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Nike CTR360 Review
by Daniel Stieber
ctr360boots

I'll be completely honest, it has been almost seven years since my newest pair of boots. My senior year in high school I bought the original Nike AirZoom Total 90s and they have since then become my favorite soccer cleats I have ever worn. I am constantly checking on ebay for random pairs that I could buy. They have lasted me all these years (besides the insole, which is understandable) and although I still have them I decided I needed to upgrade. This took me to numerous websites looking for a new pair of boots to purchase, and I decided immediately that I wanted to steer clear of both Nike's Vapor series as well as Adidas' F50 due to the lack of protection they offer your feet. Being a keeper I find myself under a bit more physical duress during a match and wanted something that was comfortable as well as provided padding around my foot.

With that in mind as well as with my previous experience, I decided I wanted to stick with Nike brand boots. That left me choosing between the Total 90 III's, Tiempo's, or CTR 360's. In the time since my last pair of boots, Nike has made each of their boot lines into a specific style, Vapors for speed, Total 90's for shooting, CTR's for control and passing, etc. With this in mind, and figuring you shouldn't be taking too many shots from the keeper position, I decided to check out the CTR360's. These have become Nike's best selling boot since the line started and this second model has improved on the attributes that helped the first boot to sell so well. The first two things you notice on the boot are the pads on the outside of the foot as well as the raised rubber spot on the insole. These are both claimed by Nike to help with both control and passing.

The dampening pods on the outside of the foot are used to help stop the ball when trapping it and with all honesty, I can't tell the difference. The same can be said of the rubber pad on the insole, it is meant to help control the ball close to you as well as provide backspin when passing, causing the ball to cut through the air better and allowing you more control over the distance of your passes. Again to me, when I first wore them I felt as though it was actually helping, but I soon began to think this was all in my head. For all the technology that Nike has added to these boots, what they fail to mention is this particular brand of cleats is just a solid all around great boot to own.

Obviously there are currently only a few colors for a person to pick from as they don't have the customizable NikeID available, and I just happened to be lucky enough to buy them when they came in the colors of my club, Del Rey City SC. The number one thing I noticed and its a very small thing is that when you first pull the boots on, you'll notice that inside the heel of the boot there is a cushioned suede pad where your heel rests. This makes getting the boots on and off much easier, as well as provides a better fit and more comfort. It's a tiny thing that gets passed over, but its one of the most important things I have found from these boots. They are padded well and provide a good amount of protection from being stepped on or kicked and still don't feel like they weigh an absurd amount.

Many people have a preference when it comes to studs versus blades, and I'm a much bigger fan of blades personally so these also provide that bonus to myself. I have since worn them on both turf and grass, and I have never had any issues losing my grip on the ground. Overall they are incredible boots and I am currently very happy with them, their durability seems to be up to the same level I have come to expect from Nike boots. My only complaint is that for me personally my toes can be a bit squished inside the front of the boot, especially my second toe. While this is a minor complaint, after three hours of practice there is a bit of pain. So if you are to check these boots out make sure to find the proper size, and possibly consider buying a half size bigger.

The last thing I want to mention is the laces. Coming from my Total 90's I love the fact that these boots don't have extra wasted laces hanging off the ends. I know people like to tie their laces around their legs or under their boots, but for me personally I like mine tucked away. The CTR360's perfectly accommodate this by leaving only a couple of inches of laces coming out of the top of the boots. Overall I cannot recommend these boots enough for anyone. Nike has always made great boots in my mind, but these seem to be their best, after all, they don't sell all those copies for nothing.

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