Thanks to Sokito for providing me with a pair of the boots for review

This is (or should be) The Future

Sokito made a small mark on the market when they released the Devista in 2022. While the boot was not revolutionary in terms of its performance, what made it stand out is the fact that Sokito’s mission statement from the beginning so to produce football boots with as low as a carbon footprint and with as much recyclable materials as possible. Now, a lot of brands are supposedly going down the eco-friendly route and trying to make their companies greener and better for the planet.

However, a lot of companies say they are doing stuff to help the environment, but when you dig a bit more you realise they are either lying or will only be environmentally friendly until it hurts their bottom line. Sokito feels different though. They admit where they have used recycled or environmentally conscious materials but also where they need to improve. But all this can only go so far in today’s ridiculously competitive boot market. What they needed was a killer app. A boot that would make a statement that people could not ignore. Enter the Soktio Scudetta.

Fit and Feel

Now, when the first teaser images came out back in at the start of this year with Nigeria captain William Troost-Ekong wearing the boots at the Africa Cup of Nations there was a media blitz everywhere. Later on, Sokito showed off the launch colourway of the Scudetta over the summer and they looked good and seemed like they would be pretty nice. You know, a good review but nothing like a boot of the year contender or something like that. Maybe a Top 5 list or two for the year. That was my feeling until I got the boots in hand.

They are a remarkable thing, the boots. The upper is far softer and more pliable than one would imagine. Like, sure they look soft in video reviews, but they are even softer than that. Some will say they are a similar softness to the 2014 adiZero (which they clearly take inspiration from) but I would argue that the Scudetta are softer and feel more premium. Sokito calls the forefoot the BioTouch vamp. There is this nice somewhat raised material on the forefoot to help with grip. According to the head designer of the Scudetta, Sergio Misor, this takes inspiration from how mountains and other topographical features are represented on survey maps. This, along with the rest of the boot, makes it feel really quality and considering these are much cheaper than other speed boots on the market the Scudetta feels like a really good, if not a relative, bargain.

Now, the boot is snug and has this almost taped around your foot feeling that makes sure that there are no awkward gaps anywhere around the foot. If you want a boot that feels almost sucked onto your feet, the Scudetta is the way to go. We will touch on size in a moment, but first back to the rest of the upper.

The midfoot is stiffer and has a very supportive feeling. On foot it does not feel too flimsy and provides excellent stability throughout use. Yet at the same time, it is still very comfortable and performs really well. It strikes the right balance between performance and comfort while helping provide great lockdown. Having a midfoot like while forefoot being that soft but without making the overall feel strange or out of place on feet is a huge accomplishment for a brand putting out their first speedboot. Bigger brands have failed, and in some cases continue to fail. The fact that the Scudetta fits this well and is this comfortable shows that huge credit needs to go to the team at Sokito.

We obviously also have to talk about the heel. For a lot of brands, this is a huge issue, and many continue to not succeed with heel shape, fit, and comfort. However, Sokito have created a fantastic heel in the Scudetta. It is soft, supportive and fits really well. I would personally go so far as to say that it is one of the best fitting heels outside of the Japanese brands. Which I am a bit surprised myself at how good the heel feels, but it really is that good.

The insole is also impressive and at a time when a few brands (looking at you specifically Nike) seem to see the insole as a way to shave costs, Sokito have made an insole that provides a comfortable ride but does not feel so cushioned that your feel like you are overly sinking into it. There has also been no stud pressure so far, and this can be partially attributed the shape of the studs that allow the boot to properly distribute pressure across the foot.

I also want to give praise to the laces. Sokito says that they are made from 100% post-consumer polyester from recycled bottles and yet they feel really nice. And on the subject of laces, we can also talk about the overall lockdown, which is excellent. A lot of factors come together in the Scudetta to accomplish this. There is of course the tight fit of the upper, the supportive midfoot, the superb heel and the good lacing system that all lead to the Scudetta having the one of the best lockdowns on the market. The thing is, with a few tweaks it could be even better, but that is only if we are being extremely nit picky and during play there are no issues at all. Also, shout out to the extra lacehole at the top of the boot that allows for a runner’s knot. It’s like they know what they are doing or something.

