At least for the past few years, Puma’s dominant entries to the football boot world are the Future and Ultra. Puma tries to make it three with the the King 20 Ultimate, the modernised version of its legendary heritage boot. Can it succeed in attracting players to its fold?

King Page Contents:

Attempts have been made to make the King adapt to today’s boot consumer tastes and preferences over the past years. There’s the King Platinum era and the synthetic King models. Safe to say results are quite below average, so Puma not only change the looks and shape of the King, it also introduced something new to its build and composition in order to spike curiosity. Continue reading on to learn more.

What’s New with the King 20

• Moving on from King Ultimate 2024 generation, King 2020 has replaced the K-BETTER material with Totaltouch+ synthetic leather, aiming to improve on their vision of replicating natural leather in a synthetic mould.
• An Ortholite® CustomFit now forms the heel padding with the goal of providing a one-to-one shaping to your heel.

FAQs about the Puma King 20:

1. Which surfaces can they be used on?
   • Technically, Puma labels the King 20 as playable on both firm natural grass and artificial ones. Questions remain though as the stud height is a bit much for an AG pitch.
2. How does the sizing and fit compare to previous models?
   • King 20 runs short length-wise. The need to go up half-a-size, coupled with the fact that the boot is already a bit wide in the first place, makes the King 20 far suitable for wide feet.
3. Is there a break-in period?
   • Right out of the box, the upper is very soft and pliable, and overall the boot moulds to your feet from the get-go. Simply put, the boot breaks in from the very first few minutes you have them on feet.

My Puma King 20 Ultimate Boot Review

• Release Year: 2025
• Generation Number: 3rd (synthetic leather era)
• Purpose: Heritage Boot
• Competitor/s: Nike Tiempo Maestro, adidas Copa Pure
• Notable Players: Xavi Simmons

The PUMA KING is iconic – some of the best players in the game have worn this boot like Johan Cruyff and Maradona, so it’s an honor to step into the new generation of KING.

Xavi Simmons, Forward

Testing Conditions

• Surfaces: Firm Natural Grass, 3G Artificial Turf
• Foot Type: Medium Width (EU 43 1/3)
• Sessions: 2 Competitive Matches, 3 Training Sessions
• Weather: 1 Dry, 1 Wet

ULTIMATE ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Unleashed	TOTALTOUCH+ Upper Ortholite® CustomFit Heel Padding FG/AG outsole		>> Get Puma King 20 Ultimate
2026 Blackout			>> Get Puma King 20 Ultimate
2026 Whiteout			>> Get Puma King 20 Ultimate
Launch Colourway			>> Get Puma King 20 Ultimate

Whenever you see Ultimate in a Puma football boot, it means that that particular pair is the most premium execution of that particular line. Whether it does feel premium to you or not is another story.

The Puma King Ultimate has been introduced in 2023 and has received a slight tweak in 2024. King 20 is a total revamp, but the core DNA remains the same in that the silo has moved on from natural leather to synthetic leather. Ultimately, that’s going to be the question for the modern King. Will it successfully replicate the benefits of the traditional material in a non-animal base setting?

TOTALTOUCH+ Upper

Out goes K-BETTER and in comes a new upper material called TOTALTOUCH+. If this is the direction Puma want to take the synthetic King, I am completely on board. TOTALTOUCH+ feels beautifully soft straight out of the box, and I could already work a bit more pliability into it within the first few minutes of breaking them in. There is a healthy layer of foam lining behind the material as well, which only adds to the overall comfort of the boot.

Players who enjoy a cushioned, pillowy feel on the ball will appreciate this, while those who just like an opposing alternative to modern boots (a thin, second skin style boot with a sharp barefoot ping) might finally have something that suits them. It is not on Predator or Phantom levels of grip, but there is just enough tack on the surface to give you a touch more control on the ball.

So I think you have to go into the King 20 with the expectation that it offers slightly less in terms of responsiveness. I am not saying it feels flimsy or that it makes you feel clumsy, because it certainly holds its shape as any premium boot should. But it is clear to me that comfort and touch are the main priorities of the King 20.

Fit, Sizing and Lockdown

I think Puma does a good job in complementing the comfortable build of the upper with the way they setup the shape of King 20. I say that because the boot now has a wider toe box and a bit more height on the forefoot. Even the midfoot I feel has more space to it than previous King generations. This is great news especially for wide-feet players like me, as we wouldn’t have a hard time filling in the volume of the boot. I would recommend though to our narrow-feet teammates to take advantage of the extra lace hole and perhaps to use a pair of grip socks if they like to try the King 20. I must point out that length-wise, the boot runs smaller. I’d recommend going up half-a-size.

