Nike CTR360 Maestri
Claims
Receive. Control. Distribute with Nike's CTR360. Landon Donovan and Cesc Fabregas play vital roles for their clubs. It's their job to organize the attack, distribute the ball and push the tempo when they have opportunities. The Nike CTR360 Maestri FG is designed specifically for playmakers who conduct the attack.
Nike CTR360 Maestri UPPER: Revolutionary Kanga-Lite synthetic leather mirrors the properties of natural kangaroo leather without the extra weight.
Innovative control pods on the forefoot and instep made of dampening foam deliver excellent first touch, maximum ball control and optimal passing pace.
Nike CTR360 Maestri MIDSOLE: High performance, molded sockliner with poron low profile cushioning provides superb comfort.
Nike CTR360 Maestri OUTSOLE: Innovative dual-density forefoot studs allows enhanced ball-to-cleat interface. Sharper, stronger heel studs lock down the planted foot for better stability.
Comfort/Fit
These shoes are one of the most comfortable shoes that I have ever worn. They are a normal width and just seemed to fit my foot perfectly. The kanga-lite material that Nike has developed is really something else. It feels almost as soft as actual k-leather as possible without being the actual thing. I would actually say that I prefer this material to actual k-leather because it feels just as good without the stretching. It also dries quicker and seems a lot more durable. I had no comfort issues with this shoe. The CTR360 also sports a strange lacing system, placing the laces in the strike zone of your foot. This does no end up interfering with shooting, and actually does a pretty good job of securing your foot. My only complaint is that the lacing system does not go deep enough down the boot, which I feel would make the boot fit that much better. I wore a size 9US in this shoe and would recommend your normal size.
Weight
These are not marketed for their weight, but are actually pretty light. Weighing in at only 9.8oz, these are not light shoes, but they are not heavy either. They feel just right in terms of weight and don’t have any complaints.
Traction
The stud pattern on this shoe is another all new thing coming from Nike. It is made up of many small blades that go around the outside edges of the boot with a couple studs in the middle in the form of a circle. I actually found this to be one of the better sole plates that I have used. I did not have any issues with slipping upon accelerating or changing directions laterally. Take note though that the studs are not very tall, so they may not be the best choice in softer field conditions.
Touch
That’s what this shoe is said to help with, and as much as I believe that labeling a boot for a certain type of player, these do in fact have an impact on the quality of your touch. The kanga-lite material mimicking the feel of k-leather is great in itself, but the true star on these shoes are the two pads that cover the top and outside of the foot. These pads are made from memory foam that is actually pretty thick, but feels really good. They feel really weird at first, but once you get used to it, you feel this confidence that you can take down the ball from the air without even trying. The pads almost do some of the work for you when controlling the ball. They are truly a shoe that does help your touch. They also have a rubber pad on the instep of the shoe, but I found it to have no effect.
Shooting
Shooting with these shoes is good but nothing special. They are very padded which feels nice when striking the ball with the laces. They do not provide any extra grip for bending the ball, but do provide you with a good feel for the ball despite the large amount of padding. What I did notice was that upon striking the ball with the outside of the foot, directly on the memory foam pads, I was able to generate a large amount of spin making for some pretty incredible free kicks. I don’t know if this was just me, but that’s what I felt while wearing these shoes.
Durability
The great experience that I was having with these shoes ended pretty quickly as after just around 3 weeks the upper had separated from the sole making them completely broken and unusable. I don’t know if I got a bad pair or that there was manufacturing defect, but I have to say that I was greatly disappointed from a shoe that costs $180.
The Verdict
I really liked this shoe. If not for the extreme durability issue that I experienced, I would rank this as the best shoe that I ever had. This shoe really does help your touch and I would almost recommend this shoe as a great development shoe if you are trying to improve your touch. Nike really came up with something special with this shoe.
Overall Score: 8 out of 10
