The Lotto Futura 500 Turf soccer shoe is all about value. I’m going too compare this shoe to one of the most popular indoor/turf soccer shoes on the market, the Nike Mercurial Victory. I have already reviewed the Victory, and while they are not bad shoes, there are much better indoor/turf shoes in that price range. The Lotto Futura 500 is a very similar boot that is also a little bit better than the Victory, for a couple of reasons.
The first thing that surprised me when I first slipped this shoe on was how well it fit. The overall fit, especially in the forefoot and toe box is pretty tight from brand new, a fit that you usually can get only from higher soccer shoes. The midfoot area of the boot is not too wide, and like I said, provides a pretty premium fit. The upper is made fully out of a cheaper synthetic, but still manages to be fairly soft and flexible. While the feel of the upper is not ultra premium, it is comfortable and I had no issues during the break-in period. The heel is lined with mesh and overall feels very nice. While the actual materials of this shoe are not top quality, just like the Victory, it still manages to have a very high quality fit. As far as sizing goes, these do have a tighter fit, which generally does cause most people to go a half size up, but I would advise not doing so. I wore my usual size 9US for review, and while they felt a little snug at first, they were perfect after a few hours of break-in. So if you are looking to order a pair, I would recommend going with your normal size.
Weight
This shoe weighs in at 9.8oz, which happens to be the exact weight of the Nike Mercurial Victory. While this isn’t what many would consider to be “lightweight”, these are not heavy shoes either. The 10oz mark is actually slightly below average weight for a turf/indoor soccer shoe, so 9.8os is not bad. Weight should not be your concern with turf and indoor soccer shoes, mainly because there aren’t really any that are “lightweight” in comparison to what is available in high-end outdoor soccer shoes.
Traction
The Futura 500 uses a pretty standard turf soleplate. It is formed of a bunch of short, round nubs that cover nearly the entire sole, something very commonly seen from many turf shoes. To be completely honest, it is very hard to tell the difference from one turf soleplate to another, and these definitely do the job. One thing to note is that this shoe is not available in an indoor version, but since the turf nubs are not overly aggressive, these can definitely pass as an indoor soccer shoe, something that is great if you are only looking to get one shoe to use on multiple types of surfaces.
Touch
This is, for me, the biggest improvement over the Mercurial Victory where the Futura 500 has the one up. While the quality of the synthetic that makes up the upper is not the best, it still provides a thinner feel. The problem with cheap synthetics is that they are generally mesh-based, allowing for a very flexible upper, but not necessarily the best feel. Luckily, the upper on the Futura 500 has some rigidity to it and does not feel like you are touching the ball with a mesh running shoe. I think that part of the reason for this is how well they fit for a cheaper synthetic shoe. Generally if the fit is good, the overall experience ends up being a lot better. The upper is finished with somewhat of a matte feel that feels really nice when on the ball. I also really appreciate the tongue, that is actually the same thickness as the upper, something that always seems to be an issue with indoor/turf soccer shoes. While the upper is not the best quality, it is one of the better synthetic uppers from any indoor/turf soccer shoes, and if you do like that thinner feel, these might work for you.
Shooting
Shooting in these shoes is what you would expect. There are no shooting gimmicks on the upper of this boot. What you get is a pretty straight forward feel when shooting the ball, and there is nothing wrong with that. When you are talking soccer shoes, sometimes simple is the best.
Durability
Lotto always puts out very high build quality, and while these are not a premium product, they are still well made. The shoe as a whole is a pretty simple design where very little can actually go wrong, so durability should not be an issue. One major plus is the price of this shoe. Since it doesn’t cost very much, you will definitely get your money’s worth with the lifespan of these shoes.
The Verdict
Don’t be fooled by the price. At a very low price of under $40, you really can’t go wrong with the Futura 500. They provide one of the nicer synthetic uppers for an indoor/turf soccer, a very good fit and are very well built. In comparison to the very popular Nike Mercurial Victory indoor/turf soccer shoes, these are a better option in terms of fit, feel and price. If you are on a lower budget or are looking for an alternative to the indoor Mercurial, the Lotto Futura 500 is a great option.
| Comfort/Fit | 8 out of 10 |
| Weight | 7 out of 10 |
| Traction | 7 out of 10 |
| Touch | 7 out of 10 |
| Shooting | 7 out of 10 |
| Durability | 7 out of 10 |
| FINAL SCORE | 43 out of 60 or 72% |
