RetroStar Classic – Boot Review

A few weeks ago, I was sent the Retro Star Classic to provide you guys with a performance review as to how this stunning pair of football boots performed. For a detailed look at the brand and the history have a look at Andrew’s article “The RetroStar Classic in Cognac”

I have had the privilege recently to have worn quite a few different handmade brands and the Retro Star Classic also falls into that category, as they are handmade exclusively in Italy using a high quality calf leather.

The Retro Star Classic definitely has the looks, but how does it measure up performance wise?

Initial reaction

The Retro Star Classic is available in three beautiful colours, you have the choice between black, brown and the cream colour in which I received.

I personally love all three colours and the styling of these boots, I’m a traditionalist and the old school look of the Retro Star Classic is right up my street. I would go as far as to say that aesthetically these are the best looking boots I have seen. I have never seen a pair of boots that I have worn attract so much attention and divide people’s opinion, the styling won’t be for everyone as I found most people either love or hate the looks (mostly love).

Break in, fit and comfort

The fit of the Retro Star Classic is quite long, very similar to the Copa Mundial, I have always gone down a full size in the Copa, on the site when ordering the size it has a comparison table to help you choose what size to order.

These require some break in time, the first couple of times that I have worn these I wasn’t overly impressed with the fit or the comfort, they were by no means uncomfortable though and after a couple of hours they improve and offer a nice comfortable fit, but I wouldn’t say they are on par with other hand made brands like Ryal and Cinquestelle, which I have to compare them too as they are all hand made in Italy and are a similar price. I would say these are very similar in terms of fit and comfort to the Cops Mundial and even the rigid soleplate is similar.

Traction

The Retro Star Classic uses a classic 12 moulded stud soleplate which is a little stiff and rigid to start with. I have used these on natural grass and artificial grass and the traction is good on both surfaces. This is the most common stud pattern used and is very consistent, so there was no surprises and these performed well.

Touch and striking

Touch is the area where I expected the Retro Star Classic to really excel but I was left slightly disappointed if I am honest, I think the shape of the boots have a very rigid feel about them. I don’t want to be overly critical because the touch is not bad in the slightest just not at the level I was expecting. I hold hand made boots to a higher standard than the mass made boots available, so I would compare the touch to boots like the Nike Tiempo Legend which as you know is not a bad thing.

Striking the ball is what you would expect from a pair of leather boots, certainly no gimmicks on these, I enjoy the natural feel of striking the ball with leather and these performed how I expected them too.

Durability and Maintenance

There have been no durability problems during my time testing the Retro Star Classic and these are a solid pair of football boots. The leather used is of a decent quality and will need regular maintenance, and with a pair of boots that look this good, you will definitely want to keep them looking fresh.

Would I buy them?

This really is a difficult question for me to answer and the reason being is that they are a solid, decent pair of boots that certainly won’t let you down and they look amazing, but ultimately they are not on the same level of other hand made brands that I have worn. I would like to reiterate that the handmade category in which I place these boots really are the cream of the crop, the Retro Star Classic are still a very good pair of boots, every bit as good as if not better than boots like the Nike Tiempo Legend and Adidas adiPure.

This is a brand new company and if you take in to account that this is Retro Stars first pair of boots then they should be commended. The styling is to be admired and the boots are a very good pair of boots.

So, would I buy them? Unfortunately I feel the Retro Star Classic is nearly a great boot, they are a very decent performer and a good boot that looks great, but I don’t feel that decent is good enough with the other options available in this category. The leather quality, comfort and touch are not to the same standard as their rivals but…..If you are all about looks and style these will be perfect for you and the performance certainly will not let you down.

Anyone interested in a pair, head to Retro-Star.com.