In the same way that the give in the upper slightly affects the boot’s responsiveness, it also has an impact, in my view, on the King 20’s lockdown performance, particularly for players who already find it a touch roomy. I have no complaints about the integrated knitted tongue, as it does help the boot adapt nicely to my wide feet, but I would have preferred a traditional U-throat with a floating tongue. That sort of construction would offer a bit more adjustability and allow you to really secure your foot in.

That said, I actually find the heel lockdown really impressive, and a lot of that comes down to the Ortholite® CustomFit padding. For me, the pinch is just firm enough to keep my heel in place without feeling uncomfortably tight. I reckon it is because the padding has a memory foam sort of quality that lets it settle around your heel shape, and that works brilliantly with the softness of TOTALTOUCH+ to make the King 20 feel as comfortable as possible.

Peba Soleplate and Boot Insole

The King 20 Ultimate is not the boot you turn to if you want ultra aggressive traction or that sharp, super responsive snapback. What you get from the outsole is a no nonsense, neutral soleplate that sits low and close to the ground, with a functional level of midfoot rigidity and a nice bit of flex in the forefoot (with just a hint of snap in there). The semi conical stud layout also gives you a good balance between traction and ease of rotation.

The only thing I would flag is the FG and AG label, which I remain a little sceptical about. I would have been more confident with it if Puma had gone for a fully conical layout. That said, the triangular studs with rounded corners might still work on drier, harder surfaces given their relatively short height

The insole for me needs some special mentioning here for two reasons. First, the Nanogrip technology on the surface I reckon would be perfect for those who wear their boots with grip socks. Second, I don’t think the foam underneath is not your usual EVA, as I can sense some level of responsiveness and pushback when pressed and weighted upon. My opinion is that this somehow enhances or complements that slight hint of energy-return on the Peba plate’s forefoot flex.

Puma King Pro

PRO ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Unleashed	TOTALTOUCH upper TPU outsole

The first option for a cheaper King is the Pro. Elements for the Ultimate make their way down to this price level, but the upper package is noticeably denser and less soft. Honestly, it could be your value-for-money option if you’re alright to settle with around 70% to 80% of the boot experience from the Ultimate.

Puma King Match

MATCH ⭐⭐⭐
Unleashed	SOFTTOUCH+ upper TPU outsole		>> Get Puma King 20 Match
2026 Blackout			>> Get Puma King 20 Match

This is where you can certainly feel significant downgrades relative to the Ultimate. Still worth considering if your looking for cheap football boots to get into. Usually bought for children or youth players, even Academy ones. You’ll see that the synthetic upper material was capped off with a grainy surface finish to replicate the look of leather at this tier.

The Story of the Puma King

Born in 1968, the Puma King has been laced up by several legends of the game, beginning with the likes of Eusebio, Pele, Maradona, and Cruyff. Before the Nike Mercurial and adidas Predator burst into the scene, there was the Puma King that became part of memorable football moments. Watch this Football Boots UK special video about the history of the iconic Puma silo, from its beginnings and heyday up to its period of intense competition from today’s dominant football boot brands.

King 2023 and King 2024

Puma King 2023 and King 2024 phased out K-leather in favour of a synthetic material called K-BETTER. As a synthetic boot, King 2023 and King 2024 were solid and certainly held their own. They were even an upgrade to the disappointing King Platinum 21. The only thing to point out is that they’re still short of replicating the natural mouldability of leather. Fit-wise, the boots had a pointed shape for that sleek, speed boot-vibe, appealing more to narrow-feet players.

King 2024 gave a scare to everyone when it incorporated ridges along the medial side for texturing. That was because it reminded everyone of the Kingform technology of the ill-received Platinum 21. Fortunately, the feature of ridges did not lead the King 2024 to reverse whatever pliability K-BETTER had.

King Platinum and King Platinum 21

Prior to the King Ultimate, some of the recent attempts to make a contemporary king happened in 2019. The Puma King Platinum was an underrated football boot in that it had that quality K-leather upper but packaged into a thin profile and streamlined fit, just like how speed boots are. In essence, the Platinum had that appeal of being traditionalist but also in-touch with the current on-feet feel of today’s boots. It did get a boost when Neymar switched over to Puma and chose to go with the King Platinum before headlining the Future silo.

Sadly, Puma changed the Platinum for the worst when it released the King Platinum 21 (short for 2021). It was arguably the stiffest of all K-leather boots from all time, and whatever touch benefits the ribbed Kingform technology brought (if there were any), it was all for naught as that rigid leather upper dominated. Much worst was the fact that this naturally led to the Platinum 21 being uncomfortable not just by leather standards but even when compared to the modern synthetic boots.

Key Facts about the Puma King 20

1. The Puma King 20 has a synthetic leather upper called TotalTouch+.
2. SRP: Ultimate ~£200, Pro ~£100, Match~£65
3. Puma King 20 is known as the boots worn by Xavi Simmons.