Nike5 Street Gato Review

The Nike5 Street Gato is shoe that Nike intended to be used as both a casual shoe and a street soccer shoe. In order for me to consider something to be a casual shoe, it has to comfortable, and the Street Gato is definitely a comfortable boot. The fit is more or less wide and a little more roomy and loose fitting than a soccer specific shoe, allowing you to wear it comfortably on an everyday basis. The upper, depending on the color that you choose, is either finished with leather or a swede material, but both are still very soft. These boots do not require any break-in time and really do feel like a really nice fitting street shoe. Nike has also included a slightly thicker than normal tongue, for a soccer shoe, to add to the everyday comfort of the shoe. I wore my usual size 9US for review and would recommend ordering your normal size, if you intend on using them for soccer on a regular basis. If you plan on wearing them more as everyday shoes rather than using them to play soccer in, I would recommend getting a half size larger, for a more comfortable fit.

Weight

This shoe weighs in at 10.6oz, which is about average for an indoor soccer shoe, and is also fairly light for a street shoe. The shoe by no means feels heavy and it certainly will not weigh you down.  Most street shoes, even running shoes, average a weight between 12oz and 13oz, making this shoe very light in comparison to it’s competitors.

Traction

The sole of this shoe is made of a much harder rubber than you are used to on a regular indoor shoe. The sole is definitely modeled after an indoor shoe, rather than a turf, and provides some really good traction on the street, its intended playing surface. There is slightly harder rubber around all of the spots on a street shoe that usually wear first, allowing you to have better traction because the rubber will not wear away. For the street, you will get the exact amount of traction that you could ever want. One question that will surely be asked is if this shoe is a suitable replacement for an indoor soccer shoe, and the answer is yes and no. I definitely think that the sole of this boot will provide enough grip on an indoor gym floor, but I feel that if you are looking at this style of soccer shoe, the soccer specific Nike5 Gato line will fair a little better in terms of performance.

Touch

The shoe is made of a natural leather that is very soft and pliable right out of the box, but because of how the boot stitched together, will not stretch. The upper provides a really soft touch and is a little thicker than most soccer shoes would be. Coupled with the thick tongue, the overall feel that you get on the ball is very padded. You are not going to get a very close touch feeling out of this boot, but the touch you do get is still very good in its own respect. Depending on the color that you get them in, the shoe will either have a leather finish on the upper or a swede finish. The swede upper will provide a little more grip on the ball, but not enough to really notice a major difference in your touch. One other interesting element on this boot is the instep of the shoe that features a strange pattern in the upper as well as  a rubber patch with dimples on it. The texture in the upper really does nothing other than look really cool, where as the rubber element, similar to the pass pad on the CTR360 shoes, also has really no noticeable effects in terms of touch.

Shooting

Shooting with this boot is very similar to what you might feel in most indoor soccer shoes. Because street soccer is not really dependent on shooting as much as it is with touch and control, there are no added shooting elements on this boot. Basically what you get is a padded tongue that provides some cushion when striking the ball, which is something that I have always liked on any soccer shoe.

Durability

This is where I really feel that Nike hit a home run with on this boot. It feels really solid. If you consider what this shoe was intended for, it requires the durability that you get from an everyday street shoe and the quality materials that are required in a soccer shoe. Along with the hard rubber sole, this shoe will definitely stand up to everyday use and will certainly last you a long time.

The Verdict

Nike has really created the ultimate street soccer shoe. It looks fantastic, so you can wear it everyday, and should a game of street soccer break out, they are up to task to out perform the competition.

Comfort/Fit	9 out of 10
Weight	7 out of 10
Traction	10 out of 10
Touch	8 out of 10
Shooting	8 out of 10
Durability	10 out of 10
FINAL SCORE	52 out of 60 or 87%