UMBRO STEALTH PRO II

In a move few people expected, Umbro have announced the new Stealth Pro II, just in time for the run up to the festive season.

The follow-up to the ‘most expensively developed boot in history’, the Umbro Stealth Pro II is a full update to the original Stealth Pro, which was launched back in March.

The main feature of the new Umbro Stealth Pro II is the inclusion of a full leather upper on the boot – which will stand these football boots in good stead if they’re going to become a serious rival to the CTR360 in the Control category.

Umbro also say a big innovation comes in the form of how they’ve treated and shaped the leather on the Stealth Pro II.

Firstly, the embossed medial grooves across the inside of the forefoot are designed to work like a less extensive version of something like the old Predator Vamps or the current Puma PowerCat‘s 3D PST – which is to say, the design increases surface area contact with the ball, making you more accurate and offering greater control.

The other special feature of the new leather upper is that Umbro have built air-pockets encased in microfibre directly into the leather upper. Umbro claim this makes the upper of the Stealth Pro II one of the most sensitive available, giving a spectacular feel on the ball as well as making the boot feel lighter than it actually is on the players foot.

One of the best features of the Stealth Pro was the comfort that the afforded players – they’re one of the few genuine ‘straight out the box’ football boots we’ve had the pleasure of testing here at Footy-Boots.com, and Umbro say that they’ve made this even better on the Stealth Pro II.

As well as comfy insole and cushioning in the ankle and heel, Umbro have also built in stability enhancing cushioning into the outsole too for optimum energy transference and comfort when sprinting. Umbro have also taken a leaf out of Nike’s book, and included a tab of cushioning under the tongue to give a snug fit across the metatarsals; which is awesome for shooting and also protecting against injuries.

The Umbro Stealth Pro II has certainly slimmed down, the overall look and feel of these football boots is definitely one that’s leaning towards the lightweight end of the scale.

Though, interestingly, it seems that the Stealth Pro II hasn’t only slimmed down in the aesthetic department; the boot has lost it’s substantial heel counter, and appears to have ditched the carbon fibre that was used on the Stealth Pro II.

The Stealth Pro II is due for release on December 1st in the UK and January in the US. Umbro have confirmed that they expect to retail the boot in the UK for around £90, with a US price still TBC.

Overall, it looks like another solid pair of football boots from the guys at Umbro, with a decent pricetag – but what do you think? Let us know in the comments below!