Umbro Stealth: Are you Fox or Chicken?

I have to say, the advertising campaign for the new Umbro Stealth is pretty bizarre! Start with the slogan “Are you Fox or Chicken?“, and take a look at the video below…..odd! But one thing is clear,  the Stealth is designed for the cunning player who hunts just like a fox. Created with speed, power and comfort in mind the new Stealth boot is designed for players who like to control on the pitch. A streamlined last and two lateral studs in the middle of the boot that act like running spikes offer increased speed, while the carbon fiber shank and heel counter provide the power you need. Combined with cushioned insoles offering comfort, Stealth has all the assets that a player will need to outfox the opposition.

The initial release comes in two colors; a Red/White/Navy and a White/Red/Silver. I do like both both versions, but I am leaning towards the White version as my preferred choice. From looking at them, one thing I really like is the tongue, which Umbro have trimmed down and adjusted with a small tab to allow the cleat to fit flush with your foot. Weight wise, the Stealth stands at a pretty impressive 9.8oz. In fact, design wise there are a lot of similarities between these and the adidas adiPURE III, it will be interesting to see how they compare to one of the leading cleats on the market.

One unusual aspect to these cleats is the fact that Umbro have gone with a soft lightweight Teijin Japanese microfiber upper instead of their usual Kangaroo leather, and although it does have a shiny finish, it is a synthetic leather rather than the real thing. This is also something I am interested in reviewing when I get these to test. Watch out for players like Darren Bent and Gael Clichy to be wearing these in the coming weeks, it is unfortunate that Bent wasn’t wearing them while scoring a hat-trick against Bolton yesterday.

The official release date for the Umbro Stealth is April 1st, and you can order your pair right now!