It’s been a vintage year for Umbro fans, of that there can be no doubt. The introduction of the Geometra Pro, the new Speciali III, two cracking England Kits – the brand’s stock is on the rise.
But how will the new Umbro GT II Pro fare in the Footy-Boots.com test?
Will it continue the Manchester brand’s hot-streak or leave us feeling decidedly cold?
Comfort & Fit – 3/5
In a world where excellent-fitting speed-boots have become the norm (See: F50 adiZero, Pele Sports Trinity) it’s no longer enough to give players a blister-free first couple of sessions.
The GT II Pro is a very comfortable boot, make no mistake. Straight out of the box, it’s flexible and the Teijin synthetic is almost jelly-like in it’s pliability. However, now the A-Frame cradle from the original GT Pro is gone, the whole boot is somewhat loose-fitting.
As well as the very roomy toebox, there’s nothing like the suede-like lining found on the collar of the Speciali III to lock your feet in place whilst you’re making tight turns and sprints, meaning you don’t get that ‘locked-in’ feeling of other boots.
Whilst they were comfortable out-of-the-box, I would have welcomed a slightly ‘snugger’ fit. That said, they GT II might well become one of the best choices for wide-footed players who want a light boot!
Feel & Touch – 4/5
Despite the looser-than-average feel on the foot, the Umbro GT II Pro never compromised with regards to touch and feel on the ball.
As you can hopefully see from the pictures, the upper really is soft, and creases and collapses nicely around the shape of your feet. The generous area on the instep is perfect for receiving passes and lofted balls, whilst the side-offset lacing pulls the outside of the toe edge towards the foot – perfect for dribbling.
Looks – 3/5
Personally, I like the intentionally contrasting colours of the Blue Radiance / Orange Popsicle colourway we tested. The Black Umbro Diamond pops nicely off the GT II‘s distinctive upper, and the fade from the toe is something I never get tired of looking at.
The upper also has a barely-detectible ‘brushed-metal’ pattern running through it – whilst it definitely looked great close-up on our review pair, we imagine it really looks the business on the Silver / True Red model.
All that said, these aren’t a boot everyone will like – expect a completely divided reaction from your teammates should you pick up a pair!
Maintenance – 2/5
For a synthetic boot, the Umbro GT II Pro are surprisingly hard to clean! Thanks to the aforementioned brushed-metal motif, dirt traps almost inescapably against the upper, whilst a variety of embossed logos and lines that define the boot’s style are also tricky to keep clean.
Finally, the soleplate – whilst an absolutely excellent work of engineering – traps mud like nobody’s business. Not only a pain to clean, but if you’re playing on a surface that is anything but dry, firm ground they can feel a bit ‘weighed down’ by all the mud they collect.
Performance – 4/5
As with the Feel and Touch section, it’s hard to argue with the Umbro GT II Pro‘s functionality. Whilst not adiZero light, they are light nonetheless – and really do put a spring in your step thanks to the Carbon-Fibre enhanced soleplate.
The huge instep area is ideal for striking free-kicks and whipping in corners, whilst close control is exceptional for a synthetic. Additionally, the design on the soleplate brings the upper right underneath the arch of the foot, giving them a great, true feel when making passes.
Value – 5/5
As it stands, the GT II Pro is available for an RRP of £84.99 (or $149.99 US) – and for a lightweight, well-performing boot, it’s hard to argue with that sort of price tag. Umbro have once again found that sweet-spot between undercutting the competition whilst not devaluing their product.
Overall – 3/5
The GT II is a decent boot; comfortable, well-performing and with a very distinctive look.
But when you enter the speed category, you really have to bring something extra special to compete with the titans of the boot world, and – aside from the exceptional value – the GT II Pro is ‘just’ a solid performer.
Just to be clear, the GT is by no means a bad boot – in fact – it’s a great way to spend the RRP, but with so many awesome lightweight boots in the world, it isn’t as ‘must-have’ as an F50 or Mercurial. Here’s hoping Umbro can take this great platform and build a ‘speed’ silo that is as easy to recommend as the Speciali and Geometra.
I think it is a nice looking boot. Worth more than 3/5. I think you should get rid of the looks section if you cant analize it right. Otherwise great review.
 Are you serious? That tone of blue is revolting, hospital blue.
There are loads of colourways and they’re not all bad. If you’re going to analyse looks then analyse the whole range.
looks are nothing so why put it may people have different styles i would take the copas over the vapor 8s and you would probably give them a 5
what happened to ask geeks
What you get if you change Umbro’s argyle pattern and add a Swoosh? A wanna be Mercurial!!! It is clear Umbro is Nike’s little brother…
i have the silver and red in FG easiest boots i’ve had to clean, played in them several times and they still look new, they are for wider footed players though which i am
How is the fitting like? Is it true to size?Â
You say they’re loose fitting in the heel, toe box, etc….don’t you think you could have worn a smaller size then? Other reviewers applaud the tight fit these offer, which is the opposite of what you reported. I noticed this in the speciali III review as well.