Leather is one of, if not the earliest material used for making football boots. Even to this date, there is still a strong demand for leather football boots most especially because of the comfort they afford on feet and there has been significant improvements in their build, improving their structure and stretch for a superior product. Whether it is kangaroo leather, calf, Taurus or Alegria leather, they hold many similar properties, with differences in price, quality & softness depending on which you choose. I for one still look forward to wearing a leather pair every now and then, and that’s why I searched and compiled the best leather football boots out there on this page.
What You’ll Find On This Page:
- Top Leather Football Boots
- Questions about Leather Football Boots
- Did you Know…Leather Football Boot Trivia
Puma already moved away from K-leather, fitting its iconic King silo with a brand-made synthetic material called K-BETTER. Nike is also now in the mix with the Tiempo now going synthetic leather as well, and all eyes are on adidas and its Copa boots to see if they’re also gonna join the farewell party. With that said, expect that K-leather football boots might come at a premium in the near future. And so if you’re planning to get a feel for them before they are all discontinued, see if you can cop any of these top leather boots before we enter the beginning of the end for our heritage boots.
Top 10 Leather Boots
| Rank | Why? | Boot | |
|---|---|---|---|
1. adidas Copa Pure 3 Elite+ | Technologically-packed leather boots sees a leather forefoot transitions to a knitted midfoot, offering the best of both worlds from leather and knit |  | |
2. Mizuno Morelia Neo Beta | Best leather speed boot, mesh midfoot gives the boot structural integrity, close fit and lockdown, while the forefoot provides that unbeatable Japanese leather experience |  | |
3. adidas Copa Pure 3 Elite | Modifying the first boot on this list for a more standard construction, also has a different midfoot Fusionskin that gives the boot a more streamlined feel |  | |
4. adidas Copa Mundial | A living classic, unchanged since 1979, still going strong to this date; appeals mostly to coaches and referees |  | |
5. Nike Premier 3 | One of the value for money leather boots, modified now to be more responsive while not sacrificing that leather comfort |  >> Get Nike Premier 3 at Nike | |
6. New Balance 442 v2 | Worth it for the amount and quality of leather, could even beat out some boots on the list just by how much leather it gives |  | |
7. Mizuno Morelia | The most premium of the bunch; in fact Japanese leather quality is class on its own, way above what mainstream leather boots offer |  | |
8. Mizuno Morelia Neo | Like the no. 2 but with a more traditional feel thanks to the standard u-throat and tongue construction |  | |
9. Puma King Ultimate | Responsive synthetic leather boots, although it has a more synthetic feel to it rather than leather |  >> Get King Ultimate from Puma | |
10. Tiempo Legend 10 | Best attempt for a synthetic leather boots; even better than the Kangalite of the CTR360 |  >> Get Elite Tiempo Legend 10 at Nike | |
The Copa Pure 2+ is one of the most technologically-packed leather boot. The leather seamlessly fuses with a premium Primeknit material from the brand to create the Fusionskin upper, delivering the benefits and feel of both knit and leather. The thin upper profile and the lightweight plastic soleplate makes the Copa Pure 2+ feel like a modern leather speed boot. Because Puma and Nike no longer have leather boot offerings, I think that directly benefits the Copa Pure 2+ and helps it stand out even more. I like how the lacing is quite deep as it allows the one-piece upper to hug your foot closely but without feeling too restrictive.
The leather on the forefoot may not be K-leather, but to me that is unnoticeable given how soft it is to the touch. I would even rather have the Copa Pure just go full-leather then if that’s the quality of material it’s using. Fusionskin, while certainly a solid option for those who are daring and experimental with their football boots, would leave traditionalists wanting for more.
This is one of the boots that deliver the highest quality of K-leather in any football boot. The premium material comprises the vamp while the meshed midfoot provides the structure and responsiveness. I feel this is a great option to test if leather & Mizuno are right for you. And if money is not a problem, I would even suggest for you to go this boot versus the Copa Pure just because it has a slight edge when it comes to the premiumness of the K-leather. Also the soleplate to my mind gives you a sense of stepping barefoot on the pitch. That’s how light and natural-flexing the outsole is.
The Copa Pure 3 from adidas gives you a leather boot that has a soft calfskin leather on the forefoot and a mesh synthetic on the midfoot, with the overall upper structure called the Fusionskin. The secure lockdown is assisted by the structure from the textile midfoot, which jives well with the pliability of the quality leather vamp. If you like the first boot on this list but want more space to put in your foot and more adjustability for the fit and lockdown, I recommend going for this laced variant as it has a standard u-throat and Primeknit tongue construction.
4. adidas Copa Mundial
Notwithstanding the classic old-school visuals like the generic shape and fold-over tongue, the Copa Mundial is still one of the nicest K-leather boot in the market as evidenced by its decades-old availability. Comfort is top-notch, but it does pack-in some weight. I also believe that the generic shaping causes the Copa Mundial to show its age in terms of responsiveness.
5. Nike Premier
Nike’s answer to the Copa Mundial has a more contemporary silhouette and responsive structure. The quality of the leather forefoot is there, but the adidas classic silo might have a slight edge on that note. I don’t think you have much time though to wait for more releases of this budget-friendly leather option, given Nike’s decision to discontinue leather in football boots.
