It's icons time again at the SoccerBible, as Puma unveil the new King Finale football boots, with these Limited Edition Diego Maradona versions. Check out our full and exclusive gallery images of the new Puma King Diego Finale football boots...
What more needs to be said about the Puma King range, they are a boot that has remained at the top of the game for over forty years, and can be credited with playing a part in the careers of almost every great player from Maradona to Pele, and Cruyff to Eusebio.
Now with one of the King's greatest ever wearers about to celebrate his 50th birthday, Puma have created a unique Diego Maradona boot to unveil the latest incarnation - The King Finale. These boots not only feature a bespoke colourway, but also the squad number and signature of the football legend that is Diego Armando Maradona!
But beneath the Maradona customisation, we mustn't forget that what is being shown to us here is the brand new Puma King Finale football boots, the follow-up to the Puma King XL football boot which had an almost exhaustive list of colourways. So what can we expect from the next generation of this iconic range...
Firstly, we shouldn't forget that the Puma King Finale soccer shoes have already been worn competitively, and have even scored a World Cup goal! Exclusively reported by the SoccerBible earlier in the year, and noticed by the eagle-eyed boot spotters out there, it was Diego Maradona's compatriot Martin Palermo who debuted the Puma King Finale football boots.
Just one look at the King Diego Finale will tell you Puma haven't had too much of a radical overhaul. But then when you have a boot that has enjoyed success for over forty years, you don't necessarily need to tamper with a winning formula. The famed high levels of craftsmanship and quality return, with an even softer full grain leather upper and some nice re-design touches improving the boot.
The toe area of the Puma King Finale is where you see and feel the greatest difference, the leather is without a doubt softer and more comfortable than previous incarnations. This softer leather improves ball feel, and is maintained by a new stitching pattern which retains the shape, while an additional piece prolongs durability.
The redesigned Puma King Finale tongue is made from a thinner softer leather, which remains flush to the laces due to a new velcro fastening that intertwines with the laces. Rather than the tongue having to fasten through the laces a velcro panel sits on top of the laces, which stops the tongue riding up.
To enhance the comfort of the King Finale, the new insole features more cushioning under the heel which further improves shock absorption and works in unison with the redesigned heel counter.
The new heel counter is constructed from a high-density silicon, which provides more protection and stability. And Puma have pretty much retained the outsole and stud configurations from the King XL football boots.
The Puma King Diego Finale football boots are a celebration of not only one of the greatest ever footballers, but one of the greatest players to wear the Puma King range. Rarely do we see a boot release that launches a new incarnation and celebrates one of the games' greats, for this reason the boots will set you back around £125 GBP and are currently available on pre-order ahead of their release on the 30th October - Diego Maradona's birthday!
