BOOT REVIEW: NIKE CTR360 II

CTR360 Boot Review Part II

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CTR 360 II Football Boots Review

Maintenance

If you’re anything like me, spending big money on a pair of football boots only to have them come off like they’ve been ‘in the wars’ after one game is a bit of a pet peeve.

One of the best things about KangaLite is that it does clean up rather nicely, even on the white areas.

The KangaLite really does stop water getting into the upper too, this means that even after the torrential downpour I played in over the weekend, it hasn’t stopped the CTR360 II from looking close to it’s best.

One real pain in the neck is the new ‘Receive’ pad; with it’s lattice-like structure and tiny bristles, it’s very tough to get it completely clean with just the usual methods! If you want your new cleats looking as good as new, you best have something like a toothbrush to hand!

Performance

Having read this far, you’ve probably gathered that I like the CTR360 II an awful lot, but haven’t really mentioned two of the most talked about performance features, the new Pass/Receive area and how the KangaLite holds up in the wet.

I’ve got to say that I prefer the new Pass pad to the old one. Whilst the placement takes a bit of getting used to (it’s closer to the soleplate and an inch or two further back) the firmer TPU gives a really satisfying heft to any pass you play off it – a slightly Concave-esque feel, almost.

The receive pad, however, takes no getting used to. It’s definitely in the right place, nestled in the niche of the foot, and the perfect place to take a ball along the floor onto.

I do think that perhaps it might be a bit of a placebo, as that part of the foot is naturally good for controlling a ball – but as with the ribbing on a Predator, or the Fins on the Laser, it may well help a lot of people focus on where best to control the ball.

One definite winner which I didn’t touch on with the original CTR360 boot test is the KangaLite, having tried out the Puma King Finale back in muddy December, I can definitely say that the CTR360 II feels much lighter in the wet. So if you often find you’re weighed down by heavier leather football boots due to… inclement weather; it may well be worth giving the CTR a run.

Value

If there’s one place that the CTR360 II falls down, for me it’s got to be value. Having tested the Elite version, the price tag that these football boots have to live up to is a lofty £225.

Whilst I think the CTR360 II is an excellent, uncompromising piece of footwear, without knowing whether they’ll last more than one season, I can’t say that they’re worth over £200 of everyone’s money.

For players with a bit of cash, who really want the best money can buy, I think if you look after them and use them on appropriate ground you’re really, really going to love these football boots.

But for everyone else, buying something that’ll be updated in 18 months time might not be worth the outlay (in perspective I could buy a new Xbox360 which would last me much longer and still have enough change to buy the Treqartistas!)

If the ‘standard’ CTR360 II performs anywhere near as well as these ‘Elites’, they’re definitely worth the £130 asking price.

Overall

A fantastic example of how to make a crowd pleasing pair of football boots; great to look at, great to wear, great to play in. Are the CTR360 II the best synthetic football boots around at the moment? They’re up there. Are they the best that Nike make? For my money, Yes.

Nike CTR360 II Boot Review

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7 Comments

  1. says: harry

    great review…. any chance of of a review for the treqartistas and librettos like the adicore and adinova as not everybody can afford the elite range. that would be helpful and i reckon that too would be another great review.

  2. says: kuuku

    Excellent, prompt and detailed review. Many thanks!

    I have a couple of questions; which is the pass pad and which is the receive pad? I assume the pass pad is the black one because that’s where the ribbing is and the red one is the receive pad because it looks softer.

    However both are ridiculously far back on the foot. Maybe if the black pad is for passing then it’s at a somewhat decent spot for short passing and crossing but for certain long passes it won’t come into play.
    I’m no professional but the area where the red pad is seems too far back and a bit low for receiving or passing the ball. How does it work?
    I tend to receive most balls further up on my foot than where the red part is and even more with the outside of my foot. How does the red part help in receiving the ball? Could there be a demonstration video of some sort?

  3. says: LRa

    Hey Kuuku, the red pad is actually the pass pad. The point of the black pad is for control. The fins are placed there to get backspin on the ball which should ultimately roll the ball back to you for better control. I just got my Ctr360 II’s for 65 bucks yesterday!

  4. says: channo

    asking the same questions kuuku have mentioned there: how on earth those red pad help us?? they’re so far back -i barely used that part of my boots for anything!

  5. says: Fifinho

    hate to be picky but perhaps next time you could highlight the fact that these are the “Elite” versions earlier in the review? (or in the title?)

    Also, are there any differences between Elite and “regluar” CTR’s other than the soleplate?

    Thanks 🙂 great review as always

  6. says: Adam

    One thing that gets to me is that if Kanga-lite’s performance in wet conditions is a bragging point, why only release the elite version in a FG soleplate? If the ground is firm, its not going to be wet.

  7. says: Jazzy

    The only thing that I absolutely hate about this boot is the design. I think the 2 colors take all of it’s class away and make it look childish. I can agree that these look quite nice under the arsenal kit, but not everyone plays in white and red.

    When they ever release a CTR360 that looks classy i’m definately buying!

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