One company we hear little about here in the US soccer market is Reebok, and having tested the Reebok Instante Pro I am starting to get an understanding of just why! I must apologize for the delay in posting this review (which I started around 3 months ago) but these boots turned out to pretty tough to break in and performance all around was average at best. Thierry Henry and Ryan Giggs are two of the world class players we have seen wearing these boots over the past six months. I picked up a pair in the Cobalt/White/Cherry colorway at a great price and they are what I reviewed in a size 9US.

Breaking In
This is where I encountered the greatest issue with these boots. I found that the sole of the boot is ultra stiff and I was very uncomfortable wearing them in the first few sessions. In total, it took around five or six running sessions before I was able to take them into a proper training session. All in all, it probably took two months of wearing them before I got them into an actual game! Of course, I wasn’t wearing them in consecutive training sessions so that was one factor behind why it took longer to get the review up, but of all the boots I have tested these worked out to be the toughest to break in!

Style and Design
Overall, I am a fan of how the boot looks. I tested the Cobalt Blue version, which are a little wild, but Reebok add a ton of detailing that makes them look good. For example, along the side of the boot, the blue and white is mixed to create a sort of wave effect. It is actually a little trippy to look at, especially when playing at night. Of course, there are going to be players who prefer a more subtle look, for which Reebok released a Black version.

Sizing
These boots have a narrow fit, and I think this is the one aspect that made the boot so difficult to break in. This is primarily due around the midfoot area. If you have problems with your arches and need a boot that adds a little more support these might be a perfect fit. I wore a size 9US and they fit perfectly length wise – true to size.

Performance on the Field
When I finally got these boots into a game, it didn’t take long to find out exactly what they are designed for; POWER! These are definitely power boots and are great for shooting is. Reebok have a built in power unit along the front of the soleplate. This sort of mimics what used to be the powerpulse unit in the Adidas Predator Pulse. Its purpose is to give you more momentum on shots – with the goal of increasing your shot power. I found this to be the high point of the boot!

Negatives
I found several negatives with this release. First off was the length for which it too to break them in. It definitely was not a fun process. If you have a narrow fitting boot I think this will be less of an issue. The second thing I am not a fan of is the weight, a modest 11.4oz. Of course, this is related to the fact that they are a power boot, but then I look at a boot like the Nike T90 Laser and ask why they can’t find areas where weight can be reduced. Overall, I just wasn’t won over by this cleat!

Summary
I just browsed around some websites and it seems like this boot has run its course, and they are currently pretty tough to find here in the US. Following my testing, I am giving these boots a low score overall. They were tough to break in, and other than being a pretty impressive power boot, they offer little else. If you have a narrow foot and need to try something different then these boots might be an ideal match – but again, you will need to hunt down a pair! With players like Ryan Giggs and Thierry Henry having sported the range I was expecting a little more. I think Reebok are overdue a fresh new release sometime soon!

Giggs, in particular, has been associated with Reebok for a long time. In this 2006 commercial, Giggs win the World Cup in his back garden, beating England in the process. Enjoy!

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KNQKE0x-JfA]