Diadora Brasil Classic – Boot Review

Finally readily available in North America, the Diadora Brasil Classic is designed to be a top competitor to the Adidas Copa Mundial.  Just by looking at them, you can tell that they are a heritage boot. They have the good old conical stud pattern and the long tongue. And considering they have four Italian flags on them, they are designed to brag about Diadora’s roots.

As with all competitors to the Adidas’ flagship heritage boot, there are high standards that need to be met if they want to be taken seriously.

You can find the Diadora Brasil Classic at SoccerSavings.

Initial Reaction

I really feel the leather will be the selling point of these. It’s thick and you can tell it is quality. I find the colorway to be quite appealing, a simple black and brown mix lets the Italian color stand out. A few things that I am skeptical about are the heel liner and tacky synthetic instep. The liner seems to be a low quality mesh and the synthetic might take away from the calf leather touch. On a side note, I have no idea where the Brasil part in the name came from and would definitely want to find out.

Comfort and Fit

In terms of comfort straight out of the box, these were nice and soft. They feel like they have already been broken in because the sole is super flexible and the leather is padded. Unfortunately, there are some sizing issues that come with these. I went with my original size 12 on these and definitely did not get the fit I was hoping for. I would definitely recommend trying these on in a local store before purchasing, because they fit around a whole size too big! In other words, to get a proper fit, I would recommend ordering a whole size down (ex: if you wear a size 10, order a size 9). If you order the right size, these will give a fit that once fully broken in, they should hug your foot. The stitching on these runs across the boot, with no stitching running from the toe towards the laces. This allows them to stretch to the length of your foot while not over stretching width wise. In the end, you get the same comfort that is expected from the kangaroo leather mundial.  The flexible sole and padded lining come together to make for a very comfortable boot.

Similar to the Copa Mundial and the Diadora Maracana, the laces are quite long.  You can wrap them around your midfoot and tie them normally while still having a bit extra left. One technique I found useful is wrapping the laces around the back stud and back up the same side. It allowed me to tie them a bit tighter and higher up, which locked in my foot slightly better.

Performance

Although the comfort level of these were above par, the performance was not as pleasing. Simply put, I felt that these were a bit too bulky for my taste. Although I know that they are “heritage boots”, there was just too much stuff on there that should have been left off/replaced. On the instep, it seems as if the outer layer is a shell, it is very stiff but the liner is a bulky mesh. It is very padded but you just aren’t close to the ball. If you like having that extra cushion then they are a good option but I just felt like the extra padding was unnecessary and just got in the way. The leather towards the front of the boot was quite enjoyable, it was thick (in a good way) and the extra padding gave me a better feel on the ball.

The Brasil Classic also is different from a lot of other boots when running at high speeds. For me, my heel slipped the whole time I was running because there was so much extra space in that area. Although I found the mesh lining to be comfortable, they are quite ineffective in terms of performance. They don’t offer any abrasiveness and my foot would often slide around in them. They also take in a lot of water in rainy situations. Also, the sole plate is quite flexible and although it makes it more comfortable, I didn’t get the same bouncy responsive feel that I like. Protection wise, there is nothing to worry about- you will hardly feel the hard tackles through the thick leather and padding.

WARNING: Do not wear these on turf! On natural grass, I thought the 12 conical studs performed well. There isn’t anything that special that stands out until you wear them on turf. These will catch on the turf whenever you try to pass the ball because the studs are just a bit too long. Unfortunately, the studs simply don’t dig in well when you need them to.

Durability:  Here is where the extra bulkiness really comes into play. The added features make for a solid boot that won’t falter under any condition. I wore them in wet conditions, turf, and even in frosted grass and they held up very well.

You can find the Diadora Brasil Classic at SoccerSavings.

Would I buy these?

Although this may sound harsh, I feel that Diadora have some things they can improve on this boot. They are trying to stick to the heritage fit and feel but they need to address issues such as the sizing and bulky feel. With that said, I did enjoy the thick leather and how durable they were. They were definitely comfortable and are a decent all around boot. However, the category these are in has some stiff competition. The adidas Copa Mundial and newcomer Nike Premier are both options that many would look to first. Even Diadora’s own Maracana is stiff competition. I personally would look to those three boots before considering the Brasil Classic and that is why I am leaning towards the No side.

Would you consider buying the Diadora Brassil Classic? Let us know in the comments below!