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6. New Balance VV2
New Balance’s leather boot entry VV2 v2 could be held back from getting mainstream by the simple fact that it is made outside of Nike, adidas, and Puma. How else could you explain the competitive leather experience and significant amount of K-leather in addition to its modern structured feel, and still not getting much attention? All of these at the price of the adidas Copa Mundial! Objectively-speaking, I can envision how the VV2 v2 can be a solid introductory boot for you if you want to test out leather for the first time. It’s not the most premium leather of course, but it gets the job done and is worth a look.
If you enjoy the K-leather of the Morelia Beta and want it extended all over the upper, then this is the Mizuno boot for you. It’s the most comfortable leather boot with just enough structural reinforcement for responsiveness and a modern outsole that simply works. To me, this could run for the title of the perfect football boots. That’s how good the Morelia 2 is, not to mention one of the purest leather option on this list besides the Copa Mundial.
Just like the number 2, except that the midfoot now has a synthetic BF (Barefoot) leather instead of mesh and a standard tongue construction. This gives the Morelia Neo a more leather feel all throughout the upper while maintaining the responsive and lightweight profile to make it a speed boot.I can also see how the Neo IV may have inspired adidas to provide that 2.1 alternative to the Copa Pure 2+.
I did have reservations including the last two boots on this list, but since Puma and Nike endeavoured their respective synthetic composition to be the answer to the traditional boot material, I thought may be it’s a good thing to see how synthetic leathers have progressed over the years and how they stack up against the natural thing. The Puma King, despite it being one of the most iconic K-leather silo, was nonetheless the first one among popular K-leather boots to move to synthetic leather.
Dubbed as the K-BETTER, the upper promises to retain the damp qualities of leather without the extra water uptake and overstretching. To make the long story short, I find the boot solid in fit and material quality for the synthetic part, but still have some ways to go in replicating the plushness of leather. Will Puma ever drop a limited edition leather Puma King in the future? Only time will tell.
Having experienced the CTR360’s Kangalite before, I agree that the Tiempo Legend 10’s Flytouch Plus is the best attempt of Nike so far to replicate leather in a synthetic composite. If I’m going to choose between the Puma King and the Nike Tiempo Legend now, I’ll go with the latter. It’s not quite there yet but it is getting really close in providing the natural sensation of leather.
I think the only thing that’s left to balance is how can the synthetic leather retain the natural stretch of leather to mould around the feet while also addressing the overstretching issues. Given their statement of moving away from natural leather, Nike dropping a special edition leather Tiempo in the future is something to watch out for.
How We Tested The Leather Boots
Testing the leather boots here have gone on with the same approach we used with every boot testing. But at least for this recommendation page the star of the show of course is the upper material itself. So I added focus on feeling out the leather itself in each boot and how it compares to other boots with the same composition. This is especially important given the introduction of synthetic leathers by Puma and Nike. There will always be a natural dampening effect to ball touch when it comes to leather, which is why the testing always comes back to the sensation of the animal skin on the boots.
Questions about Leather Football Boots
Are leather boots good?
The fact that the likes of adidas Copa Mundial and Nike Tiempo Legend have continued to survive despite the influx of other options is a testament to the uniqueness of leather among other materials for football boots. Leather boots can be good as long as your preferences are in line with the natural properties of leather. Because of the constant ground pounding and ball kicking, some wear leather boots because of the cushioned, padded feel of the material, in turn allowing the boot to absorb impact away from the foot. Moreover, these properties produce a comfortable press against the foot. The bulk and weight of older leather boots is also becoming less of an issue because of the thinner and lightweight construct of today’s leading leather boots.
Are leather boots better?
As mentioned, everything is relative and this applies as well to the inquiry of leather boots being better. Leather boots are obviously better in getting that soft, cushioned feel versus a soft, knitted boot whic is focused more on creating a sock-like sensation. What is sure is that there have been significant improvements in today’s leather boot builds. They are now thinner and more lightweight but still retain the softness expected from leather. On top of that, leather boots are being modernized through its incorporation with other technologies and materials to create a different experience.
Are leather boots waterproof?
As a natural material, leather is not totally waterproof, though they do provide a minimal amount of water resistance especially for those leather boots that do not have any stitchings. Brands usually employ some form of coating to assist the leather in reducing water uptake especially during rainy weather. You can them improve this further by adding your own waterproofing like dubbin or leather care products.
Are leather boots durable?
Given their denser yet pliable nature plus the padded sensation, they generally tend to last longer. Keep it mind though the leather boots nowadays are constructed with a thinner profile which might affect their durability and protective attributes. You can actually use some leather cream to help maintain the condition of the boot for a long time.
Why can’t you get K-leather boots in California?
Starting in 1971, all kangaroo products have been banned from the said U.S. State, based on concerns that the population of the said animal is declining. As such, brands with K-leather boots either substitute calfskin for K-leather or totally avoid selling the boots in California. Assuming you’ve acquired K-leather boots outside of California, using them to play in any part of the State is highly discouraged given the possible legal ramifications.
What are the types of hide used to make a leather material?
Regardless of the hide, the most sought part is the outermost layers called the top-grain and full-grain as this has the best quality. Synthetic leather is usually created out of the less durable inner layers and normally carries labels like genuine leather, split-grain or suede, and bonded leather.
1. K-leather: The hide from a kangaroo is extremely durable but is soft and flexible. This is the reason why it is the best leather material for football boots.
2. Calfskin: Calfskin is just a touch less premium than K-leather, but its closeness to it in terms of quality makes it a good substitute. Calfskin is a also a bit heavier.
3. Cowhide: Made from mature cattle, the material leans on the tougher and thicker side. They can help boots endure serious wear and tear.
