What Puma says about this boot: Play at full throttle
Boot style: Speed
Weight: 196g for a US9 model
Previous model: Puma Ultra Ultimate (2023)
When you’ve reviewed speed boots for as long as we have, you start to notice certain patterns. Speed silos tend to go through similar cycles.
The first variant tends to focus on going as thin and lightweight as possible. The second variant tends to be a slight face lift, with a greater focus on traction. They then reframe the silo from the “lightest” to the “right weight”, with an emphasis on comfort with a more comfortable upper, and then the cycle continues.
While the Ultra 1.1 – 1.4 worked well as a speed silo, with its general focus on going as lightweight as possible, Puma never seemed to get the balance for Ultra series right. There was always something that held it back, be it the heel fit, overall fit or the stiffness of the upper.
With the new Puma Ultra Ultimate, Puma have revamped the design this feels like the home run they’ve been looking for.
What’s new in the Puma Ultra Ultimate (2024)
Instead of the ULTRAWEAVE that we saw on the 2023 variant, Puma’s gone for a lightweight mesh upper.
Don’t let the lack of a techie-sounding name fool you though, the upper feels just as premium as any speed boot out there, and interestingly, there’s also a slight layer of padding in the liner.
The upper also has what Puma calls GripControl Pro Skin, a textured layer for better ball control – more on that later.
We reviewed the AG variant and there’s two other improvements on that front. An Ortholite® O-Therm™ aerogel-infused insole, which helps insulate your feet from hot artificial surfaces.
Lastly, there’s also a new AG tooling, which uses more conical studs, but retains the iconic tri-stud pattern in heel that you see on the FG variant.
A moderate fit in the Puma Ultra Ultimate
In the last year, Puma’s gone through an interesting route journey where, unlike other brands that have continued to add width and volume to their boots, they continuously narrowed the fit of their boots. The Puma King Ultimate (2023) is arguably the narrowest boot on the market today, while the Future Ultimate (2023) has the lowest toebox I’ve worn in some time.
Thankfully, the Ultra Ultimate (2024) has a more moderate width, and while it felt snug true to size, the boot quickly broke in after a short break in period. I recommend for you to go true to size unless you’ve got a wide foot.
A comfortable sprint
The more accommodating fit also means that my greatest gripe with the Puma Ultra Ultimate 2023,discomfort, is no longer an issue.
Instead, the Puma Ultra Ultimate 2024 is arguably one of the most comfortable boots on the market.
That inner layer of padding, along with the new fit and mesh upper, works together extremely well to cradle and adapt to your feet shape after a short break in session. The new knit tongue also has more ‘give’ to it now, and makes wearing the boot a more comfortable process.
That’s not to say that the boot feels sloppy. The PWRTAPE SQD support frame stabilises your midfoot to keep you locked in and secure when making sprints or quick cuts. This is further complimented by the OrthoLite® heel pods that really locks in your heel comfortably.
A well-balanced performance
My favourite new technology on the Puma Ultra Ultimate (2024) is the new GripControl Pro skin.
Interestingly, the grip seems to come into play when you contact the boot vertically (top to bottom), but not laterally (side to side). The result was a more forgiving touch when dribbling the ball, without it ever feeling too intrusive, as some boots can feel when there’s too much grip.
Thanks to the thin layer of padding, the upper isn’t as thin as the Ultra Ultimate (2023) but that’s not to say that the touch feels too padded.
You still get a one-to one sensation when controlling, shooting or passing the ball. The slim silhouette means that you get a very nice contact with the ball, that I felt gave me more confidence to wrap my foot around the ball, for those whipped crosses.
Shooting in the boot felt natural in a what-you-put-in is what you get, kind of feeling. As with most speed boots, technique is king, as there’s no extra technology to aid you in that respect.
A new AG stud pattern for the Puma Ultra Ultimate
The FG stud pattern is truly aggressive on firm natural grass but for me who plays solely on AG (artificial grass), the new AG stud pattern is a god-sent.
The new AG stud pattern follows very much a traditional conical stud configuration that wouldn’t be too out of place on a traditional Puma King, but with a twist. They come with a bladed stud in the front and back of the foot, which act as acceleration and braking studs.
The new tooling is excellent on AG, and I never felt any difficulties or additional cling when changing directions or lining up shots.
This AG pattern also works well enough on FG to truly feel like a hybrid FG/AG tooling.
One minor point to note though, the heel braking stud does take some getting used to, especially when I started to get tired towards the end of games. It wasn’t enough to cause concern, but I did find myself dragging on the heel stud as it’s not a common stud.
Finally an Ultra pick
Puma have finally got the Ultra formula right, and just in time because the speed boot market has been the hottest it has ever been, with all 3 of the big boys coming up with very well performing boots.
While it doesn’t have any eye-catching new technology or nostalgia factor like the Mercurial or F50 does, what the new Ultra Ultimate offers is the right balance of performance and comfort.
Personally, that’s the right strategy.
I’m a huge fan of Puma’s route of offering a premium Ultra, with that unique carbon fiber tooling as the eye catching option, with a more down to earth Ultra Ultimate is the right move, adding more mystique to the premium version and the overall silo.
This means that players today have more choices – a pure performance orientated boot, or a more balanced boot.
