Play Test: adidas Predator Pro Casillas GK Gloves
The season is over but whilst most players are on a beach sunning it we re back out on the training ground putting some of the latest products through their paces. This week we decided to playtest a new arrival from adidas, the adidas Predator Pro Iker Casillas Glove. A visually striking glove that has been designed in line with Casillas' new Real Madrid goalkeeper kit.
Taking the gloves out of the bag we knew we were dealing with a seriously good looking piece of kit. We start with the neoprene wrist entry, which is now prominent in most of adidas leading gloves and it has definitely won us over; it's comfortable and fits well with the wrap around bandage wrist strap, which is designed to provide support as well as being ideal to adjust the fit to meet all wrist measurements.
Unlike last season's version the personalisation window is clear which means you don t have to play with Casillas name on your gloves, you can obviously choose to have it on (as we have), add your own identity or leave it plain.
The Seamless Touch cut of the glove is an in-hand pattern similar to the negative cut but with the use of latex gussets which are used to provide seamless contact area meaning the ball will always be in contact with latex wherever on the glove it touches. The design is based around giving the keeper a closer feel and larger contact area to the ball. 
We started with some simple handling exercises and we were impressed with the way the glove handled given that it was the first time that we d worn it. The idea behind having a negative cut, (or seemless touch cut) which has the stitching on the inside of the glove as opposed to externally, is to make the fit of the glove a snug and comfortable one - they fitted more like a second skin rather than a glove.
The palm itself is the Nova, a 3.5mm purple latex which is designed to work with the specific characteristics of adidas top matchballs so we decided not to be biased and try its performance on the official Nike Premier League ball. We found it performed brilliantly in both wet and dry conditions. The play test was done on a dry day but we kept the glove well soaked for the second half of the play test and this didn t alter its performance and definitely aided our handling. 
The quality of the palm was clear on the distribution exercises, we had complete control all the way up to the point of release, avoiding any potential inaccuracies. The palm also features 4mm foam cushioning to act as a shock absorber for when shots are really smashed in at you. After a good half an hour of our over-excited play testers hammering balls at us in the always-longer-than-usual shooting drills we found that the shots weren't stinging our hands in the slightest.
The glove doesn t really have a specific punching zone, instead an all over latex backhand is designed to provide an abrasive surface area for punching the ball clear. This simple and effective backhand is adidas way of getting good performance out of the backhand without complicating it. 
The glove also features a double thumb wrap, which is there to increase the stability around the thumb as well as give a tight fit from the top to the bottom side which was a massive help especially on the comfort point of view. The fit of the thumb is a big factor for us when buying a glove and the comfort the double thumb wrap produces on the Pred Pro is a pivitol point in swaying us towards this glove over others.
As an added little bonus all adidas gloves now come with their own bottle of glove wash. Ideal for prolonging the life of your gloves and saves you a few quid at the same time. Result.
Summary: After putting this latest model through its paces adidas have taken last season's successful Neuer glove and really taken it to the next level. The visuals make it stand out on pitch and its overall performance was second to none. Extremely comfortable and at a price which won't break the bank. You can't go too far wrong with the Pred Pro and it would be a top choice for keepers after a simple, yet comfortable glove for the new season.
The adidas Predator Pro Casillas gloves are available to order now at online stockists including Pro-Direct Soccer.
