Pele 1970 Play Test
Here at the SoccerBible we thought it was about time we put another boot through our rigorous Play Test, this time we've chosen one of the more unknown boots on the market, as the Pele Sport 1970 football boots have only available for a short time.
Our initial reaction when first holding the Pele 1970 is that it's quite a nice boot with a soft leather upper, although it does appear to have too much wax or dubbing on it! We also liked the tongue with the elastic strap, which is very familiar to a classic boot...we just can t remember which one!
Looks-wise, both the white and black versions of the Pele 1970's are good looking boots, the design is simplistic and the fold over tongue with the Pele signature looks strong on the pitch and really stands out.
Unfortunately, we weren't that in awe of the boot when we first put the Pele 1970 on as we thought they were going to be more comfortable. At first the boots didn't quite feel right and were pinching on the out step of the boot, we also noticed there was a lot of space on the toe area which was quite unusual. But we must admit the boots did get more comfortable as the session went on, and would say the Pele 1970 has the potential to be a really comfy boot, they just need to be broke-in.
We got straight into some long and short passing, testing out the ball touch and feel provided by the Pele football boot's upper. The over waxed/dubbing feel on the boots was a little strange and took a short while to adapt to, it provides a great deal of friction between the boot and ball which is great if you can fully utilise, but can be unforgiving if you don't make a true connection.
When it came to putting the Pele 1970 football boots through a little shooting practice, there was universal agreement that the boot was having a bit of an identity crisis. It's hard to tell whether this boot is designed for power or accuracy, and unfortunately we didn't feel it excelled in either category. However, there was no denying the clean ball strike the boot gives you, and at the end of the day when it comes to shooting, that's the most important thing.
The Pele 1970 football boots aren't the lightest on the market, and as the boot rides quite high it's not particularly great for acceleration or turning, therefore this boot can be ruled out of the speed category. But Pele Sports have made a concerted effort to create a traction sole-plate and in this department they have delivered, as there was not one slide or slippage from the boots all day.
As far as durability is concerned, the boot feels well made with a quality stitched leather upper and a solid heel counter. We can't see there being any problems with the Pele 1970 football boots, as they are a genuinely good all round boot. But there-in lies the problem for us, the boot is an all rounder and a jack-of-all-trades, put it up against the best speed, power or touch boots and it may struggle, but we wish the Pele 1970 football boots all the best as the potential is undoubtedly there - as is the name!
