He’s briefly been spotted in them before, but Neymar has stepped out in the next-gen PUMA Future prototype for a full training session this weekend, fuelling speculation that the Brazilian could be set to switch silos upon the new boot’s release.
Neymar made the headlines back in September with his sensational switch from Nike to PUMA, and in a further surprise as part of that move he was announced to be jumping into the iconic King silo rather than the new Ultra. Despite getting his own signature edition, it was still suspected that that the King was merely a placeholder of sorts, while PUMA and Neymar both awaited the launch of the new Future.
It makes sense really. You don’t bring on a player of Neymar’s stature and then stick him in one of the most iconic boots of all-time, which sells itself on its name alone. No, the money spent on Neymar would suggest that there are greater plans for him. And while early money was on the Ultra, that ship had already sailed somewhat, with captain Griezmann at the helm. Neymar needs his own ship, and that is set to come in the form of the new Future.
This is not the first time we’ve seen the prototype Future, with Robert Lewandowski being the latest big name to test them out ahead of a potential switch from the Swoosh. Hell, this is not even the first time we’ve seen Neymar in the new Future. But it’s the first time he’s completed a full, open training session in them, confirming that it’s very likely that he has intentions of wearing them upon release.
This further look let’s us see the boot in good detail, showing a closer look at both the upper and soleplate. While the essence of the boot remains in a form of the adaptable lacing system, there are obviously also radical changes, not least in that mid foot band. Assumption is that this will be for lockdown, possibly allowing players to go laceless if they so desire, as we saw Brandon Williams doing a couple of months ago. It’s a style that has often been adopted by players such as Marco Reus on previous generations of the Future, and it may be that PUMA have looked to make it a more viable option.
As for the rest of the upper, the Forefoot looks to have been cleaned up quite a bit, possibly allowing for a sweeter strike zone. There appears to be a PUMA logo there too, although graphics and details will likely change ahead of the official launch.
The other thing this release does is give us a better look than ever at the soleplate. It appears that PUMA have opted to go against the current trend of split soleplates, instead linking the heel and forefoot with a narrow connection that travels from lateral to medial sides.
Expect more close-ups of this new boot as we edge ever-nearer to a release date.
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