long does the ctr360 maestri 1 last? I am just wondering because I bought a pair down at my local Nike Factory Store yesterday for £60 on sale from £150 and I bought
them because 1 they were good value and 2 I’ve heard good things about them so I’m just wondering how durable they are? Thanks
Most boots I see today are just glued, with no support to prevent the upper split from the soleplate. I had to get my T90′s modded (The soleplate was sewn to the upper)just for them not to rip in the middle of a season.
I understand that they’re trying to cut off production costs by simply gluing it, but then there’s us who get ripped off by
boots that rip in 2 months, not worth the money.