The Tekela is the first laceless silo by New Balance, going full collision course against the very best boots of adidas. Is the New Balance Tekela sub-par, on-par, or above-par than what the Stripes brand can offer? See more details below…
What You’ll Find On This Page:
- Tekela v4+ Review
- Tekela Magia Takedown
- Tekela Magique Budget Option
- Generations of Tekela Football Boots
When it comes to its football boots, New Balance is headlined by the Furon, the speed boot worn by Sadio Mane, Raheem Sterling, and Bukayo Saka. To be fair, the Tekela, generally considered as a mere support option, does offer something unique from the Furon and is worthy of consideration as a New Balance silo.
Tekela v4+ Pro Review
| Model | Quality | Pitches | |
|---|---|---|---|
 New Balance Tekela Pro Laceless |  Laceless HYPOKNIT upper with raised midfoot elements Nylon outsole with angled TPU rim studs |  |  |
 New Balance Tekela Pro Laced | Laced HYPOKNIT upper with raised midfoot elements Nylon outsole with angled TPU rim studs | |  |
The Tekela is usually thought of as the supporting act for the Furon. But I think New Balance has mixed things up to the point that it can definitely stand now on its own. For one, the v4+ has a high-cut, laceless option and a laced low-cut one. Both have the same upper and outsole construct, so let me get it out of the way and say that the laceless model has that great midfoot tension to really lock the fit down. I do struggle to put it on even with my slim foot, but once in I can imagine most will agree that the laceless setup is a rewarding feeling. There’s still that a bit of give and internal movement as is the case for any laceless pair, but it certainly is not that pronounced. I see that wider foot types will have an even more struggle to put this on, but also reckon that the width and/or volume of their feet would better suit the boot, given that my narrow feet have experienced some material spacing here and there (not much but noticeable).
Much of this review then is on the low-cut laced model. The Tekela v4+ has a one-piece upper construction from the brand’s Hypoknit material with TPU coating. And I can say it’s one, if not the most sock-like upper you can get, most especially given today’s speed boot options. This jives well with the laceless model and its collar, but it also feels comfortable and pleasant in this off-centred laced variant. The meshed pattern on the forefoot and the raised texturing on the midfoot do not offer anything on ball grip, I think. But at least the multiple contact points prevent the boot from slicking away from the ball. Speaking of the forefoot, it has a foam liner which gives it a slight padded sensation, but the overall upper profile is thin, soft and pliable as you would expect from a sock-like material.
As a narrow feet player, I have experienced some room here and there (again, not much to affect overall fit), so I see how this can be better for wide feet players and how the boot improves on fit and responsiveness when worn by the right players. But what I really like about the Tekela v4+ besides the upper is the sculpted heel. It’s deep, anatomical and feels a lot more free than the uberly stuffed and padded heel of some boots. I find the heel setup the perfect balance for heel lockdown and comfort.
The Tekela nylon outsole remains in that it is heavily dominated conicals with angled rim studs on the edges. Snapback is fairly decent and the choice of conicals seem to me the Tekela is the safer option for AG rather than the chevron-dominated Furon. The rim studs might seem insignificant at first, but I feel they are most impactful when doing side-to-side, and it might even have practical application of aiding a goalkeeper when doing that saving dive.
Now if you are coming from the v4, I think you’ll find that the Hypoknit is slightly thinner, softer and more pliable. The toe box I think is lower, more pointy and rounder than the relatively higher and more boxy shape of that from the v4. The thing is the v4 by itself is still a very good boot, so I would suggest to move in to the v4+ only when it’s really time to move on to a new pair.
How We Tested The Tekela v4+
You can read our general boot testing principles here. But at least for the Tekela v4+, we have to consider that it has laceless and laced variants. With that said, the star of the testing is the Hypoknit material and how it gives the v4+ its competitive advantage given that most boots are either synthetic or leather. Another point of interest with the Tekela is the inclusion of rim studs and how it might be put to good use on the pitch, as not every boot could say it offers the same stud configuration.
Tekela Magia Takedown
| Model | Quality | Pitches | |
|---|---|---|---|
 New Balance Tekela Magia Laceless |  Laceless full knit upper with raised midfoot elements Nylon outsole |  |  |
 New Balance Tekela Magia Laced | Laced full knit upper with raised midfoot elements Nylon outsole | |  |
The good thing for those seeking the Tekela at the sub-£150 option is that you can still choose between a laceless pair and a laced one. There are obviously some changes, and one of those is the removal of the TPU angled rim studs. Whether it’s a major or minor change depends on your view of the significance of rim studs in football.
Tekela Magique Budget Option
| Model | Quality | Pitches | |
|---|---|---|---|
 New Balance Tekela Magique | Textured synthetic upper TPU outsole | |  >> Get Tekela v4+ Magique from New Balance |
This cheap Tekela variant opts for a synthetic upper with a fabric collar. No choice is available for you to go laceless at this price point. The squarish studs have curved corners, which somehow make them more playable on AG. As the Magique significantly deviates from the Pro model, I think this boot ranks relatively low compared to those Academy takedowns that still have some semblance of the core DNA of the silo.
Generations of Tekela Football Boots
The Tekela has gone through quite a number of changes despite being relatively young for a football boot silo. Take a read at the following to see how the boot transformed from one generation to the other.
Tekela 1.0 (2018)
New Balance started the Tekela in 2018 ahead of the World Cup to replace the Vizaro line. The beginning of the Tekela saw it equipped with an NB70 synthetic upper with the first iteration of the Kinetic Stitch texturing. It had a high-cut neoprene collar that also comprised the extended tongue piece. The lacing system was noticeably shallow.
Furon 2.0 (2019)
A year later, New Balance updated the Tekela by shortening the tongue and deepening the lacing system. Together with the fully-bonded no-sew seam technology towards the tongue and collar, the deeper lacing system helped improved the fit and lockdown of the Tekela in v2.
Furon 3.0 (2020)
With the v3 in 2020, the New Balance Tekela turned into a laceless, knitted football boot for the first time. The Kinetic Stitch texturing transitioned away from its curved webbing design and towards a branch-like aesthetic that still covered much of the upper. The v3 finished off with a high-cut collar.
Furon 3+ (2021)
New Balance was right not to name this release the v4 in 2021, considering that the only changes applied were the form of the Kinetic Stitch (which still looked similar to the v3’s, to be honest), the slight lowering of the collar height, and the reengineering on the knitted upper itself to make it more pliable and comfortable. The 3+ was the last Tekela generation to use the stud configuration implemented by the v1.