A special mention needs to be made to the box, which very much looks like a takeaway box and is really unique. The nice thing about it is that it is biodegradable and, this is just the former retailer worker in me, is much smaller than other boxes on the market meaning it will fit on warehouse shelves easier, leaving space for more product.

Lastly for this section is the sizing. The Soktio Scudetta fits very tight. Those who know how I like my boots to fit will not be surprised to know that for me true to size is perfect and provides the perfect amount of snugness I want in a boot. However, not everyone likes their boots as tight as me so for most people I would probably recommend going half a size up from your normal size.

Touch

Ok so obviously with such a soft upper, one would expect the touch on the ball in the Soktio Scudetta to be superb. And it is. There is this ever so slight plushness and yet at the same time the upper is still incredibly thin. It could be called sensational, and it still provides an almost barefoot like feel on the ball. Again, the tight fit of the boot means that you feel far more connected to the ball than you might in other boots on the market, even outside of speed boots.

The slightly raised texturing on the upper is not super grippy in any way, but is just noticeable enough to be very appreciated, especially in wet conditions. It provides this reassuring feeling to the touch on the ball that could be argued enhances the touch in a way that would only be noticeable if the upper did not have the texturing. It is an inspired decision that I am very much approve of.

Something that also deserves a lot of praise is that the massive (and very suitable styling for the Scudetta) Sokito logo actually has some grip on it, so you do not feel like the ball is getting away from you. Why any company would decide not to have a grippy logo is beyond comprehension. The texturing on the logo is not overly complicated and has a very consistent feeling which means that there are no surprises every time you go to dribble the ball with the outside of your foot.

Passing and Shooting

The Scudetta seems to be excellent at pretty much everything. While there is still that super soft upper that has a slight plushness to it, you still get a nice pingy sensation that a lot of speed boot lovers know and enjoy. The softer BioTouch Vamp extends pretty far into the inside midfoot which means that even shorter, simple passes benefit from its excellence.

Longer passes and driven balls are also very enjoyable to perform. For me personally I find that it is easy to both drive and swerve the ball with equal ease. Again, the fit helps with this because the Scudetta fits so close to the foot that is almost like a second skin sensation at times. Interestingly, knuckling the ball is also able to be done with relative ease.

Basically, the boot allows for you to do whatever you want to do on the ball without getting in your way. While it is nice at times to have a boot that has extra bits and pieces to provide a different feel on the ball but there are other times when I prefer something that is an excellent performer without constantly trying to make me notice all its extra tech.

Shooting is also fantastic in the Scudetta. Regular readers of the blog will know that I appreciate when the soleplate helps enhance the shooting experience by helping the foot anchor to the ground properly when shooting. And the Scudetta does well in this instance too. The upper is top notch when it comes to the feeling of shooting the ball and again, it quietly goes about its business while it lets you get to work. And once again we also must reference the excellent fit that allows for top performance without feeling strange or bulging in bizarre places.

Grip

As one would imagine, the awesome design of the soleplate provides plenty of straightforward grip. However, the shape of the studs themselves also allow for lots of quick, agile turns without feeling stuck in the ground. Multi-directional grip often gets ignored in some speed boots, but this is not the case with the Sokito Scudetta. The boots are really light on feet (and they are light overall) but more than just that they also feel great when weaving through opponents or making sharp changes in direction.

This aggressive layout does come at a price for some people. While I personally have had no issues on artificial grass, I cannot say the same for everyone and would probably recommend that the Scudetta only be worn on firm or softer ground. Some harder ground is fine as well and I have had no issues with the durability of the boot or the studs. It is possible that Sokito are working on an AG soleplate, but I do not have any information to confirm or deny this.

The spring back is also really good, and this comes down to a reinforced insole board at the forefoot of the boot. On feet the Scudetta feels springy and does help propel you into forward movement. The only issue is there is a slight weak point towards the rear studs where the soleplate can flex with a lot of pressure and hopefully this gets improved over time. Again, it is not noticeable on feet, but it is still there.

However, this should distract from the fact that the soleplate performs really well and better than one might expect just by looking at it. I would put it above most speedboots on the market but against the very top, we will have to explore that later. Still, great soleplate.

