Wednesday , March 27 2024

Pantofola d’Oro Lazzarini Canguro Review

Pantofola d'Oro Lazzarini Canguro

There is nothing like getting a new pair of boots you know have been handcrafted in the same fashion their creators have been doing it for over 100 years – this boot is built around heritage with a touch of class to add.

I have been interested to test a pair of Pantofola d’Oro soccer cleats for a while now, and took the opportunity to test the most old school looking version – the Lazzarini Canguro. Not only have these boots been handcrafted in the same way the company has been creating them since 1886, but they have the same ergonomic form, making them a timeless classic! For testing, I ordered a pair of size 9US in the Red colorway.

Right now, the Pantofola d’Oro can be found at soccer.com.

Pantofola d'Oro Lazzarini

Who are Pantofola d’Oro?

Pantofola d’Oro are an Italian company whose heritage dates back to 1886 when the old Lazzarini cobbler’s shop was founded in Ascoli Piceno, Italy. It was during the 50’s when Emidio Lazzarini approached club team Ascoli to make their team soccer cleats. Within a short space of time, the quality of the boots quickly improved. They were renowned for their exceptional softness, whilst giving outstanding ball control. Emidio Lazzarini’s secret lay in the soft calf-leather he used and the boot’s ergonomic form, which perfectly followed the contours of the foot. Players such as Ferenc Puskas, Jurgen Klinsmann, Sven Goran Erikkson and Roger Milla are just some of the players who have worn the brand over the past half century.

Pantofola d'Oro Lazzarini soleplate

Breaking In/Comfort

Right out of the box, these boots are just darn right special. From their unique old school look to the smell of handcrafted leather, you almost feel like you are entering an0ther era. On your feet, they just feel right. I wore a size 9US for review and they were a perfect fit. After a short jog in them, I knew they were ready for action and took them into a training session. One of the most surprising aspects of the boot is the soleplate. It looks so rigid and bland, yet it has fantastic flexibility in just the right places. To be honest, I found that the soleplate on the Lazzarini Canguro outperforms many of the big names on the market!

Overall, what a great boot these are right from the beginning. I didn’t find any hot-spots and was absolutely satisfied with the comfort they offered throughout testing.

Pantofola d'Oro Lazzarini football boot

Built with Style

Even though I personally love the old school style of the Lazzarini Canguro, they are not necessarily going to be everybody’s cup of tea. The overall style of the boot is completely different to anything else on the market and doesn’t include any fancy add-ons like you will see on new releases.The upper is simply one piece of leather that has been hand stitched to a very basic looking soleplate. If you like fancy color combos and cutting edge technology, these boots won’t be for you.

Pantofola d'Oro Lazzarini close up

Added Detailing

Two important pieces of detail I wanted to point out. On the outer side of the boot, you will find the Pantofola signature stamp that lets you know the boots are legit. You can tell that this was hand pressed on as not all of the letters are crisp. And if you hate putting new laces in your boots, you won’t have that problem with these! Each hole contains a metal piece that makes it super easy to guide each lace into place. This is a finer piece of detailing add on that you definitely won’t find on any current day boots.

Performance

When on field and in action, these boots rank with the best, although I do have one negative I will talk about in a minute. In terms of touch and control, you are going to have no complaints. Although the K-leather is not super thin, you still get a good feel for the ball on your foot and just enough protection to allow for sweet strikes of the ball with total comfort. Underneath the tongue, Pantofola use a layer of suede as padding between the tongue and your foot. It is a very welcome addition that serves a very valid purpose.

My one concern comes after a training session I had with them last week in the rain. Afterward, it seemed like the boots had soaked in a pool for a week and they were very heavy. After leaving them in a shady area outside with newspaper stuffed in them, they still feel heavier than they initially were. This is bound to happen with most leather boots, but I don’t feel like it has been this noticeable before. I can tell that durability could be an issue with these boots!

Pantofola d'Oro Soccer

Size and Fit

I ordered a pair in my regular size, but they definitely had a little extra length about them. From player feedback, the standard option is to order a pair a half size smaller to get a nice snug fit. Because they feature a one-piece K-Leather upper, you can rely on a little extra stretch through wear also, so they are a decent option should you need something a little wider than traditional fitting boots!

Negatives

My main concern revolves around the above highlighted issue – durability of the upper. It seems like they really soak-in water and I have noticed some of the leather slightly wearing already. For those of you that might ask, the joining of the upper and soleplate will not be an issue and it is currently very firmly intact, meaning the boots are not going to fall apart! I am just concerned about the weight and markings that might make the upper look a little worn. One other negative, if you decide to wear white socks with these you will regret it afterward as the color in the leather bleeds (my socks are now a mix of red/yellow!)

