Rainy Day Monster

When the original Acros Pro released, it was an interesting boot and had a lot of ideas that were ultimately let down by the execution of the boot. The upper was far too slick, meaning that in anything but perfect conditions it was difficult to control the ball. ASICS upgraded the boot with the Acros Pro 2 and introduced a softer, mesh-based upper. The Acros Pro 3 has further improved upon the first two by keeping the mesh-based upper but adding some more texturing to it and making the upper overall more robust. This robustness, as well as the overall build of the boot has made a boot that is perfect for some of the worst conditions.

Fit and Feel

Pulling the boots out of the box for the first time, it is immediately noticeable that there is a lot of tech packed into the boots. From the headline and instantly visible Acros Fit that is designed for lockdown, to the way the soleplate curves upwards towards the front of the boot, it is obvious that ASICS is done a lot of work on these boots.

The only downside of the whole experience is that the upper is stiffer than most people would want out of the box, but thankfully it only takes a few sessions for the upper to soften up to a more reasonable level. And a positive about the upper is that there is a slight friction to it when running fingers across the upper. The upper is also decently thin – it is not the thinnest upper on the market, but considering the layered look and design, it is not thick in the slightest.

That layered look also gives us a look into ASICS’ thinking when it came to the overall design of the upper. The mesh base is still carried over from the Acros Pro 2, but it obvious that ASICS wanted to add a bit more structure to the upper without making it overly thick. The solution was to add a slightly tougher and stiffer material to the top layer. As mentioned earlier, this does make the upper more stiff out of the box than the previous iteration but on the flip side, the upper feels more durable without having overly thicken up the upper of the boot overall.

What this means is that as a package, the ASICS DS Light Acros Pro 3 feels pretty indestructible. This does not mean the boot will last forever, but the upper is more abrasion resistant than a lot of other boots I have come across (Ha) in the market. This could possibly be one of the reasons why there has been a decent uptake of the boot among ASICS’ sponsored players, like Takehiro Tomiyasu at Arsenal. It feels like the boot demands to be treated roughly because it can take the beating. It also needs to be noted that the upper is also fairly easy to clean, especially when compared to other synthetic boots currently on the market.

Adding to the durability is the rivets found on the soleplate that attaches the soleplate to the upper. In an age where this has almost disappeared completely from most boots, it is nice to a see a brand still prefer to rivet their boots rather than just relying on the glue to keep the boot together. This is doubly so since so many people play a lot of matches on artificial ground and given how AG destroys boots so quickly, any additions to help make boots more durable is welcome.

Something that is quite interesting about the Acros Pro 3 is that even though the design is still centered around the Acros Fit, which is designed to help provide more lockdown, it is not as noticeable as one might expect. This is not to say the lockdown is not good – it is really good, in fact – but rather to say it is not overly obvious that the tech is working. The foot feels locked into the boot and there is no noticeable shifting for the most part. It is better than your average synthetic boot but the lockdown is not as strong as it is in some other boots on the market.

Of course, it would not be an ASICS boot with having the additional lace hole for a runner’s knot. It is such a small thing, and a lot of people will not use it, but for people like me who do use it, having that extra lace hole makes a huge difference. In fact, it is such a simple addition that it is almost mind-boggling that it is not something that a lot of other brands do.

The overall fit of the boot is very good. As anyone who has had experience with ASICS boots will know, ASICS are almost the fit kings at this point. There are no weird bugles or anything. Nothing to surprise you when wearing the boot. Just a great fit with a deep central lacing system that provides a lot of adjustability. This of course means that the boots can fit a majority of foot shapes with ease. Something that a lot of ASICS boots in their lineup are adept at. And of course, just like other ASICS boots, the heel is excellent. Which is par for the course for ASICS boots at this point.

Normally with ASICS boots I wear half a size down, even in the synthetic leather special edition models. However, in the Acros model boots true to size fits me better as the upper seems to fit tighter overall and there is no stretch to the uppers. So, go true to size.