Another Thing

The Scudetta is boot the raises lots of questions just by its very existence. Questions like, why aren’t more brands doing something similar? Why aren’t more brands making sustainability the core part of their business like Sokito does? How is Sokito able to make such excellent and high-quality products that costs less than its rivals? How as consumers and collectors should we be approaching the current marketplace? Why aren’t we demanding better from the bigger brands? A lot of these questions do not have satisfying answers.

Maybe this is over the top, but in a similar way that we look back at the 2010 release of the adidas adiZero boots, I think in future we could look back on the Sokito Scudetta in a somewhat similar way. What I mean by this is that Sokito has shown a path forward not just for itself but for every brand. And any brand that does not immediately make sustainability a core part of its business will (hopefully) begin to be left behind. As is often noted, there is no planet B.

Some people will probably point out that I am also an accomplice in the current system that we find ourselves in. And they’re not wrong. I am just as guilty as getting overhyped about new boots as anybody else and the tendency to overbuy product is very easy. In a sense, we are all culpable of the current system that is in in place and the way it works means that even when we critique it, it subsumes that critique. To put it more simply, I review boots and talk about them because I enjoy it, and people come to my blog to read reviews and the like.

If I were to only talk about the market and not participate in it then it would partly make my blog more boring, and people could not see my thoughts on the product themselves, which means more people would go elsewhere for information. Therefore, we are this point pushing for change but not able to fully reckon with it.

And it is enjoyable to buy and talk about boots. It is a huge passion of mine. So, because of that, anytime I complain about the market it only goes far because I (and by extension everyone else) have to participate in said market. The flip side of all of this is that I can at least help people make informed decisions, and customer knowledge can be the bane of the biggest companies. There is also the conscious decision on my part to push for people to look at brands outside the mainstream, like Sokito.

At the same time, I also need to stress that the Scudetta is “just like any other boot” when talking about the boots. Which is to reassure people that they are not weird in any way. I also want people to understand that it is not just like any other boot, it is beyond that. It is a statement not just of intent, but of what can be done when people who are very passionate about boots put their heads together to create something special.

The Sokito Scudetta is very special. It is not “just like any other boot” because in a lot of ways it is better. The fact that Sokito is (rightly) proud of their work but also (again, rightly) not satisfied with what they have accomplished so far means that they understand that they – and by extension, us, and the market as a whole – can, will, and must do more really speaks to their mission. In a similar way to how I feel about Adler and their ideas of how boots and the market can be changed, Sokito also brings these feelings that they are ones to continue watching in future.

Lastly, people who follow me on Instagram will know that I have been clearing out a lot of boots. And while this is partially down to me needing to raise money for future reviews, it is also because the Scudetta has made me rethink my collection. For some boots it comes down to whether or not they will get worn enough. But surprisingly, for others I began to think that if I enjoy the Scudetta so much, then there is no reason to keep some of the other boots.

Conclusion

Sokito have made a massive statement with the Scudetta. It is a boot that sets a marker for what we should expect from boot companies. Sure, the boot is not 100% renewable, and they are working on that. But they are more honest and clearer about what they are doing versus what any other brand is doing when it comes to being environmentally friendly. And while that is excellent in it of itself, the Scudetta is a fantastic boot that has an excellent fit and awesome performance.

But even that is not the end of it. The boots are far cheaper than their competitors and is even not too too much more expensive than other companies’ mid-range models. And even on top of that, Sokito will take your old boots as a 20 EURO credit towards a pair of theirs and it can be any brand and any model.

Finally, Sokito is in the midst of working on a boot recycling service. Sokito is a brand that doesn’t just talk green but does green actions. And if the Scudetta is any indication, they will continue to make high performance models that will compete at the very top. Maybe the greatest thing I can personally say while Soktio did provide me with the boots, I will absolutely be buying at least another pair. Darkhouse pick for boot of the year.

What do you think of the Sokito Scudetta? Please share this with your friends and make sure to follow me on Instagram and Facebook!

Also, please check out the BootWizard and I’s podcast, The Football Boot Hour.

じゃあね！