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Furon v7 Review

Dean Ariola

New Balance reengineers the Furon as it reaches another generational update, sticking with its core DNA while delivering a different Furon experience. Is it a turn for the better or worse? Decide for yourself as you study more about the boots here…

What You’ll Find On This Page:
new balance furon v7 gold
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The juggernauts in the football boot industry that are the Nike and adidas obviously have the market’s attention at their grasps, to the extent that its already taken for granted. But time and time again, we see small brands able to produce football boots on-par with those produce by the duopoly. Case-in-point: New Balance and its Furon v7. Daring to venture into a category dominated by the Mercs and the Xs, the New Balance speed boot aims to provide a solid alternative by usually going the opposite way of whatever trend the major brands are heading to. 

Who Wears the Furon NB Boots? Furon Football Stars

Since joining the brand in 2018, Sadio Mane has been the focal point of the Furon and New Balance (imagine CR7 to the Superfly and Nike). He started with a pair of the Furon 4.0 and continues to wear each generational model, receiving various signature releases along the way.

As a sign of the growing influence of the Furon, Mane is now joined by the likes of Raheem Sterling, Harvey Elliott and Bukayo Saka, each of them also receiving signature launches from New Balance.

‘People Also Ask’ about New Balance Football Boots:

  • Who Uses New Balance football shoes?

Before the abovementioned stars, New Balance used to have the likes of Tim Cahill, Jesus Navas, Samir Nasri, and Aaron Ramsey in wearing the earlier generations of the Furon speed boots.

Historically, it has been hits-and-misses for the brand with their football boots. However, these past few years have seen New Balance progress in their boot-making, making adjustments based on consumer feedback but still maintaining (and at times even building up on) the positives of their offerings.

While the boot offerings would eventually have their distinct fit and feel, New Balance does offer size options width-wise unlike any other brand. More on this in the review coming up right now!

Furon v7 Review

Five Things You’ll Want to Know:

  1. Costs just a shade under £200
  2. Knit-based upper with a nylon soleplate
  3. Has Regular and Wide options
  4. Follows along the lines of the Nike Mercurials, adidas Xs, and Puma Ultras
  5. More popular than its Tekela New Balance sibling

Our Furon v7 Expert Review

 
✔️ Pros
  • Balances the benefits of knit and synthetic through a thin layering of the said materials on the upper
  • Can stay true-to-size even for wide feet because of the Wide option
  • Cost slightly less than the Nike and adidas speed boots
  • Comfortable out-of-the-box; very minimal break-in time needed
  • Traction is within expectation for this type of football boot
  • Grippy upper surface can prevent the ball from sliding off the boot; complements the wider striking area
  • Lightweight sensation makes you feel unburdened and ready to go
 
❌ Cons
  • Snapback from soleplate not on the level of the X Speedportal’s Carbitex Speedframe nor the dual-density Speedplate from the Ultra
  • Off-centred lacing a bit shallow; might affect fit and lockdown
  • Price is cheaper but not might not be enough to draw customers out from the tested brands
  • Might not appeal to those looking for that super tight, strapped-in feel of a classic speed boot
 

If New Balance keeps up the good work, the Furon might just be the breakthrough boot they are all waiting for to finally become a major player in the football boot industry.

Boot Rankings, Best For…
 
 

Get Your Pair Here

Furon v7 vs 6+

Being the previous model, the 6+ would definitely still be in circulation (and surely at a discounted rate). So the question is ‘What changed in the v7 and would it still be worth it to get the 6+ if that’s the only Furon I could buy?’.

First off, the nylon soleplate carries over to the present generation of the Furon. So safe to say that if you get the 6+, you won’t miss out from the outsole experience of the v7. The studs are essentially Mercurialesque, with the chevrons giving that sharpness to dig in and cling to that firm natural soil. The nylon outsole falls on the stiffer side of the spectrum to give you a little sense of snap in every step (though as mentioned earlier it’s not at the level of the adidas X’s Carbitex Speedframe). Still, it’s pretty much within expectation of top speed boot tooling in that it has a functional balance between a stiff midfoot and a flexing forefoot.

