The only boot that Umbro need to release are the speciali ..... simple. So Umbro are now planning on releasing some new boots, who is going to wear them? Who is going to promote them considering the time pool of players they did have, have now all gone to Nike? Saying that - I know i moaned about the quality of the shorts the Umbro have been producing. I go the Glasgow Rangers home shirt today, and can i just say it is one of the nicest shirts i have every owned. The cut of the material, the fit and just how simple the shirt design is, is absolutely Brilliant. I think if Umbro had produced more shirts like this one they'd be in a much better state. appleCORR
I think Umbro before Nike brought them seemed to be releasing a few top end models, yet released loads of really low budget models.... why did they need to do that? sports direct used to have thousands of these horrid looking umbro boots
Used too? The Sports Directs near me still have thousands, doubt they will sell. It's a shame because Umbro have always seemed to be there, will be weird if/when the disappear from the boot market.
I know manufacturers produce ultra low end boots for some retailers that you'd never find in a specialty retailer or online. Anyone who has been to Academy Sports here in the States will know what I'm talking about. Pumas, Nikes, and Adidas boots that retail for less than $30 and are not part of any particular silo. It's strange. Maybe that's the case with what you're talking about.
John Terry has also left umbro for Nike now, as seen in a pair of clash tiempos I believe. Is there actually any pros anywhere In the world still wearing umbro? And is there any of us still wearing them? I'm leading the resurgence in my own when the line turquoise gt pros finally come out!
I think Joe Hart still is. I also think I saw Wisdom wearing a pair vs. United yesterday? And Andy Carroll.
I think the new Speciali is pretty good looking....classy with it being simple in white with some black.
Saw a feature on joe hart on a website (can't remember which now) sayIng how he had switched to Nike boots, but still wearing umbro gloves incidentally. Not sure where he's at now can't see it being long untill he's fully Nike though, especially with them doing the England kit and the fact that as first choice keeper he will no doubt be advertising it. So sure Nike will do all they can to have him fully branded up! Also wouldn't be surprised to see carroll wearing Nike when he returns from injury as did terry. Bad times! Do remember wisdom in the umbro a month or so ago now u mention it! Might be the way for umbro to go. Gettin young and upcoming future stars in their boots and keep them in them for their careers. Similar to Owen (yet on a bigger and better scale!), a time when umbro were still top players I the game...
The horrible plastic red ones with black detail? My friend actually brought a pair of those for about £10 they were like Umbros effort at vapors. I'm just undecided on Umbro boots - they will have to do a lot to convince me and what im seeing isn't really doing that. I just think they either look cheap ... or boring, and im not saying i want a neon pink boot i just want them to have sleek design. appleCORR
^ Have you seen the lime/turquoise gt 2 pro's?! IMO they are one of the nicest looking boots out there! Search it on google... the new speciali's are a nice leather boot aswell and the geomtras. A lot better than some of the awful boots out there atm That's what that MSG should have said...
I've seen the neon GTs and you are right those are a nice looking boot - sadly we arent going to see very much of them because Kyle Walker was wearing them and then switched to Lasers. My first free pair of boots were some red/white Umbro boots when i played for the county we all got a pair and i ditched mine after one wear and went back to my Adidas boots. I feel back that an English company has had to be bailed out by Nike and now nobody really seems sure whats going on - i want to be proud and say that Umbro made amazing boots but I can't. And if i could then Umbro wouldn't be and in situation they are in because everyone would be wearing their boots and there wouldn't be a problem. The fact is not many people would choose to by Umbro boots over what Adidas/Nike have on the market. Even the old school boots, if you offered me some specialis or some world cups id go for the WC everytime - im sure most people on this board would. As i said, no hate to umbro i just think if they'd dont things better in the past then they wouldn't be in this situation. appleCORR
I think Umbro's problem, which could also be seen as a good point depending on how you look at it, was the reluctance or inability to compete with adidas/nike when they started to class boots into different categories/silo's....power/speed/control. When i was growing up all boots would have been seen as "classic/heritage" boots but to me then they were just football boots! Dont know if this is a true statement, but i think Umbro only started producing different boot silo's when nike came on board. I know they had the XAI but it was still essentially a leather boot. IMO Umbro should concentrate on the Speciali as a heritgate/classic full K leather boot. Add back the foldover tongue (from the Statement range) & go back to all conical studs & even offer a mix-stud layout. It pains me to say it, but offer it in a white colourway as well as black & IMO its a sure fire winner. Doesnt need to go all colours the way d'Oro's are but keep it simple the way they do.
Those type of synthetic boots definately only appeared when Nike took over. I think they felt that maybe if they pushed a new line Umbro might be 'cooler' and more accepted. I agree that they should reproduce the original specialis. And I think they'd get away with them being in white. Like we both said they can't compete with bigger brands so why not do what they do best and be happy with what they make from that? appleCORR
I found this gem while browsing on rakuten. A conical studded geometra. http://item.rakuten.co.jp/unionspo/uss7221rnw/
It's a sad situation for umbro, just reading this thread shows people still want them around. I think another slight issue they had was the boots they released all seemed the same, you had the Xai/destroyer/ x-boot lovely looking boot but why name it three different things? The speed boots aswell by umbro, looked fantastic though never got the uptake, only deco? and then again with kyle walker, and the silver GT pro II looked amazing. If they could be fully saved they should focus on the lower leagues of english football, sponsor youth/reserve players and championship downwards, this is a an alternative world btw.
While I'm sure Nikes money helped them stay afloat, I don't think it really helped Umbro in any other way. Umbro basically came to be seen as a second rate Nike. Who is gonna buy Speciali 3's over Legends? Not many people. They lost their identity to an even greater degree than they already had. They need to focus on the "tailored by Umbro" thing and commit 100% to the Speciali.
Completely forgot Jordan Henderson was an Umbro wearer until he blasted in that goal in his CTRs at the weekend - they are all slowly switching. appleCORR
The Speciali 4, Geometra 2 and the new colourways for the GT2 are all in the FIFA 13 catalogue now. Shame no players wear them now.
Umbro have always produced great boots but nowadays more than ever it seems to be marketing power that sells boots rather than performance and quality. Not that Nike and Adidas produce poor quality boots, but if you're seen as a 'cooler' brand and have the 'cooler' players wearing your boots then you'll sell more. Always been that way (as a 13 year old in 1997 when brand-Beckham was just firing-up I, like everyone else, wanted Predators), just now every player has a boot sponsor and with the internet everyone knows who they're with. Plus it seems kids have more money nowadays so they're in charge of buying boots, instead of their parents who might have chosen an unassuming black Umbro boot over a pink Nike one. Only advantage is that if you don't care about the brand you can get top of the line Umbro's for peanuts atm.
Any chance of posting the pics as I can't see. To find them on the net... Ye getting the boots cheaper is a great advantage as the boots are still top quality. Whilst I agree people are easily swayed if they see a player wearing certain boots, they will buy them regardless of look or quality, but having players in your boots is really the only way that people get to see boots and therefore decide which to buy. Or else how will the mainstream even know those certain boots exist...
Any info on the new colourways of the gt pro yet? Saw a new color on soccerbibles boot spotting but no further mention of it. There was also a feature in soccer reveiws of a future colourway but again there's been no further mention... Any info would be greatly appreciated, Thank you