Puma claims that “the band was developed using a special combination of polyester and spandex yarns, along with special technical yarns to create the perfect balance of compression, comfort and durability, giving the wearer that second-skin feeling.” The original model was the Puma Future 18.1, drenched in vibrant shades of yellow and making an immediate impact out on the pitch. Since then, Puma have introduced the 19.1, 4.1, 5.1, 6.1 and Future Z models, as they continuously work on upgrading the tech and improving the overall design. Why Should I Choose Them? Tell us about the journey you've been on to get to this product? How did it differ from creating boots of the past?

The budget Future is where the price decrease is noticeable because of the cheap synthetic mesh and stetchy knit, as opposed to the high-performing materials found on the top Future tiers. Match also has a cheap nylon liner and a more solid and weighted feel to the TPU soleplate. Fuzionfit is still on the arch of the midfoot, but the tension it provides is significantly less felt now. PWRTAPE is limited to cosmetic function. And finally, a little off topic, but Lilly, given that you are a female working at such a big level in what has previously been a very male-oriented field, do you see yourself as something of a role model? It’s not a deal breaker but I’d like the TPU coating to be thinner and to have a little more knitted material on that upper to provide a more luxurious touch on the Puma Future Z. I did a Reus – I went laceless LC: The whole journey and process of the Future Z took around two and a half years from start to finish and the whole thing was extremely exciting, but it came with challenges. I think with the FUZIONFIT+ band, this was, personally, something that I was challenged with right from the beginning because creating this technology that gives you the compression-like fit but that also allows some freedom of movement and allows every single player to fit well into the shoe and perform was really a challenge. The first time I put the boots on, I thought the compression band was tight around my midfoot – if it was a little tighter, the band would have caused cramping in my feet. Within a couple of minutes of light jogging and warm ups, my concerns and the tightness melted away. The compression band is comfy AF. The Puma Future Z is all about mobilityFL: There are different elements. Starting with the FUZIONFIT+ technology you get the ultimate fit. There’s no need to adjust your lacing anymore, you’ll get it from the first second. Then there’s the tooling, which is super-aggressive. It has been developed with the medical staff and academy players and it has been tested and validated and in the end you are more agile – that’s a fact. You are more agile than with the predecessor. So it’s a combination of the perfect fit and ensuring that you will be more agile. Released alongside the One at the start of 2018, the Puma Future introduced us to a brand-new generation of Puma football boots. This was a direct replacement to the popular Puma evoPower series, which had been discontinued just a few months earlier, and signalled major advancements in boot tech innovation. For those looking to be a ball hog like Neymar, the grippy textures across the boot do help you a little in keeping the ball close to your foot. Perhaps it’s not grippy enough to help you add spin to your passes but it provides just enough traction to give you confidence when controlling at a moderate dribbling pace.

Since the Puma Future is at the forefront of football boot innovation, they often involve a fairly hefty price tag. Although we’re now a few generations into this silo, even the earliest 18.1 models can be difficult to find on the cheap. Puma is so confident in this compression band that they have totally removed lace loops around the area where the band is. Expect half the number of lace loops on the Puma Future Z as compared to other laced football boots. FL: I would say that 90 percent of the players that we have asked and also the consumers, mentioned that fit is still key for them, so for them to perform at the highest levels they need to have a shoe that is basically ensuring a perfect fit and feels like a second skin. So that was our starting point and as you can see we have the really visible FUZIONFIT+ technology around the mid foot, and that was the centre of the design for us process. Has sleek shape with low toe box; less foam than Future Z 1.4 but still very comfortable and welcomingSo the journey was a long time and challenging, but overall very exciting and we’re very happy with how it has come out in the end. The Puma Future is a comfortable, lightweight football boot which offers something completely different to other silos. Although the eye is certainly drawn to the selection of gorgeous colourways, it’s the ground-breaking boot tech which makes the Future such a special football boot. Who Wears Puma Future Football Boots?

Dynamic Motion System soleplate has a nice, stiff, and stable midfoot and a set of studs good for rotational movements; does feel working with the foot rather than against it; Would prefer Puma consider the soleplate purefly FG and recommends getting the MG for artificial groundFit as a component is maybe seen as a given, but we wanted to bring it to the next level to make sure that it was the ultimate fit along with the agility side. One of the most difficult things that I realised throughout the process is that it’s actually very difficult to create an upper pattern that’s not the same as the last. Everyone asks me if this last is different from this Future and the previous Future and actually they are exactly the same, but we really work on the pattern and the engineering of the materials and the knit to create this different visual effect, and along with that this different feeling as well. The Future Pro are less premium than Neymar’s boots, but the two still have that quality feel nonetheless and made even more attractive by its significantly cheaper valuation. It retains the Fuzionfit compression band, Dynamic Motion System tooling, and PWRTAPE on the sides. Match Fit is really comfortable out of the box because of the super ridiculously soft mesh toe box; has a nice padded sensation because of the internal foam

The idea of putting Generation Z into a boot - what were the key things that stood out in the idea phase of design? That was the same with FUZIONFIT+. We had meetings with the medical staff of AC Milan for instance, and also with Newcastle academy players, along with some well-known universities, to really make sure that FUZIONFIT+ was the right technology for us to use. When it comes to touch, you do get a much closer feel of the ball as compared to any Puma Futures of the last 3 years. I felt quite connected to the ball when I make my passes, shoot or even when receiving it at pace. However, I can’t shake off the feeling that the touch feels pretty… average and dull? It’s not bad but it doesn’t feel unique or special like some of the previous Puma boots I’ve worn.The compression bands held my feet firm and pivoting around in the Z soleplate is effortless, even on artificial ground (AG). Puma’s firm ground (FG) boots tend to be quite AG friendly and the Puma Future Z is no exception, earning our seal of approval for AG pitches. It grabs the attention as well. Were you conscious of that in the design process, not only creating the new technology, but also something that’s aesthetically pleasing as well?