Joma Superflex Indoor – Boot Review

Checking in once again from the Great White North with another Joma indoor boot review. For this latest review, I’ve decided to stay with the “Flex” range and been playing with the more economical Joma Superflex over the last several weeks. Whereas the Top Flex is a futsal boot first, the Superflex is definitely designed in my opinion with the traditional North American indoor game in mind.

Weighing in at 8oz, the Superflex is definitely on the microscopic level in terms of indoor boots weight, this is down to the lightweight suede upper that is the bread and butter of the Superflex. Having thought so highly of the Top Flex, I was excited to see what the Superflex had to offer and how it performed.

You can currently find a wide selection of Joma Superflex at soccer.com.

FIRST TAKE

The boots Joma sent out came in the Cyan Blue/Electricity/White colourway, which aesthetically is a good looking combination as there is just enough of the lime Electricity colour to give the boot some pop without making it look gaudy. The Superflex’s are also flexible and when I say flexible I mean they’re super flexible. I was able to literally roll them up into a ball, or twist them like I was wringing out a wet teatowel and they’d bounce straight back to shape as though I hadn’t even touched them.

In the lead-off I mentioned that the Superflex was not designed in the same manner as the Top Flex. The Superflex has a much lower profile and is very minimal in design, it’s very much a boot for those who like to feel as close to the ball as possible when they’re on the court. The layout and look of the boot leads me to believe that this boot is designed for indoor soccer as opposed to futsal. For those curious of the cost, Joma offers at exceptional value for money, the Superflex, in this colourway retails at $59.99 over at soccer.com.

BREAK IN/FIT

The boots I received for the review were a size 9.5 and this presented a bit of a sticking point, as I’ve found the Joma range tends to run a half size longer and the Superflex is no different. If you’re looking for a correct fit you should definitely order a half size smaller.  The half size discrepancy led to an issue during the first wear as I developed a rather large blister on the ball of my left foot. I only wore one pair of socks during my first wear (lesson learned for the Super Regate, which I also have in a 9.5) and my foot slid from front to back in the boot.

Other than that minor blip, I’m confident that if you have the correct size you can slip the Superflex into a game from straight out the box and you wouldn’t be coming away with any unexpected pains (this seems to be something standard for the indoor game).

OBSERVATIONS

The Superflex is designed to offer a minimalist experience, so if your a player who likes your optional extras to aid ball control or swerve you might want to look elsewhere.

Performance wise the Superflex was a bit conflicting, the sole provided very good grip on the court, and they only let me down once on turf; while the grip was not of the same level as the Top Flex it is still very good.

The boot was also unexpectedly comfortable on the court for such a low profile boot, I’m known for not being particularly light of foot so low profile boots such as the Nike Elastico tend to be a no go on the court for me, which was a worry I had when I first saw the Superflex, but I am happy to report that those who suffer from having a heavy step will not suffer from any undue pain on the court.

The upper while providing a good feel when receiving and controlling passes, was prone to puckering in the forefoot of the boot, this had a negative effect on dribbling, which is a bit of a worry given the importance of dribbling in tight situations in the indoor game. Now as the Superflex are actually a half size large on me I’m not 100% sure if there would have been a noticeable difference if I had the luxury of testing the half size down.

The highlight of the Superflex was without a doubt striking the ball. Despite the lightweight nature of the boots the striking area is well protected. On the futsal court I was able to absolutely hammer the heavier futsal ball with no bother whatsoever. With no shot aids, the strike of the ball was true, which is generally what I’m looking for in a small sided boot.

FINAL THOUGHTS

The Superflex leaves me conflicted, it’s a lightweight low profile indoor boot which is forgiving on players who might not be the lightest runners, and I really enjoy that. But the puckering of the upper really affected the dribbling and in certain game situations left me questioning my sanity, but then again that could be the half size difference between what I had and what I needed.

The Superflex is designed to be an indoor boot for the player who doesn’t want to break the bank, but wants to keep as much quality as possible and I feel that it accomplishes that in the long run. However, I can also say that I don’t think I’d be able to bring myself to purchase a pair, not when for a few more dollars you could get a pair of the thoroughly excellent Joma Top Flex. Which gets me to wondering what I’d think if Joma developed a version of the Superflex with a leather/suede combo to avoid the upper puckering? Well that’d be a boot I’d be interested in seeing!

You can currently find a wide selection of Joma Superflex at soccer.com.

JOMA SUPERFLEX – SUMMARY

About: Joma’s mid-range indoor offering.
The Good: A rakishly weighted indoor option which is very forgiving on the heavy stepped runner.
The Bad: The upper puckers in the forefoot which hurts it when dribbling.
Price: Original retail of $59.99.
Would I Buy: I wouldn’t because I’d spend the extra bit of money on Joma’s top end futsal boot the Top Flex.
Rating out of 10: 7/10