For those looking to be a ball hog like Neymar, the grippy textures across the boot do help you a little in keeping the ball close to your foot. Perhaps it’s not grippy enough to help you add spin to your passes but it provides just enough traction to give you confidence when controlling at a moderate dribbling pace.

First thing to notice is the snug and comfortable fit; meshed forefoot soft and free, and moulds well around the toes in an instant; knit collar compresses well and transitions smoothly to the lower leg

In our Puma Future Z review, we take a look at the boots that Neymar himself showboats in

The compression bands held my feet firm and pivoting around in the Z soleplate is effortless, even on artificial ground (AG). Puma’s firm ground (FG) boots tend to be quite AG friendly and the Puma Future Z is no exception, earning our seal of approval for AG pitches. The Future Pro are less premium than Neymar’s boots, but the two still have that quality feel nonetheless and made even more attractive by its significantly cheaper valuation. It retains the Fuzionfit compression band, Dynamic Motion System tooling, and PWRTAPE on the sides. Match Has sleek shape with low toe box; less foam than Future Z 1.4 but still very comfortable and welcoming

When it comes to touch, you do get a much closer feel of the ball as compared to any Puma Futures of the last 3 years. I felt quite connected to the ball when I make my passes, shoot or even when receiving it at pace. However, I can’t shake off the feeling that the touch feels pretty… average and dull? It’s not bad but it doesn’t feel unique or special like some of the previous Puma boots I’ve worn. The boots were designed with the help of staff from some of the top clubs in world football to ensure they have the “optimal” stud arrangement, including a middle stud at the pivot point of the foot to help facilitate rapid changes of direction. It’s in the Match where you’ll also find a dedicated laceless option on top of the usual laced model. Kids FutureDynamic Motion System soleplate has a nice, stiff, and stable midfoot and a set of studs good for rotational movements; does feel working with the foot rather than against it; Would prefer Puma consider the soleplate purefly FG and recommends getting the MG for artificial ground The budget Future is where the price decrease is noticeable because of the cheap synthetic mesh and stetchy knit, as opposed to the high-performing materials found on the top Future tiers. Match also has a cheap nylon liner and a more solid and weighted feel to the TPU soleplate. Fuzionfit is still on the arch of the midfoot, but the tension it provides is significantly less felt now. PWRTAPE is limited to cosmetic function.

The first time I put the boots on, I thought the compression band was tight around my midfoot – if it was a little tighter, the band would have caused cramping in my feet. Within a couple of minutes of light jogging and warm ups, my concerns and the tightness melted away. The compression band is comfy AF. The Puma Future Z is all about mobility Fit is really comfortable out of the box because of the super ridiculously soft mesh toe box; has a nice padded sensation because of the internal foamForefoot has no structure and feels extremely soft and pliable; comfortable feel favourite part of Jay Mike about the Future Puma claims top athletes testing the Future Z achieved, on average, a three per cent improvement in 30m sprint times and, somehow, this does actually feel genuine when wearing them. They feel like a boot designed to help you chop and change at full speed and - to be perfectly honest - we just wish we could borrow Neymar’s pace and agility for an afternoon and really push them to their limits. Putting on the boot isn’t a chore despite how small the mouth looks. All you need to do is to loosen the top laces and in goes your feet. The Puma Future Z fits perfectly width and length wise when I went half a size down. Those with super wide feet should go true to size but for everyone else, go half down. The boots feel light on feet at 220g in a US 9 and you’d be hard-pressed to hear anyone having issues with its weight or how they fit especially when you take your first steps in them.