Lazzarini Canguro Pantofola d'Oro

Summary (and Should I buy a pair?)

It took me a while to get my hands on a pair of Pantofola soccer cleats – but boy was it worth it! I personally love everything about the boot, especially the old school feel you get while wearing them. They just ooze class and offer fantastic performance on the field. If you want my advice, I say make sure you own a pair at least once in your career. Should you go and buy a pair today? I don’t necessarily think so (especially since you can’t run out and buy them in stores in the US right now anyway lol). You are going to have to pay a very high price to get a pair from Europe, so unless you have money burning a hole in your pocket, take a chance and hold on to the hope that Pantofola bring some of their boots to the US sometime soon. On trying to contact Pantofola d’Oro I got no response – but maybe after this review I can get some information from the Italian giants?

Right now, the Pantofola d’Oro can be found at soccer.com.

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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40 comments

  1. how do the traction of these boots go in the wet?

    Ive been wearing copas for most of my outdoor play and I start to suspect that round studs aren't so well or maybe its just the layout that's the deciding factor of good traction?

  2. Hello Bryan …

    The boots seem to be quite comfortable, and their use in dry fields can help in performance.

    I would like to make a suggestion, I saw no one on the blog box of translating texts into other languages. Being from Brazil, it would help me in understanding what I read, because my English is not the best. There is a Google translation box, which can be found this link: http://translate.google.com.br/translate_tools
    Congrats for another nice review.

  3. Hi Bryan, Great review!

    A couple of questions, how long are the studs in comparison to other comparable boots on the market–say Nike Legends?

    And, do you feel these boots would perform, well, hold up, on field turf?

    Also, I've noticed that Pro-Direct is now selling Pantofolas through their U.S. website

  4. Hey Bryan,

    I was thinking of getting these in the blue colourway so i'd like to ask: Is a slightly smaller fit (say, half a size down) necessary for the leather to mould to your feet? Or would that be too tight?

    Does the colour bleeding cause the upper to look faded/blotchy?

    Thanks and great reviews all round!

  5. Great boots, thanks for the review. These sound similar to my Andreas cleats. Andreas are another, smaller, Italian company making super comfy boots. My main complaints about Andreas are that I could feel the studs through the thin sole plate. Any such problems with the Pantofola?

  6. On the issue when they get wet, I read a review that said if you put some dubbin on them they become waterproof and the problem is solved! 🙂

  7. Wow! Such beautiful boots! I would feel like I was ruining a piece of art wearing these on a soccer pitch. Great review. They also have a mixed sole plate alot like some pro's wear. I was patiently waiting for this review ever since the first pic was up!! Thanks a bunch

  8. hey Bryan, as usual great review! i was wondering where you bought them at? and if there are any discounts/coupons online for said place?

  9. Great review Brian!! Pure class boots, unlike Arsenal today 🙁 im liking the blue ones but the red ones also look sick. In your opinion, these or adipure 4's?

  10. @Lawrence

    traction felt good. I actually like the stud configuration on these. And to answer @Andy there are actually two different size studs. One is very similar to a regular stud, while the other has a slightly lower profile.

    @Ben

    I would order true to size, for me that was a great fit. It is more the inside color that stains the socks – didn't effect the color of the leather upper.

    @Michael

    Insole felt comfy and you are not likely to feel the studs unless you play on cement (I hope not!)

    @Danny

    UK ProDirect

    @Omar

    Tough to say – these, once in your lifetime. It just depends when you want to get them!

  11. Thanks for a review of these!

    When you first got the cleats (and they were dry) how heavy were they (compared to other cleats)?

  12. also, when you order these and they go through customs does customs charge you or does prodirect pay and just add that price to your cost?

  13. @John

    They were 10.4oz to begin, which is a pretty decent weight for an old school cleat.

    Great point with the customs and something I wanted to mention – I just received a letter in the mail requesting I pay a charge, so you might get charged if shipped from the UK.

  14. Sweet I just ordered the cleats. does the website send you a confirmation email or anything of that sort Bryan?

  15. ah, nevermind the last comment, they just confirmed the order

  16. Bryan,

    How much heavier (in oz.) were they after they soaked up water?

  17. @Mark

    About 10.8oz when they dried, so they gained approx 0.4oz.

  18. are these ok with wide feet?

