It’s a new year, and a new start for many – including German brand Aspero, who are ready to roll into 2013 with a new iteration of their ‘Classic’ range – the Classic 2.0.
Aspero have grown in stature in their native Germany over the last 12 months, continuing to pick up Bundesliga players on contracts and winning over amateur players with a focus on quality materials and innovative design.
And after testing out the original Classic in summer last year, we backed Aspero’s flagship range to be a perfect base for the range to build from, with a promising feature set hampered only by a bulky no-foot feel and heavyweight construction.
Aspero say that their new design is a big improvement over the original Classic, with the Classic 2.0 retaining many of the original’s strengths whilst ironing out some of the weaknesses.
Straight out of the box, we can definitely appreciate the cleaner design, without the dashes and lines of it’s predecessor cluttering up the aesthetic.
The other immediate difference is the weight; we clocked our original Classics at 330g, but the Aspero Classic 2.0 tips the same set of scales at just under 280g – that 50g shaved off in one iteration puts the Aspero’s in the same ballpark as the Umbro Speciali, Lotto Fuerzapura and other full-leather boots.
What other differences do the Aspero Classic 2.0 have to their precursor? Well, we broke out both pairs to compare!
The Neokick ‘Ball Control’ technology is much more condensed than the previous model. Whilst still helping the boot retain shape for an even passing surface, the Aspero Classic 2.0‘s Ball Control area stops higher up the foot, creating a larger vamp for better ball contact.
Inside the boot, Aspero have ditched the frictionless lining of the original Classic and created a 3D Air Mesh that lines the boot. Not only does this improve cushioning and ventilation, it also moulds to the foot reducing friction and foot slippage.
Aspero have also put a rather hefty patch of suede inside the heel of the Classic 2.0, again helping lock the foot into place for maximum stability.
After testing out the moulded soleplate last time, Aspero have sent across their new FG soleplate for our delectation this time out, More contoured than the ‘MS’, here’s hoping it proves more flexible than the original Classics, despite being a single-piece upper.
Fresh through the door, we haven’t been able to test the Aspero Classic 2.0 yet, but first impressions are definitely promising. The Nappa leather seems to have lost it’s furniture-quality softness on the new model, but we’re hoping the 3D Air Mesh is enough to balance that out.
What do you think at the new Aspero design? Let us know in the comments or with the boot-o-meter!
looks promising, especialy because of the weight loss. I wonder I having such short laces works well though, I would hope the Air Mesh helps with that; same with the perceived less-softness of the leather.