PUMA Men's Future Z 3.4 Fg/Ag Soccer Shoe

Product Information

A two and a half year journey, and at the start of that you couldn’t have predicted a ‘Neymar’ coming into the PUMA family. Did that change the goal or the strategy at all? Has sleek shape with low toe box; less foam than Future Z 1.4 but still very comfortable and welcoming 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 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.

Tell us about the journey you've been on to get to this product? How did it differ from creating boots of the past? FL: In general we do a lot of research, a lot of focus groups, also with a lot of consumerists to really find out what’s the trend in the market place and what will be needed. We had a clear goal from the get-go, and we analysed the game and the players and next to speed I think agility is the key component that is needed in the modern game. So we clearly had the goal to develop a football boot that basically enhanced your playing style and we really wanted to target the agile playmakers. Also, in terms of positioning next to agile I think it’s pretty clear that we have two silos that also target different types of players. Despite the major concept change, Puma’s bold new design has stayed true to the Future DNA by providing one of the best fitting and secure boots in recent years. With an improved design, top notch performance and a new star in Neymar promoting the boots, I’m sure the Puma Future Z will be a commercial success as much as it is a critical one.

That was the same with FUZIONFIT+. We had meetings with the medical staff of AC Milan for instance, and also with Newcastle academy players, along with some well-known universities, to really make sure that FUZIONFIT+ was the right technology for us to use.

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 So the journey was a long time and challenging, but overall very exciting and we’re very happy with how it has come out in the end.The idea of putting Generation Z into a boot - what were the key things that stood out in the idea phase of design? 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

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 Puma claims that “the band was developed using a special combination of polyester and spandex yarns, along with special technical yarns to create the perfect balance of compression, comfort and durability, giving the wearer that second-skin feeling.” Puma is so confident in this compression band that they have totally removed lace loops around the area where the band is. Expect half the number of lace loops on the Puma Future Z as compared to other laced football boots. It’s not a deal breaker but I’d like the TPU coating to be thinner and to have a little more knitted material on that upper to provide a more luxurious touch on the Puma Future Z. I did a Reus – I went laceless Previous Future compression band feels too concentrated on the midfoot; compression in new Future Z 1.3 feels evenly spread outFL: That is, for me as a product manager, the most interesting part, obviously next to the whole development journey. But I think that for us we partnered up with our innovation team but also with the players, with the consumers, with external agencies and even universities to really understand the needs of tomorrow’s game changer. It took some time to develop that concept, but it was basically the idea from the get go; to come up with a football boot that is really focusing on the ultimate fit. Having said that we really wanted to make it visible on the product. Designed for tomorrow’s superstars, these are the children’s versions of the Future, so players can wear boots that look like their favourite stars on pitch, but at a price point to keep parents happy. It grabs the attention as well. Were you conscious of that in the design process, not only creating the new technology, but also something that’s aesthetically pleasing as well? Dynamic 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

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.LC: In terms of the design from the initial stage as well, the Future boot is known to be quite unique, to look quite different and to have this new technology. So I mentioned before that after NetFit we needed something else that was even better and that was super-visible. Part of our briefing was also to have this new shape, and that is how the design started, but it also helped with my development, because I had a goal right fro the beginning to create a certain shape and to create a certain fit and that was what helped us focus, right to the end, and that’s what helped us create and develop this technology. Fit as a component is maybe seen as a given, but we wanted to bring it to the next level to make sure that it was the ultimate fit along with the agility side.