Ryal Italia – Boot Review

Ryal make some of the highest quality and best looking football boots on the market If you like the old school look that is which I personally love, all of Ryal’s boots are handmade in Italy by highly skilled craftsmen and they also use the finest materials available.

I have previously had the pleasure of testing the Ryal Europa and was blown away with the results, I have been testing the Ryal Italia for the past month and like the Europa these have a full Kangaroo leather upper and just ooze class, but can they match the performance?

First Impressions

Ryal really know how to create a classy looking pair of football boots and the Italia have a simplistic beauty to them. The Blackout look with a little detailing like the Italian colours at the heel and silver stitching on the tongue make for a stunning look. If the Blackout look is not your thing I swapped the laces for a pair of orange ones to see how they would look and in my opinion they also look fantastic. (Let me know what you think in the comments below)

The Kangaroo leather used on the Italia is very high quality and has plenty of cushion and the suede heel lining and suede used on the inner tongue make for a very luxurious look and feel.

So it’s fair to say Ryal have definitely impressed me with the looks and build quality of the Italia so read on and see how they performed.

Fit, Break In and Comfort

The Ryal Italia fits true to size and have a nice snug fit from out the box and can accommodate all foot types as the laces lie deep allowing for a custom fit.

Breaking the boots in was comfortable but it needed a couple of training sessions for the soleplate and stitching to loosen off to allow the boots to move with your feet, I wasn’t overly impressed at first and felt the Italia was quite bulky and clumsy but once they are broken in it is another story and they feel fantastic.

Comfort is one of the areas where the Italia really stands out, the premium materials and outstanding build quality along with the excellent fit make for one of the most comfortable boots that I have ever worn.

Touch and Striking

High quality Kangaroo leather and well placed stitching ensures that the Italia offers a sublime touch on the ball, the instep in particular is very soft and the stitching has made little strips of cushioned leather that assist with your control and first touch.

The forefoot isn’t as soft as the instep due to the stitching being closer together and I found this helped with shot power and protection, Ryal have been very clever with the use of stitching to make the boots perform at their best.

Traction

The Ryal Italia utilizes a very standard 12 moulded conical stud configuration which performs very well on most surface types. The soleplate feels slightly stiff to start with but after a couple of training sessions you can bend the boots in half, this goes to show how flexible the boots are.

I have used these on artificial grass, firm grass and damp grass and they were a consistent performer on all surfaces.

Durability and Maintenance

The moment you hold a pair of Ryal boots you appreciate just how well put together and solid they are, the soleplate is entirely stitched to the upper, there is double stitching that covers the whole boot and the use of high quality materials mean that you will not find a more durable pair of football boots if they are cared for properly.

Like with any leather boots care and attention is required if you want to keep them performing at their best and also if you want them to last, regular cleaning, drying and leather cream application is required.

Would I buy them?

With out a doubt I would buy the Ryal Italia, if you are a fan of heritage boots like the Copa Mundial then these are right up your street. The only negative point I would say is that they can feel slightly bulky compared to some modern releases, but the comfort, styling, touch on the ball and build quality really are of the highest order and I will happily recommended the Ryal Italia.

These boots are available to purchase via Ryal.nl.

Please leave any questions or comments you have about the Ryal Italia below!