Thursday , March 28 2024

Puma King Diego Review

Puma King Diego

There is no doubting that the Puma King is a boot fabled around tradition, with a great reputation to match! Top players the world over have been wearing them in games all over the world since 1968 – that means the range spans back 42 years of top flight soccer! Throughout my soccer career, I have personally worn Puma Kings on several occasions with much success (although the Puma King Italia provided an odd experience.) After taking some time to test this latest version, the Puma King Diego, my conclusion is that its a real gem!

Aptly named after one of the greatest players to ever grace the game, Argentina forward Diego Maradona, the King Diego offers attributes fit for the man himself. I had the opportunity to test a pair out in size 9US, and my findings were as below.

Puma King Diego Cleat

Why Diego?
Argentina legend Diego Maradona played nearly his entire career in Puma. The Puma King Diego Finale commemorates the relationship between boot and player, and was released to celebrate him on his 50th birthday – October 30, 2010. This boot takes its design inspiration from the 1986 PUMA Mexico Finale, where Maradona scored one of the greatest goals of all time, and brings it to new life with personalized branding and Argentina’s colors of sky blue and white.

Breaking In
The first thing you will notice about these boots when you take them out of the box is the wonderful leather smell, there is nothing like it! And when you get them in your hands they simply feel like a quality boot, with the leather creasing under your fingers. When it got down to wearing them, they felt a little tight in the first few training sessions, and it took over a week before I felt confident wearing them in a game. They seemed to fit just a tad smaller than needed to start, but eventually the leather softened and in the end they turned out to give a super comfortable. I would say it took 4 trainings and 2 full games before they felt just right. And when they did, they felt fantastic!

King Diego by Puma

Puma King Diego 10

Size and Fit
It seems to be a trend with Puma releases at the moment, but they seem to fit slightly small. I wore a size 9US for testing and overall they worked out well. But, they did leave me wanting a little extra room while breaking them in. For those who do like a little extra space, I advise going up half a size. Since they are K-Leather, they will stretch over time and currently my pair are an excellent fit.

Detailing
These boots have a really sweet look that is capped off by some finer detailing around the boot. There are several areas that need to be highlighted. For example, Diego’s signature and number 10 sit on the side of the boot in a gold color. Just below that and on the opposite side of the boot, Puma place the signature gold “King” button. On the front of the boot, there is a “King” logo that sits just underneath the number “10”. The tongue also comes with a sweet Diego Maradona badge, in Argentina colors with his number 10 again included. And finally, the insert used is 100% Diego!

Puma King Diego

Puma King Diego Pin

On Field Performance
Since the King range has been around for such a long time, you know that you are getting quality when you put them on. That is of course as long as you are patient! In the first game they felt a little stiff and it took a little bit to adjust to the actual fit. But when these boots actually mold to your feet you feel a real connection with them. The leather just oozes class and I felt extra confident dribbling with the ball. The sole consists of 8 front and 4 back conical studs. Some players prefer blades and some prefer conical shaped studs, particularly when playing on artificial surfaces. Personally, I find both to give great traction during games, ultimately it is down to personal preference. During testing, the performance of the boot transitioned just as expected and I felt in the end they matched my expectations on the field.

Compared to the Puma King Finale
The King Finale and the Diego are pretty much the same boot except for the actual colorway. The actual properties of the boot are the very same, right down to the shape of the tongue. One thing is for sure, you can be confident that Puma put a lot of time and effort into both releases in order to produce a boot that would satisfy Maradona! Also, this release is 10 times better than the previous King Italia release in my opinion!

Negatives
My only real negative is the design of the lace cover – and this is just personal preference! For me, it was a little too bulky and the shape at the front is kind of odd. On a positive note, it stays in place really well as it has a very effective Velcro just underneath. The initial sizing issue was also a slight concern, but after testing and knowing that in the end they offer a superb fit, I have to move it from the negative side – just something to keep in mind as you break them in!

Summary
If you want a boot built on style and quality look no further than the ever classic Puma King Diego. The man himself, Maradona, has been sporting this boots in charity matches and fundraiser events in recent months. The leather is the absolute highlight of this boot, and the extra detailing throughout the boot offers a different look. Puma also do a good job of keeping the boot in good stead weight wise, at a very competitive 9.2oz, leaving them very close to the new Nike CTR360 Maestri II (8.8oz) and lighter than the Adidas adiPure IV (9.8oz). I personally like the Argentina color combination of the Diego release, although there might be some Brazilians who refuse to wear such a thing! In terms of players on the field, these boots are pretty much going to suit everyone from goalkeeper to forward. They are a pretty solid all round performer.

