We’ve covered loads of sports gear and equipment across a variety of sports, but, to our own detriment, we have rarely considered soccer. This is odd, given that it is arguably the most popular sport in the world. Our bad. So we rushed right out expecting to find a nice pair of soccer cleats, luckily for us you, we discovered Concave instead.

Upon un-boxing our pair of the new Concave PT+ cleats, I was immediately struck by a thought: these aren’t your father’s soccer boots. No sir. It worked brilliantly for golf club manufacturers to enlarge the sweet spot on their clubs, so why not soccer cleats? Concave claims that their MetaGaurd upper (located on the shoe’s instep) offers a four times larger effective hitting area than traditional boots. That improvement has translated into a 15% boost in power (almost 10 mph) and 30% increased accuracy. It all sounds a bit ridiculous. But don’t take their word; those stats came from independent testing.

All of that may be well and great, but at Gear Patrol we don’t support products that excel in one area just to fall down in others. And the Concave PT+ is no exception to our rule. Take away the benefits of their revolutionary instep platform and these boots are still top notch. Crafted from soft k-leather integrated with synthetic micro fiber, they are exceptionally comfortable, even right out of the box. One feature that my shoes of yesteryear (my beloved Adidas Copa Mundials) didn’t have is a mid-foot support called Shank Balance Stabilizers (seen on the underside of the cleats in the picture below). In a game where making precise lateral cuts can mean all the difference in maintaining ball control, this feature jumps out as critical. The MetaGourd also provides protection from a would be defender’s studs. Support, protection, soft feel, and amazing fit, what more could we ask for?

I’ve been playing around with the Concave PT+ for a few weeks now and have been amazed at how easy it was to pick up the game after a decade out of action.  At first, I attributed my success to superior athletic ability and cat-like reflexes until it was pointed out that the shoes where probably doing a majority of the work.  Which I now must admit is a more likely scenario.  Either way I was able to control the ball while passing, dibbling, trapping, and shooting and when I needed to crank up the RMPs to beat the Keeper or for a long through pass the Concave PT+ was ready to assist. Granted this was a pick-up game in the park and not a World Cup match.  I was never the most foot skilled player, and the fact that I can noticeably improve my touch with a new pair of boots is pretty awesome.  We highly and very enthusiastically recommend you test drive a pair.

Editors Note: These shoes don’t use traditional laces, but with the Shank Balance Stabilizers and the pull-tight laces they are more than secure. Keep that in mind when sizing, as you’ll need a true fit to take full advantage of those features.

Cost: $175