Umbro GT Play Test
Speed football boots are always a popular subject at the SoccerBible, so when we got our hands of a pair of the new Umbro GT football boots, we couldn't wait to put them through a rigorous SoccerBible Play test. After succesfully resurrecting the Speciali does the magic formula continue with their latest release?
On first dishing out the boots out from the kit bag, the comments from our team mates echoed our feelings that these boots look very reminiscent of a Nike Vapor. The visually clean upper already had a few fans won on first impressions alone, with this White/Gunmetal/Orange colourway not being as loud as some of the other boots we have featured.
The classic styling that we have come to love the new improved Umbro for is here, and on pitch the GTs look crisp and clean. In your hands the boot feels well built and gives the impression it will last, and we were surprised at how substantial this is compared to other speed boots.
As the upper itself is one piece there are no seams designed to reduce weight, and to touch it feels like it will give a good grip. So enough holding, lets get these boots on our feet!
The Umbro GT are pitched as speed boots so face some some big competition in the shape of the adidas adiZero football boots and Nike Mercurial series. Putting on the GT's for the first time is a strange sensation - initially they feel quite rigid and stiff, and the toe area is especially firm.
The upper is quite thick in comparison to other boots we've played tested, and as such could do with more flex and less rigidity, but at least this gives a secure fit around the foot.
Unfortunately for the GT though, they do require a period of breaking in. The last is quite narrow so this is a boot that players with wider feet will definitely need to break in, helping the boots to conform and adapt to your feet first. So no straight out of the box play on these.
At SoccerBible we have a strict Play Test regime, so we can report our findings and offer a genuine comparison for each of the boots we test. Starting as always with a brief warm-up session then some running drills, the fit and design of the GT are supposedly designed to make you feel fast and agile. Through the cones and slalom poles the boots were satisfyingly responsive, improving with each set of drills that passed. More drills and sprints and the boots began to hug the foot more and more, meaning turns and quick changes of direction became easier and more responsive as the session progressed.
As our play test session progressed the boots were rapidly becoming comfier so by the time we'd got to the ball activities the boots felt like they were much more moulded to our feet. Initially however the GT didn't offer much in the way of ball feel or touch, which was disappointing to say the least. Dribbling at speed felt clumsy at times, the micro fibre upper feeling almost too thick for purpose.
However, the GT does make you feel more confident the more you use it, and as the varying drills were ticked off the ball touch did improve and we could report definite improvements and as such much better performance.
However, a positive spin on this is that with a thicker upper, the Umbro GT gives an better feeling of protection for a game scenario. You certainly don't feel as though you will always come out second best in a clash of boots, which is a decent feather in the cap for the GT. Of course, tipping the scales at around 235g you would probably expect this - but don't go thinking this is some heavyweight boot!
As the session was fully in flow, next up was everyone's favourite drill - shooting practice. It was here that we were surprised with the GT's - this is the most impressive feature of the boots. We've seen the addition of fins, powder and other "technologies" to Power football boots in order to get that extra shot power and precision, but here the Umbro GT boots were outstanding in their performance.
Shots and strikes were raining in on the net and feeling accruate and powerful with each attempt.
This is where the micro-fibre Teijin upper really comes into its' own, as a true and clean connection with the ball is felt every time. Of course, it can always be argued that shooting is down to the individual player, but if you need your boots to do what you want of them, you can't ask for much more than what the GT's deliver.
All the previous gripes had now been dismissed, and we were now really enjoying the boots as they came into their own during these drills.
So in summary, the Umbro GT football boots struggle initially to offer something special, but persevere with them and you'll find a very good performance boot that delivers comfort, power and accuracy. It could be argued that the boots are let down by having to work to get the most out of them, but we say the rewards are definitely worth the effort.
