The length in which it took me to put together this review is perhaps indicative of my overall thoughts of this boot. When I first received them I had high hopes in regards to a few factors, mainly the fit and the technology. But maybe the fact the fit let me down or just wasn’t right for my foot… once again.

Constructions & Materials
The upper is relatively complex with quite a few different panels and pieces. Overall it’s pretty cleanly executed, not glaring mis-stitches. The Kanga-lite material is neither material I despise or particularly enjoy, it is what it is, a synthetic material that doesn’t quite replicate kangaroo leather as I would like. The boot is heavier than the CTR360 Maestri Elite FG, no surprise though given the additional elements seen on the Laser. The outsole is different than the CTR360 Maestri Elite in that it features less molding, basically sole plate + studs. I did a keep check over and unfortunately it looks like I’m on my way to losing a stud, albeit not as quickly as the Elites.

Edit: I was under the assumption it was Kanga-Lite rather than Teijin so that answers a lot in regards to fit. But perhaps a Kanga-Lite with the bit of stretch it does over would be better than Teijin. Should fact check next time haha.

Fit
I was under the assumption and through what I had read, the Total 90 series should have had a wider fit. Not sure how true that is as the actual properties of the boot might interfere with a proper fit. Upon first fitting, they felt really good and I was genuinely excited. From a technical aspect, the boot rivals the Superfly in my eyes regarding innovation thanks to the busy instep. The vamps are undeniably Predator-esque but I’m fine with that since I feel the more aggressive interpretation should do a better overall job. I am far from any physicist but more grip = more spin = Bernoulli’ Principle… OK I just made up that last part. Anyways since the vamp takes up such a massive part of the boot, effectively a boot that can stretch on both the instep and outstep sides, can now only stretch on the outstep. I probably would have been better off with an older non-vamp Total90. I’ve mentioned in the past how adamant I am about Kanga-lite not being up to scratch in my eyes… and it’s true limitations take away from what I thought could have been an awesome boot. The lacing system I can’t complain, the lock-down fit is both clean and secure. There is a small Lycra tab in the tongue which I can see being under-appreciated, it’s subtle and seems to serve its purpose well for pulling the tongue up.

Traction
Little has changed from any previous Nike boots I’ve worn this year and I’ve had no complaints. Actually I had shown that the studs off my Maestri Elites had fallen off… I still continue to wear those as more studs fall off but generally not noticeable in a grip decrease. There was a time when academy coaches wanted to ban bladed boots cause they provided too much grip and subsequently caused lots of joint injuries cause I assume the knee would endure a lot of torque during changes of pace. Maybe bladed boots can remain effective despite reducing the number of studs?

Miscellaneous
The Shot Shield I’m sure works, I’m just not sure to what degree. I’m unfortunately not in possession of some robotic skill that allows me to strike the ball at exactly the same spot when crossing or shooting with my instep to create swerve… in fact until I started playing the field rather than goal, it was a little used part of a keepers repitoire. But I have read that Predator vamps do work some where in the high-single digit % for creating spin. So I assume it’s the same story here.

The Final Word
I am pretty sure I am an atypical boot user. The same boots that people say “over-stretch” are probably the ones that fit me best cause I’ll wear them in the proper length, regardless of width fit under the assumption I’ll painfully break them in. Most people buy a relatively snug but still very roomy boot it seems and that’s where it leads to over-stretching. Yet I don’t think I’ve heard of too many instances of Nike boots over-stretching… or maybe I need to size up to a US 10. I feel like I’m giving the boot an unfair review based on the fit aspect so I won’t be overly critical. However with the way Nike has typically gone embracing synthetic uppers, I’m not sure if a right Nike boot is in the cards for me anytime soon.

Thanks once again to the coolest Korean around, Tim.