Has anyone purchased them in Italy?I have a friend going in the summer and want to know if it's worth getting him to pick them up while he's there or if they're cheaper on PDS.
Don´t think that they are cheaper than on PDS. Although the Italians don´t worship those shoes, at least what I have been told and so it is quite difficult to find a store where you have a great variety. I have been once to a store listed on the akuna homepage as official distributor and they had 4! pairs of akunas, and three of them was the same model...
I tried but they were impossible to find. No really seems to care about them that much there. I second this, they don't seem to be held in the same regard as we do. Probably because there used to be more companies doing it.
I managed to get my hands on the limited edition of the akuna toro. They have the black yellow soleplate instead of the white. At least I paid for them, hope the italian shop will deliver them to me
They really arrived today. Only 49 hours after the italian store created the recipe, they were here - 1600 km away from its starting point The leather is bull leather, rather thick, but not harsh or stiff. The soleplate is rather stiff, which is strange, because I have the orange soleplate on the colibri model and it seems to me, that this one (with yellow studs) is stiffer, although it must be the same material. Overall I think it is a quite good shoe for beginners, not that top-end model like the twice times more expensive model colibri, but a good solid shoe which has sure plenty of lifetime. I´m proud to have this special pair
Received my Panto's a couple of days ago. First impression, going half size down has these FIT like a glove. The leather is softer than I imagined and they are damn comfortable. I imagined then to be heavier but they're not bad! For a boot made in China, they are quality. Only thing is, I am not sure how much I like em..... But I will see. I reallly want to blackc out the white portion. I think that would make it look better. Any ideas on paint that would look good with this type of finish?
These aren't the top end ones though are they? They are take downs with a synthetic midfoot. Are the top end ones still made in Italy?
Absolutely my words. Don´t think that I buy them anymore, will rather stick more to akuna and ryal...
Yeah true but it dilutes the brand and the whole "mythos" and "aura" surrounding the brand when it produces cheap product like that. I missed the old days when they would offer like 7 or 8 shoes total.
I completely ageee but there's nothing wrong with a company choosing to have their take down models made in China. It's like Mizunos having the made in Japan vs Indonesia. The knowledgeable brand follower knows that the top tier is made in Italy. Not to say that the made in China/Indonesia ones aren't great but we would prefer the made in Italy/Japan. Mizuno is doing it and we're not shaking our head at their aura. That said, I do miss how they had a more limited and exclusive feeling of selection.
I think the Panto vs. Mizuno thing doesn't hold up though, Panto tried to resurrect their brand on their MiI heritage, a bit of snobbery, and the original Panto story (much like Akuna and their shared role in that story, though Akuna is more humble). Mizuno has always made product in Indo or China/had low quality take downs, it's an expected and established part of their brand. They also just happen to make arguably the best mass produced football boots on the planet w/MiJ lines too. It would be like Edward Green or Tom Ford captoe lace ups suddenly being available in Walmart, being made in China, and looking kinda like the pairs that sell for $1000.00+ in fine shops. There is a aura that has been cheapened by trying to water down the brand and maximize profits. For a more Italian example, there isn't a $35K entry level Farrari or Lambo just so the brand is more accessible to the masses.
I second what @Dr. Boots says. Mizuno were not just a brand that makes stuff in Japan. Panto only made boots in Italy. That was their whole story. I remember it used to take Pro Direct more than a month at a time to re-stock because the shoes had to be made to order. They didn't just have a ton of stock readily available. I do agree that there is nothing wrong with a brand having take down models made in China. Hell, the big two have $300 boots made in China but when your brand's image is based on only having handmade, Italian boots you tend to lose yourself when you decide to forgo that.
I bought my first pair of Pantofola d'Oros the other day. I got the Lazzarini in Red. Very high quality boot but I noticed that the inside of the upper is a little stiff and doesn't seem as soft as say Nike Premiers do upon first wearing. I was just wondering if anyone else has experienced this? And if it is just a matter of giving it more breaking in time to fold and soften the upper up.
Has anyone tried the Emidio Vitello yet? What do you think in comparison to the Lazzarini and the Dream?
i have the red lazzarinis too. they're not kangaroo so they're never going to be as soft as premiers. also, i think the dying process to make them red makes the leather a little bit harder too. mine never softened up as much as i'd like, but i'm still happy with them. be aware that your white socks will turn pink in these boots, and it will not stop as long as you wear them.
Thanks a lot for your help Also I bought the Combi model and I was looking to buy some nylon studs to replace the metal tipped studs when i'm not playing on very soft ground. Does anyone have any idea where I could find any that would be relatively similar in length to the current plastic studs on the boot?
Just search for "rubber studs" on ebay.co.uk But be aware of that: the metal tipped studs have three different lengths, 16,14 and 12 mm.