Puma Future Pro Review — Simple, Sensational

Despite the prophetic, forward-thinking name of Puma’s Future boot line, they’re some of the most simple, comfortable, and straightforward boots you can get, and they’re all the better for it in a marketplace dominated by gimmicks and unnecessary add-ons.

The German brand’s Future Pro is the second-tier entry in the current 2023 Future line-up (with the Future Ultimate being the top-end model), and while it’s a ‘step down’ from the top of the range, they’re arguably better than the most expensive option, and there are a few reasons for that.

Firstly, the Futures feature an upper that Puma calls ‘FUZIONFIT360’, which is basically a very snug but soft double-layer synthetic material — and it’s the exact same upper that features on the top-end model. It’s incredibly pliable and moulds to your foot; and even with fine contact on your toes or upper part of your foot, never feels abrasive or that there are any hot spots. Woven into this synthetic upper is a knitted collar that wraps around your ankle and cushions the bony upper part of your foot, which is a really pleasant sensation. It gives that sock-like feel that you’d find on something like Nike’s Mercurial Superfly, although a little thicker and is a bit more of a comfortable fit than a tight squeeze.

To add some stability to the softer upper is Puma’s use of PWRTAPE, which has appeared on some of the boots and running shoes in years gone by. It’s essentially some reinforced synthetic strips on the sides of the boot to provide some supplemental lateral support.

On the underside of the boot, the Future Pro features a really interesting soleplate. You get 7 studs in the forefoot (with an eighth stabilising stud in the middle). The four furthest forefoot studs are curved chevron-like blades that add a bit of bite when accelerating and decelerating, while the rest are rounded conical studs.

Add a stiffener bar that runs diagonally through the middle, and the result is a stable feeling underneath your foot, while the studs provide some great bite when taking off and your toes are doing the work. The difference to the top-end Ultimate model is that, on the Pro model, there is an extra stud on the medial side, and the non-bladed studs are all round, whereas on the Ultimate, they’re diamond-shaped.

It seems like a small difference, but having the fully rounded studs (along with a whole extra stud altogether) is a much better option, as you get more weight distribution on those sensitive parts of your foot, along with the ability to twist and pivot easier in the ground, which is a must for safety.

They do run a little long, but not enough to go down a size, and having a small amount of extra space in the toe-box is not the worst thing too. All in all, the Ultra Pro is a phenomenal boot, utilising modern textured materials to keep them lightweight, some knitted elements to ensure they’re comfortable, and a great outsole that works well on all grass types. It’s a boot that avoids gimmicks in favour of a real, tangible feel, and we’re all for that.

The Puma Future Pro is available from Puma’s online store and other sports retailers.