High pressing. Intense ball movement. The game has become quicker and faster, and so do football boots! Gone are the days they are built like tanks, and at present even some players at the back prefer the speedy feel of some of the boots today. And one sought-after characteristic in a speed boot is being light and ready to glide.
Forget protection for the moment. These are some of the boots that will make your feet feel weightless and unburdened when you step in there and enjoy your football. Do take note that the following weigh around 200 lbs. or under (some more so than the others) at a 9.5 US, so the boots could even go down the scales for those with shorter sizes.
Best Lightweight Boots
1. Nike Air Zoom Mercurial
This lightweight speed boot happens to be the one, if not the most popular silo of all time and continues to be at the present moment. Nike’s patented Zoom Airbag technology covers a third of the length of the outsole, providing an effective shock absorbing mechanism and lessening the literal impact in each step. Air Zoom Mercurial is available at a low-cut Vapor model (worn by most professionals) and a Dynamic Fit-collared Superfly (worn by Sancho, Mbappe, and CR7).
2. Puma Ultra SL
If weight is just the sole consideration, nothing beats the Ultra SLs. They barely make it past 100g thanks to the combination of Peba outsole and a special material for the woven upper. The Ultra SLs are paper thin, so they are barefoot as they can get for a pair of football boots.
3. New Balance Furon
On par, if not even lighter than the leading speed boots, the Furon from New Balance is an underrated one. The off-centred lacing system actually works well in providing both a clean striking surface and a clean wrap around the foot. No issues with the lockdown on these knit-based boots.
4. Puma Ultra Ultimate
The standard Puma speed boots, in relation to the above mentioned Super Light variant, adds a bit of a structured feel. They can still be considered as light and thin, though, and features the ULTRAWEAVE material that is also utilised in the top-end kits of the brand.
5. adidas X Crazyfast
Using a snappy plate insert, the X Crazyfast manage to add a high degree of outsole responsiveness and energy return while maintaining the lightweight profile of the boots. You can get them on a clean, laceless variant or with the traditional lacing setup (further divided into a one-piece upper model and a standard tongue construction variant) for a more secure lockdown.
Remember the OG lightest boots?