  19. Hi Bryan,

    I'm looking at getting a pair of these but am a bit wary about sizing and fit as I can't try them on in Australia. I wear a US 9 Running shoe, so my foot would be a similar size to yours. What size running shoe do you wear, the same as your football boots? Thanks.

  20. is it worth another 30pound to get these instead of copa mundials? i would be a size 8 in copas, do u reccomend the same size for these?

    • I am not sure about the copas but I have had the pantofola's for about 4 months. they are great cleats. The comfort is amazing – better than almost any shoe i have had before. Traction is prefect. The ball feels great with the cleats on too. I have gotten many complements on how the look as well. Overall they are really great boots, if you have the extra 30 I would spend it on the pantofolas.

  21. You could try using a product like Dubbin to waterproof them. It might prevent water being soaked up, adding extra weight.

  22. how much do they weigh ?

  23. Do you think these would last a season where I train daily and play in mud, rain, and turf?

  24. Is this boot after a session in rain will streching so much?i once use copa indoor n soak in rain and after that it strech i size bigger.can u advise?

  25. I read several different reviews prior to ordering my pair. I loved he look and always have been a fan of standard leather boots. All the reviews say that they fit comfortably right out-of-the-box but my experience was entirely different. The soleplate and the leather were very stiff and there were even scratches and discoloration! The boots looked great but they didn’t feel that way. I normally wear a 7.5 US which is extremely tight but the leather always breaks in (I only ever wear leather boots after a bad experience with vapors) I ordered a 6.5 UK which is supposed to be the equivalent but the boots were too big. I didn’t want to have to return them since shipping is expensive and would take over a week so I thought I’d try them ut with thicker socks. I wore them for a 5 v 5 game on turf and they didn’t feel good at all, the leather was very stuff. I should add that I soaked them and rubbed them down with dubbin earlier in the day to try to soften them up but that did nothing. I cleaned them up and returned them hoping they would be willing to replace them. The only sign of wear was the three white stars on the bottom looked slightly grey because of the turf. Adidas and Nike have always been great with customer service when returning merchandise but not pro direct. They refused to send me a pair that would fit and instead opted to send my shoes back to me after I spent $40 in shipping to return them. Needless to say I won’t be ordering another pair

  26. When will they make all black ones ? Because they been out of my size

  27. Woah! I’m really loving the template/theme of this site. It’s simple, yet effective. A lot of times it’s challenging to get that “perfect balance” between usability and appearance. I must say you have done a superb job with this. Additionally, the blog loads extremely fast for me on Opera. Superb Blog!|

  28. I just bought a pair of Pantofola D'oro Dream Kangaroo Napoli in white and sky blue, then add sky blue AMO laces. I think the problems you pointed out are resolved with this model. It is all kangaroo, has a double toe, and two side braces. Lining is all lightweight synthetic and tongue has a synthetic padding similar to a Copa. I haven't weighed, but they feel lighter than Stadio Potenzas… so sub 10 oz? These boots literal melt in my hand. I'd put this boot against a Morelia MIJ any time. Sole breaks in quickly. Boot is simply phenomenal.
    Previously been in Copa, Premiers, Gloros, Stadios.

    • Solid feedback, Chad. I might just have to check out Dream version now!

      • Pro Direct has been great to work with and quick delivery. With easy access and decent prices, I think this brand could make its mark on at least adult league games. Weight and FEEL make it relevant to many players. Please call Pro Direct…love to know what you think!

        • hey Chad, Im taking a look on lazzarini's calf pearl colorway. But I wear size 41 on indoor boots, leaving me a tiny room at the front. Wich size do you advice, 40 or 41? Pantofola d'oro dont make 40.5 EU size..
          Thanks!

          • I wouldn't be afraid to drop a whole euro size. They do fit slightly longer than most modern boots, and leather breaks in beautifully. I don't know if calf will stretch as much as kangaroo tho. I bought my 12 yr old daughter a pair of Dreams in kangaroo too. It will be a dry day boot. Pro Direct has them so cheap now it's crazy

  29. After a full winter of 3 games a week on turf, a month of 4 nights a week training outdoor, and 2 outdoor games, I can report the Pantos have only gotten better. Sole has molded to bottom of foot, become very flexible, and hasn't had any seperation. Sewn bottoms increase durability over nearly every boot. Only thing close durability wise is Copa or Lotto Stadio. Amazing touch and very reasonable weight. Much more protection for hard tackling defender or midfielder.

    Would love to see a review on new models, more modern sole plate, beautiful quilted vamp, almost like a Gloro mated with an 80s King. AMAZING BOOTS

  30. Where can I get these herein US ?

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