New Balance re-entered the football boot market in the summer with two very different boots. The Visaro was billed as the boot for making chances, whilst the Furon was for taking chances. Here we look at the latter, the boot for the speedster, the attacking player.
The New Balance Furon has polarised opinion since launching in June. Even our own Footy Boots team were sitting on the fence having given them a quick run out.
So in order to provide a fair assessment, we enlisted football freestyler Kim to take the Furon on an independant test over an extended period of time and there was absolutely no doubt what he thought of them.
Here is Kim’s review of the NB Furon after using the boot over a period of weeks.
Comfort and Fit – 5/5
With these New Balance football boots being new to the football boot market, I was surprised to find the comfort and fit was great while testing out the boots.
The New Balance Furon Pro SG’s were tested and are made out of a synthetic/mesh upper which feels a bit stiff at first, but when you break them in properly, the upper wraps around your foot very nicely to give you that true to ball feeling.
The thick and spongy insoles give you extra shock absorption when the boot strikes the ground. Also the heel is held comfortably inside the heel counter. No blisters occurred while testing out the boots.
Overall, during the testing period I didn’t have any fitting or comfort issues with these boots, therefore I gave 5/5 for comfort and fit.
I believe these boots are one of the best in terms of fit and comfort.
Feel and Touch – 4/5
Next, In terms of Feel and Touch, I must say the Furon feels unique and different compared to other boots in the market.
The upper is thin but it provides you with enough protection. I think this is very important for any player because it decreases the chance of injury.
The one piece synthetic upper gives you a lock down fit, which provides you with a more secure fit when controlling the ball.
The forefoot has an unusual shape, facing more upwards that other boots, which I thought was excellent for players who, like me, like to control the ball with their toes.
Overall, the New Balance boots gave me excellent grip and touch during the testing period.
Maintenance – 4/5
These boots were used mainly on firm ground / wet grass. They had minor signs of wear, but overall stayed in great condition.
Since the boots didn’t have any major texture on the upper, they were very easy to clean. However the soleplates were very difficult to clean due to them having so many different design components and textures, which made the mud stuck on the sole of the boots and made it hard to clean.
I didn’t notice any sole separation between the upper at all.
This a boot that in my opinion would see you through an entire season worth of play, if not longer, should you take good care of them.
Performance – 4.5/5
Due to the great touch you get with the padded upper, dribbling and controlling with the New Balance Furon is excellent.
The thin synthetic upper provides no extra padding between your foot and the ball, so you feel every part of the ball when shooting.
The thin upper makes for a feeling of precision when curling and chipping the ball.
The SG studs provide a really comfortable sensation when pushing off and great maneuverability when changing directions, twisting and turning. It should give you great traction on soft ground.
The boots feel “Premium”. They’re thinner, lighter and more comfortable than many other boots currently in the market.
Overall – 17.5/20
Summary
The New Balance Football Boots blew my mind considering they are a brand new boot on the market.
The upper is really comfortable especially after breaking in properly. If you’re looking for something that is new and never been done before, the New Balance Furon is for you.
Availability: Launched 1st July 2015
Retail Price: £135
Shop: ORDER NOW >>
this is the first ever review where I read of someone saying the furon is a good boot
Yeah, strange. Maybe because he’s a freestyler, not a player with 10+ kilometers running per match?