Is the New Umbro UX-1 The Real Deal?

It started off with an unexpected tweet a week ago from Sporting Lisbon and England Youth International Eric Dier, which simply stated “Looking forward to using these #UX1 #fortheloveofboots” and included the picture above. To say my interest was piqued would be an understatement; I’ve been an Umbro fan since my youth, and simply on looks alone these boots are stunning, the combination of a regal looking purple and fluorescent yellow accenting is top drawer.

Technically the Umbro UX-1 is the most ambitious effort in my opinion since the SX Valor II Ultra, which was the last offering from the double diamond to feature rubber elements on the upper of the boot. We reached out to Umbro and they were more than happy to provide us with some technical information regarding their brand new release.

UMBRO UX-1 Technical Details

The UX-1 features a light and breathable one piece upper, which looks different to anything I’ve seen on the market before. While Umbro haven’t released the full details on the boots upper, they feel that this new upper is more than strong enough to keep players safe in the tackle (there are rumours that the material in question is called Armor-Tex, which is a composite material 40% stronger than Kevlar). If the rumour is indeed true, it would be the first time I’ve known of the compound featuring in a football boot and it would definitely have the potential to be a radical innovation. The upper also benefits from a rubber webbing which covers the forefoot of the boots, the webbing is designed to have an dampening effect on receiving passes, making sure your first touch is as good as it possibly can be!

The proprietary A-Frame technology also features, so you know you’re foot will be stable and secure in the UX-1, making sure you won’t have an issue lasting the full 90. There’s also solid protection to be had in the heel of the boot, which features a dual density cage and a protective spine which cushions the heel and protects the Achilles. Traction wise the UX-1’s soleplate has a 14 stud layout including 8 conical studs in the front of the boot and 4 rounded blades at the hell. This will ensure that the UX-1 will be a great choice for both firm ground pitches and play on artificial grass surfaces.

Despite having a slightly smaller cast of footballers sporting the double diamond, there are still some high quality players who’ll be wearing the UX-1 going forward. England number one Joe Hart is set to make the switch from the Speciali, so too is West Ham’s Andy Carroll, who’ll be joined England youths Eric Dier and Andrew Wisdom. However, it was Peruvian winger Juan Vargas who opened the new boots goal scoring account with an absolute peach of a volley in a losing effort for Fiorentina in last weekend’s Coppa Italia final defeat against Napoli.

Currently there are no firm dates when the UX-1 will find its way to our shores, nor anything firm on where’ll you’ll be able to find a pair. However, we will update you as soon as that changes – Umbro might just be set to reignite their presence in the US and I’m fairly certain they are onto a winner with the UX-1.