[Editor’s Note]: We received a free pair of cleats in the mail from Concave after agreeing to write a review about them. Anything Tim wrote below is his honest opinion and not reflective of the fact that he received the cleats for free. I would have taken them for myself, but I already look ridiculous enough without spaceman boots on my feet.
I’ve written for The Yanks Are Coming for about five months now. I’m assuming the millions I was promised for each post is stuck in the mail somewhere, but at least Editor-in-Chief Daniel Seco pulled through with the boots, a pair of brand spanking new Concave PT+’s.
I have to say this: the Concave PT+ is strange. I was at school when the boots arrived in the mail at my parent’s house. My mom couldn’t even describe them over the phone. “They look like … no … they have this hard part … well it’s not … well not really …” She concluded with they’re black and have white stripes. Thanks, Mom.
According to the box, Concave boots allow players to execute kicks with more accuracy, control and power on a far more consistent basis than with a standard football boot. The reason – a four times larger sweet spot than today’s football boots. This “sweet spot” is no more than a hard, flat plastic covering where the laces usually go. Seriously, hard plastic. You could do a late night house intruder quite some damage beating him over the head with it. I, the owner of broken-in and well loved four-year-old blue vapors, was skeptical.
Nevertheless, I wasn’t going to discredit a free pair of free soccer cleats because they weren’t exactly eye candy. Yesterday, I hopped on my bike and pedaled over to a local school with some broken down goals.
A few quick juggles. Not bad. The sound is odd when the ball connects with the plastic (almost like hitting a beach ball with a baseball bat) but who the hell cares what it sounds like? Quick shots here and there. A long ball or two. No complaints here.
The shoes boast a 30 percent improved accuracy and 15 percent increase in power. I didn’t have any tape measures of radar guns with me, but I’ll take their word for it. As for spin, the firm platform really can get the ball twisting and turning. For those that care, the boot is made out of Kangaroo leather, Soft Califi grain leather and synthetic micofiber.
I wasn’t expecting the boots to transform me into a superstar, but I did notice somewhat of an improvement, a spring in my step, if you will. The boots were a bit stiff and awkward at times, but any new shoe will present the same problem. I never did up my pace to a full out sprint, but I trust the designers will have perfected the comfort level. I would hate to be on the opposing end of a hard challenge with these boots, especially if that anything but sweet spot would have a go at my shin. But overall, I enjoyed them a lot. They were comfortable, durable, and they got the job done.
Verdict: I haven’t spent days and days with the boots on the pitch, but as I told Seco, gold on your feet.
Tim Patterson is a staff writer for The Yanks Are Coming. He can be reached at Tim@yanksarecoming.com.