The upper is where all the changes happen as the Furon v7 now adds a slightly densed synthetic overlay on its Hypoknit upper as opposed to the full knit construction in the 6+. Apart from that, much of the structure in the latest Furon comes from the varying densities of the knit base itself to strategically balance upper pliability and responsiveness, whereas the previous one has a full liner backing holding the shape of the boot. At the end of the day, both are comfortable and have a thin profile, but the v7 arguably has more ping when it comes to ball contact and the 6+ a more airy, breathable sensation.

Another change is the lacing system, with the new Furon going asymmetrical and shallow and the old one deep and centred. With laces, the lockdown and fit are always going to be secure, though the central and deeper placement on the 6+ probably gives the boot a slight advantage on that front. What you might give a point to the v7 as far as the lacing is its other effect: the wider striking surface. Given the fact that it has that grippy sticky touch on the ball, it’s going to be fun practising your ball placement in crosses and strikes with the Furon V7.

The fit in both Furons, despite the difference in how they put the structure in place, seems to be similar. They have a close wrap around the foot and follows the contour of your foot as much as they can. How tight or snug they can be is where they might actually differ given that the respective lacing system of the boots. Still, the V7 and the 6+ will always be more relaxed relative to the likes of the Puma Ultra and Nike Mercurial.

Evolution of the New Balance Furon Football Boots

It might not be obvious but having started in 2015, the Furon is actually as old as the adidas X speed boots.  We’ll now take a brief trip to memory lane to see how we finally arrived to the present iteration of the New Balance speed boot.

Furon 1.0 (2015)

New Balance introduced the first generation of the Furon in 2015 alongside the Visaro, acting as the brand’s speed and control boot offerings, respectively. The Furon started with a Fantomfit upper that fuses the mesh forefoot with a synthetic midfoot. Since the Furon v1, nylon has always been the outsole material, and that red medial section that you can see above is a TPU material with triangular studs (all intended to give you a platform to push off).

Furon 2.0 (2016)

Apart from the more compact pattern of the meshed forefoot, not much had changed in the v2 coming from the v1.

Furon 3.0 (2017)

After two years, New Balance decided to overhaul the Furon line for the first time. The v3 introduced foam inserts to the silo for the first time, and the mesh upper was comprised of a hybrid TPU/Polyester material. The TPU outsole contained a nylon chassis overlay to balance flexibility with energy-return.

Furon 4.0 (2018)

Furon v4 was a special release for the silo. Launching in 2018, it debuted ahead of the World Cup and also featured alongside the Visaro replacement-the Tekela 1.0. The v4 was also the first Furon model Sadio Mane wore when he joined New Balance. Tech-wise, the outsole was similar, except that it was now inlayed. The upper changed to a synthetic Fantom fit with core-outs, all covered with a Hydraskin membrane for a consistent touch even in wet conditions.

Furon 5.0 (2019)

The following year, New Balance an evolution to the Furon, with the v5 featuring minor adjustments to the v4 like how the v2 did it for the v1. The tongue was streamlined to the low-cut collar and the laces interestingly did not cover the full tongue area. 

Furon 6.0 (2020)

COVID or not, New Balance was not deterred to launch the Furon v6, its first fully-knitted upper, in a year where Nike’s Flyknit and adidas’ Primeknit where at their peaks. The knit from the v6 was plush and truly sock-like, reinforced strategically over the surface just so not to make it feel sloppy. The first iteration of the present Furon’s nylon soleplate got featured on the Furon v6, albeit with a more opaque finish.

Furon 6+ (2021)

Another evolution (but a very great one for that), the v6+ streamlined the surface structural reinforcement to the knitted upper but still made it comfortable and flexible because of the meshed internal liner. The nylon outsole changed to a translucent material but retained the aggressive chevron studs. 

 

 

Author

Dean Ariola

Dean has worked Chief writer at the Black & Orange team since 2020, he has an indepth knowledge of all the soccer shoes from the big brands, you have him to thank for all the updates to our Boot Secrets guide and he is first on the scene with all the new releases for you!