Pantofola d’Oro Superleggera Released

Just in time for Christmas, the kings of cool at Pantofola d’Oro have dropped the gift you didn’t know you needed (until now) on the market with their brand new Pantofola d’Oro Superleggera. This is a boot which has the potential to be a real game changer for the Ascoli based independent. For those in the know, Pantofola d’Oro have a reputation for crafting stellar football boots, the old fashioned way, by hand.

That isn’t something which has changed with the Superleggera, they’re still made the proper way by skilled Italian cobblers. However, unlike other Pantofola d’Oro models like the flagship Lazzarini, the Superleggera has a different party piece. If like me, you’re a calm and cunning linguist; you’ll know that the Superleggera’s party piece is right in its name, superleggera is Italian for superlight. Weighing in at 180 grams (or 6.34oz) that’s exactly what this boot is, as it weighs in at ever so slightly more than half of the Lazzarini’s 340 grams (or 12oz).

“So what? Big deal.” I hear you muttering. You’re right it is a big deal, a handmade K-leather boot done in the classic styling joining the ‘speed boot’ category is definitely a big deal. It’s a move which will expose Pantofola d’Oro to a whole segment of boot buyers who would never have considered it before, citing the brands offerings as too heavy, no matter how sublimely built they were. And a new generation of players experiencing artisanal bootmaking is a great thing, especially in a day and age of knits and synthetics ruling the roost.

So how you might be asking did Pantofola d’Oro get the Superleggera down to the rakish weight of 180 grams? The answer lies in the ingredients, as everyone knows (or should know) Pantofola d’Oro uses only the finest of leathers for the vast majority of their boots and the Superleggera is no different as a supple K-Leather upper features, including a slimmed down tongue (which for my money is where the weight saving is in the leather portion of the boot, as Pantofola d’Oro have historically chosen thicker and more padded tongues). That upper is teamed with a lightweight pebax soleplate for further weight reduction when compared to the brands historical rubberized soleplates.

And the coolest part of these changes? Pantofola d’Oro have sourced all of the ingredients from within a 30 minute drive of the Ascoli headquarters, which means when you buy a pair of Superleggera’s you are buying arguably the most hyper local boot currently on the market, as well as one of the lightest leather boots available.

The Pantofola d’Oro Superleggera has all the ingredients to be a modern classic in the boot world, from the name recognition to the build materials, right down to the stitching across the forefoot which reminds me of the stitching Lionel Messi used to have on his boots before he was shoehorned out of leather boots and into synthetics. If there’s something in a boot which reminds you of the best player in the world at the current moment, it shows that a brand is definitely onto something really good.

If you are looking to get your hands on the Superleggera (and there’s literally no reason you shouldn’t be, I mean look at them they’re frigging gorgeous) you’ll find them in the U.S. exclusively through Niky’s Sports where they retail at $230.