The Puma King 20 is the boot for those looking for a dampened touch on the ball and has a cosy, relaxed fit. It does so through its very padded and soft Totaltouch+ upper, arguably one of the best iteration of a synthetic leather material. This is complemented well by the Ortholite Custom Fit memory foam on the heel to help personalise the fit around that part of the boot.

Rain or shine, natural or artificial pitch, I have trained and played with them. And what I find is a boot that is buttery soft and comfortable, and easily a choice better suited for wide feet players. I also believe it is one of those boots that can perform relatively well in wet conditions. It certainly is not for everyone, but I’m sure all would appreciate that the King 20 has chosen its lane and target audience.

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About the authors: This review was co-written by Dean Ariola, FootballBoots.co.uk’s Chief Writer, and Ian Ebbs, founder of FootballBoots.co.uk, host of the site’s YouTube channel and author of the Boot Secrets guide. Ian bought these boots himself to provide an independent review.

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.

Is the Puma King 20 worth it?

Yes — if your boot preferences matches what Puma have in mind for the King 20 player.
We are talking about a wide fit profile with a buttery soft and padded upper that cushions both the feet and the ball. This also includes opting for a simple, functional soleplate without much of that uber responsiveness seen in modern speed boots.

My Puma King 20 Ultimate Boot Review

• Release Year: 2025
• Generation Number: 20th overall, 3rd in 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

• Testing Conditions
• Surfaces: Firm ground and artificial grass
• Weather: Dry and damp sessions
• Sessions: 2 Competitive Matches, 3 Training Sessions
• Foot Type: Medium Width (EU 43 1/3)
• Playing Position: Ball-Playing Defender
• Playing Style: Long balls, building from the back
• Break-in Time: Approximately 20 minutes

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. This alone makes the King 20 a huge upgrade coming from the King 2023 and King 2024.

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.

I must say though that while Totaltouch+ might have leather-like features, there is still this unique sensation in boots with natural leather that the engineered material might have just missed. That should not, however, prevent anyone from at least appreciating what Puma was able to achieve with such great upper composite.

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 (not to mention also having significantly less water uptake than natural leather). 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 and comfort 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, the foam underneath is not your usual EVA but Puma’s Nitro cushioning technology. My opinion is that the noticeable bounce and cushion underfoot jives well with the boot’s focus in comfort.

How Football Boots UK Tested the Puma King 20

You can find more about our boot testing here. With the Puma King 20 though, I added more sprint and running exercises to test how much it retains the comfort level of my feet. I also subjected the boots to extra passing training sessions to really get a sense of that dampened touch on the ball. I also have my experience with natural leather football boots in mind since the goal of Totaltouch+ is to replicate leather features and benefits in a synthetic setting.

Which Future model should you pick?

Choose the Ultimate if you don’t want to miss out on that Ortholite Custom Fit heel memory foam and the best execution of the Totaltouch+ upper.

Choose the Pro for its value-for-money. It has the same fit profile and upper pliability but not with the texturing and heel padding.

Choose the Match if you can get it on-sale and a better price point to offset the significant downside of having a slick heel.

Key Facts about the Puma King 20

Boot type: Heritage

Generation: 20th; 3rd in synthetic leather era

Upper: Totaltouch+ synthetic leather that breaks-in almost right out of the box

Grip: Laser-cut grip zones and 3D textures

Stability: Peba soleplate with rounded triangular stud layout

Fit: Wide-fitting

Best surface: Natural pitch

>> Check out the Latest King Available *affiliate link to Puma

Puma King Pro

Let me just say that for almost half the price of the Ultimate, the Puma King Pro presents the silo a massive value-for-money opportunity as it does a great job of maintaining the core identity of the top-tier at this price point. The Totaltouch upper might be a bit plasticky and less leather-like to the surface, and also shaves off some of the microtexturing. But the most important thing is that the synthetic upper is as pliable as Totaltouch+ to put comfort front and centre still.

The padded feel is still there for that dampened ball touch. Width-wise, the Pro is ever so slightly narrower from toe to midfoot, and bit wider around the heel because of the absence of the Ortholite Custom Fit. This takedown also adds in more weight, probably because of the different plastic used for the soleplate. For the size, I would also recommend going up half-a-size (or even a full-size up if you really have wide feet) .

Puma King Match

The Softtouch+ upper is above-average for this takedown level in terms of comfort and pliability. The integrated tongue uses a cheap mesh material, but that is a small thing to be honest. And the tooling appears to be the same one used in the Pro. There’s only one thing that might hold this back, and that is the slick synthetic leather heel that significantly affects lockdown. The Pro still has a microfibre heel padding in lieu of Ortholite Custom Fit and manages to hold down the heel still, so I’m inclined to say that it’s much better to save up a little and just go for the Pro.

Final Thoughts about the Puma King 20

I really like that Puma has chosen to become clear with the Puma King 20 in terms of comfort, responsiveness, fit and ball touch. This gives boot enthusiasts an option to go padded and wider should they think of giving those speed boot-like attributes of thin, narrow, and barefoot boot experience a break. It also sets up the future prospect of synthetic leather boots in a good light. The King Match might have acquired the silo’s pliability and wide fit, but because of that slick heel, I think the Pro is the value-for money choice here should you choose not to break the bank for the Puma King 20.

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.