At first glance, the Joma Total Fit may come across as your typical modern heritage soccer shoe, but in reality it is very different. What makes the Total fit a stand-alone is that it uses a one-piece, full kangaroo leather upper! While the one-piece upper is nothing new to soccer shoes, all of the other one-piece upper shoes are synthetics, allowing for a machine-crafted, perfect shape. When you do the same thing with leather, a natural material, the process and overall outcome of the final product is very different.
So why does this all matter? When you create a predetermined shape with a synthetic material, it will always be exactly the same and it will not stretch. When you do the same with a leather shoe, the making of the shoe becomes very important, which is probably why the Total Fit is made in Spain, and that predetermined shape has to be just right, because the leather will stretch. You also have to take into consideration that a single piece of leather is going to stretch more than an upper that is made from several different pieces, allowing for reinforcement in the area that need it most. The Total Fit, while it may look very simple, is actually a very innovative soccer shoe.
As far as how they feel, that is also quite unique. From right out of the box, the upper is fairly stiff, and rightfully so, because the Total Fit does require some break-in time. When you first slide your foot into the shoe and tie them up, you will notice that the overall fit is fairly tight, especially through the mid foot and forefoot area. Not uncomfortably tight, but more of a feeling that the shoes need to be broken in, plus the stiffness of the upper doesn’t help. I never had any major issues with discomfort during break-in, and I certainly did not experience any blisters, but I can tell you that this shoe did require in and around four to six hours of playing time until they truly began to feel comfortable.
When I say comfortable, I am not referring to being able to wear the shoes for a long period of time, but instead the amount of time until the shoes begin to feel like they are mine. What is so great about of the Total Fit is that it is designed the stretch to your feet. While I do realize that most leather shoes do form to your feet as well, none of these leather shoes allow your foot to determine to shape of the boot. Since the upper is all one thickness and is all the same material, the shoe will give exactly where it wants to, allowing for a truly custom fit. Once you break-in the Total Fit, it is feels and looks as if it were made for your foot. The leather also softens up significantly after break-in and becomes nice and flexible, making for a very comfortable feel. Unlike a one-piece synthetic upper, the leather upper on the Total Fit does not bunch up at certain points when the shoe bends. The Total Fit really does provide a near custom fit, something that is rare for a soccer shoe. As far as sizing goes, the Total Fit, as well as most Jomas in general, seems to fit half a size large, so I would recommend going down half a size. I wore a size 8.5US for review, rather than my usual size 9US, and the fit was perfect.
Weight
The Total Fit weighs in at 9.4oz, which is just below average weight for most high-end soccer shoes. When you are looking for a solid feel and a full leather upper, being around that 9oz mark is very good. I don’t think that the main attraction for the Total Fit is by any means the weight, but if that is one of your concerns, the Total Fit is not going to weigh you down.
Traction
The stud pattern used on the Total Fit is the same one used on nearly all of the Joma boots on the market. It is a traditional, conical stud pattern, featuring your standard four studs under the heel, four studs on the inside and outside of the forefoot and two support studs in the middle. The studs themselves are on the longer side, as far conical studs go, similar to the length of the studs used on the Nike Tiempo Legend IV. It is a stud pattern that is friendly for nearly any type of surface, given that the ground is not overly hard.
Touch
Consistency is a really important factor in determining whether or not the shoe will have a good touch on the ball. While no shoe is going improve your touch, there is an element of feel that is so important for any soccer shoe. While touch is a preference as far as leather versus synthetics go, one thing can be agreed on in that your touch on the ball should be consistent, meaning that no matter what part of the foot touches the ball, the feel is the same. This is something that the Total Fit does very well. While most quality leather shoes can provide this same feeling of consistency, none of them offer qualities of a synthetic along with the qualities of leather. Am I saying that this is the ultimate upper for a soccer shoe? Absolutely not, but the overall feel that the Total Fit offers is completely unique, and is honestly quite good. The leather itself is soft and flexible, but not very padded. Imagine a slightly thicker synthetic material, with just a little bit of natural cushion to it. Like the rest of the shoe, it is unique feeling, and one that you come to really like as you break-in the shoe. You get the softness of leather with that close to the foot feel of a synthetic. This is an upper that I think that anybody would like should they give the Total Fit a chance, and is the only shoe on the market that can offer this type of feel.
Shooting
Shooting with the Total Fit is also really great. The soleplate is nice and stiff and the overall solid fit and feel of the shoe makes for a very good shooting experience. There are no shooting gimmicks on the boot, just the matte finish of the leather. It feels like pretty much any other leather soccer shoe on the market, which is by no means a bad thing.
Protection
The level of protection that the Total Fit provides is on par with all of the other leather shoes on the market. The leather provides just a little bit of padding, should you get stepped on, and the internal, plastic heel counter will protect you from the back. The Total fit will provide a fair amount of protection, and will certainly take some of the blow should they need too.
Durability
Like I described earlier, the build quality is great. The shoe is made in Spain, and honestly, if the shoe was not well built, the entire concept of a one-piece leather upper wouldn’t really work. There is honestly very little that could go wrong. The shoe does stretch a fair amount, but it is designed to do so. Keep in mind that this is a natural leather shoe and it does require some maintenance to keep the upper in good condition. The Total Fit should easily last an entire season.
The Verdict
The Joma Total Fit is really the only shoe of its kind. I was definitely skeptical of the whole concept, but the shoe is very well executed. You can really feel the shoe transform from just a soccer shoe, into your soccer shoe, which is something that not many shoes can offer. If all of the above sounds good to you, than the Joma Total Fit might be one to give a try.
| Comfort/Fit | 10 out of 10 |
| Weight | 8 out of 10 |
| Traction | 8 out of 10 |
| Touch | 10 out of 10 |
| Shooting | 8 out of 10 |
| Protection | 8 out of 10 |
| Durability | 8 out of 10 |
| FINAL SCORE | 60 out of 70 or 86% |
