Full disclosure, I am an avid runner that occasionally plays soccer. While I have always been very picky about my running shoes, I never paid much attention to my soccer cleats. However, after trying the Phantom GT2 Elite, I will not buy just any soccer shoes again. It is not an exaggeration to say that I felt I was a slightly better player. Why? Well, the feel of the ball with these shoes is terrific. You really feel you have the ball in control. I am a clumsy player, so having a good feel of the ball is essential to me, or I start making too many mistakes. These shoes are the best I have worn when it comes to controlling and feeling the ball.
Additionally, these shoes are really light, and I could sprint around the field easily on them–for the most part. And here is the one negative thing I have to say about these shoes, they are hard to break into. The material of the shoes is tough. This fact is not bad in itself since it seems they are durable, but it takes some time to feel comfortable in them. They felt a bit hard at the beginning, and while putting them on the first few times, I thought I was going to bend and break the heels of the shoes. Nevertheless, after wearing them a couple of times, I started to feel comfortable in them. Once you break into these shoes, they snug tightly and comfortably around your foot. For me, this is what makes them great for controlling and feeling the ball.
One final thing, the dynamic fit sock is great. I struggle with unstable ankles, and I fear I will sprain my ankle every time I wear soccer cleats. But this time, it was different. The dynamic fit sock makes you feel more stable, and after a couple of minutes, I was no longer worried about my ankles. I could focus on running and dribbling without worrying too much–or at all–about my ankles.
All in all, they are the best soccer shoes I have ever had. They are hard to break into, but once you do that, they are great. Hopefully, they do not feel as hard in future iterations.
I highly recommend them if you like to feel the ball. I guess my only problem now is that I will not settle for just any soccer shoes.