(*boots supplied for review by Puma)

About Bryan Byrne

The mastermind behind the revolution that is SoccerCleats101. Bryan started this website back in 2008 and has been testing boots on a daily basis ever since. Check out our About Page for more details on Bryan and the website.

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24 comments

  1. i was waiting for this review. Thnks lot. I will deffinetly buy them.

  2. Great review Bryan.

    Which leather would you say is the best? Adipure or puma king finale?

    Also, any adipure IV review coming up?

    Thanks

  3. aco,

    i'd cut off the tongue if i were you, it looks disgusting.

  4. Yah it looks weird. I have both the King XL and the King Finale. I prefer the King XL i Think that although it takes longer to break in, it ends up being a better boot in my opinion. But none the less i really appreciate the time you take in order give us good boot information Bryan. Also i know you are busy with Reebok boots as well But do you think that there is any way you can review the new CTR360 soon or a pair of Pirma boot that i am interested in. The are the Pirma Supreme Duo in black and Yellow. You can get them at Pirmasport.com For about sixty bucks flat. I am very interested in them as a result of your positive review on thin Pink Pirma Monaco III. Also if any of you guys have any Info please don't hesitate to ask.

  5. I bought the Diegos and I love them. I'm using my indoor seasons to break them in and I couldn't be happier. The leather is soft and molds to your feet in no time at all. Our indoor field is the long artificial turf and I have had no problems with traction. The only thing I wanted to be different are the laces. I just want them long enough to be able to wrap them around the shoe, but that is an easy fix. I also own the Power Cats and the V1.10s, and I can honestly say the Diegos are the best of the three. They are lighter and have a better touch than the Power Cats and are more comfortable than the V1.10s. Do yourself a favor and I buy a pair, you will not be disappointed.

  6. Good review.

    The Kings seem to have a wide ankle area, at least thats how they seemed to me years ago.

  7. how much is this boot going to cost?

  8. I'm pretty sure that weird point on the tongue is supposed to be slipped in between the laces so the tongue stays down, but that's just my opinion

  9. BEST BOOTS HANDS DOWN (STRIKER& CENTER MID OR CENTER ATTACKING ARE MY POSITIONS) trying to sell all my adizero's and boots in general to buy these:)

  10. Bryan,
    Would you say this is a wider boot?

  11. @Mitch,

    They are more of a medium fit than wide.

  12. does the puma king finale gets the same points as these boots?

  13. Hey Brian!

    I wonder if the size of this boot is compareable to the Puma v1.10? I have size US 8,5 in the v1.10, should I order the same size in this? I also wonder if this is a boot you can recommend for wingers?

    Thanks for a great review (as allways)

  14. @Neal

    Yes – the only difference might be design, but everyone has their own opinion on the aesthetics.

    @Eric

    The v1.10 has a completely different front box shape, so they are going to be a different fit. Personally, I am a 9.5 in the V1.10 and 9 in the King Diego. But again – the actual shape of the boot offers a very different fit.

  15. Loved these boots really light but what was best of all they very comfortable fit yes the tongue cover not the best but everything else with this boot more than makes up for this slight defect

  16. i currently own these and a pair of ctr360 maestri ii and i find these offer a better touch.

  17. hey brian, now that you've had these things for a while, how durable are they? how are the studs holding up, is the upper separating from the sole, etc etc etc

    • I found they held up really well, so they get the thumbs up from me in terms of durability. Studs are still looking good (although I haven't worn them in over a month!)

  18. test the puma king ECO, they are made from different materials and the stiching seams odd, im egar to know how they compare

  19. I found this aren’t different with finale, I have both of them, and they are actually the same boots, but the diego are more with style

  20. So excited to have the k-leather on my feet, the look and smell are what boots should be not nylon. I decided to have my first initial wear for 3hours non playing break in needed due to the tightness and firmness of shoes. About an hour after taking the Puma King Finale's off, I had to put them back on and go outside for a touch or two with the ball in the damp grass. Glad I did because it feels like the leather began to form and mold into my feet. Kept water out decently and seemed rather light as far as weights concerned. Traction seemed decent to as I began to cut in and out. The shoes are medium in terms of width but will stretch. Not crazy about the tongue but figured tape or rubberband if get bad. My boots also came with the nice blue leather bag and cleaning materials. Looking forward to having many great games in these bad boys. I have not been thrilled about boots in a while but these have sparked my interest.

  21. which do you prefer? the Puma King Finales or the Adidas Adipures IV?

  22. Bryan, how do these fit compared to the Diadora Maracanas? thanks

  23. very tight fit but once broken in very VERY comfortable.

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