Review: Puma King SL 2013

With a new year, Puma have released a new King SL which is almost unrecognizable from its predecessor. Among some of the many changes include a new, synthetic leather upper, as well as a totally different look. With opinion divided in regards to the whole spate of changes imparted onto the whole King line, including the SL, by The Cat, we here at Soccer Reviews thought it was a good idea to test the boot out for ourselves and see how it stacked up.

The Verdict

Design - 7.5/10
Comfort - 8.5/10
Performance - 7.5/10
Durability 4/10

My thoughts after testing the King SL are bittersweet. While Puma have definitely churned out a solid boot, in my opinion it falls well short of the absolutely class, Puma King Finale SL. I have a couple of major issues with the boot, the first of which is that it does not really feel like a King anymore. It seems like Puma have jumped on the bandwagon, and rather than focusing on what they have done well in the past, they’ve pushed forward the idea of making boots lighter and lighter. The other main issues I have with the boots is the unexplainably high price tag, and the poor durability I experienced. All of these things combined make me a little hesitant in flat our recommending what is otherwise a pretty solid boot. The biggest plus I took from the King SL is probably the comfort. Puma have kept up the high bar they maintain comfort wise, and I was really happy with the fit I got with the boot. If you own the Puma King Finale SL I’d probably recommend sticking with them as they are as good as the new SL. For others, it is definitely up to you. The new King SL is definitely not the best leather speed boot on the market, but it is not a bad candidate.