Touch

As mentioned earlier, the upper is not as soft out of the box but as also said earlier, it softens up fairly quickly. The newer top layer of the upper provides a nice touch on the ball and for the most part is somewhat standard feeling for a synthetic top layer with a mesh backing. What is surprising though is how the upper performs when the weather gets worse. It is not super grippy like one would experience in other boots, but it performs far better than one would expect. In fact, the upper almost feels like the touch is better is worse conditions and one could be forgiven for the thinking there is some special coating on the synthetic itself. But no, instead the material itself provides the grip on the ball and it is even quite easy to add some extra spin on the ball when wanted.

Since the upper is also thinner than it looks, this means the touch on the ball is pretty direct and there is not a lot of material between the foot and the ball. It is not barefoot feeling or anything like that but at the same time it surprising how thin the upper feels when touching the ball. The fact that the forefoot is mostly consistent feeling means that dribbling also offers that thin feeling without anything really getting in the way of the foot’s contact with the ball.

The only thing that does take a bit of getting used to is the way the soleplate and the upper curve up towards the toes. This helps ease the foot into a running motion easier and helps reduce muscle fatigue and strain on the joints, similar to a running shoe. However, the is does mean that touch towards the toe can feel a bit awkward during the first few sessions in the boots. But you do get used to it fairly quickly.

Passing and Shooting

This is another aspect where the upper performance is better than the looks would suggest. The thinness of the upper on the Acros Pro 3 means that there is a slight pingy sensation when hitting the ball with a lot of power. At the same time, the upper is also malleable enough to help you execute crosses and the like without difficulty.

Again, in wet and muddy conditions the upper excels at providing that little bit of extra grip that players want. This grippiness seems to be due to the fact the upper is fairly repellent to water overall. What I mean is that the upper is great at quickly dispersing water from the top layers where the upper makes contact with the ball.

This is not to say that the boots are waterproof or fully water resistant. It does feel as if the upper has a somewhat of a water repellent on it. Again, if you go through a puddle or play a long time in the rain your feet will get wet. But the upper still performs really well.

Grip

I have written about this soleplate on several occasions now and everytime I return to a boot in ASICS’ Pro model line up I am reminded why I love this soleplate so much. It looks somewhat basic and low performance but is in reality a strong performer in a lot of areas.

The grip is excellent on multiple surfaces, hard ground, firm ground, artificial ground and even some slightly softer ground the performance of the studs are great. At the same time, there is still plenty of pivot power and allows you to turn and twist without really feeling stuck on the ground, even on AG. On AG there is no drag when running and a lot of the performance characteristics come down to the clever design of the studs themselves. They are round but have these little cut outs and that help provide aggressiveness and extra traction.

Adding to this is the fact that the soleplate on the Pro models has pretty good snapback. It is not as snappy as some of the more hardcore speedboots on the market, but it more than holds its own, keeping up with and even surpassing the bigger brands in some cases.

Versus the DS Light Acros 3

So I personally prefer the fit of the Pro models over that of the regular X Fly models, ad the same goes here. The Acros 3 (non pro) has an external heel counter and a less aggressive soleplate overall, which some people might prefer. Aside from the fit of the Pro, I also like having more snapback, and I just always seem to play well in the Pro models. Lastly, ASICS fix your naming system, it’s way over the top.

Conclusion

The ASCIS Acros Pro 3 is a boot that performs above expectations, especially when conditions get worse. Through clever design choices, ASICS have created a boot that feels pretty indestructible, while still providing a great touch on the ball and aggressive traction. It is a boot that seems to constantly ask you to use it in the worst conditions and revels in it.

I did not go into this review expect to give so much praise to the Acros Pro 3 but it is a credit to the work have been putting into their boots over the past few years. Perhaps the greatest compliment I can give the boot is that I want to keep one in my collection for those rainy, snowy or muddy days. The ASICS DS Light Acros Pro 3 is a boot for those when want to play hard and aggressive without worrying about their boots and it feels like a boot that people should have in their rotation.

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