The following review is written by @properbootz (Hunter Sellen), thank you for your review and input. – Andrew

Hello wonderful readers of Lockhart Boot Blog,

My name is Hunter Sellen and you could potentially recognize the account(s) I run under “ProperBootz”. Andrew has been kind enough to reach out to me and ask that I share my thoughts on a pair of boots I’ve had the recent privilege to own/review: the Lanzera Professionale!

Lanzera is a company synonymous with the rise and dominance of the Italian Seria A in the 1990’s. The brand was founded by the 4 Milone Brothers in 1992 and their logo known as the “flying four” is symbolic of the 4 brothers. The name “Lanzera” is an “Italianized” extension of the word Lancers, the nickname of the high school team in Livingston where the Milone brothers grew up and where they started their soccer careers. Though the brand and boots grew to popularity in Italy and beyond, the relevancy would end up “fizzling out” for a lack of better term.

However, in 2023 the brand rose from the ashes with the release of a brand new boot, the “Professionale” as well as an indoor “Jackal” model and some apparel features as well. This sparked my interest in the brand and reignited the interest of some true boot heads across the globe.

Over a period of time, there was next to no content on these boots which sparked discussion amongst myself and fellow “boot nerds” that gave me the idea to reach out to the brand. Upon reaching out to them I asked if they would be interested in sending the boots to reviewers so that people like myself could have any idea on the performance characteristics of the boots. Much to my surprise, after some discussion, the wonderful people at Lanzera decided that they wanted to give me the opportunity to be the first person to review the Professionale, an opportunity I truly could not turn down.

The Professionale is handcrafted in a factory in Brescia,Italy where the brand’s aim was to blend the “classic boot” aesthetic with modern touches to make a boot that could perform to the standards of the modern game but give off that retro aura simultaneously.

In my time wearing the Professionale, I believe the brand has truly hit that mark and I’m excited to share the features of the boot with you all.

Presentation

I’d be doing the perspective buyer a HUGE disservice by not mentioning the absolutely out of this world presentation and unboxing experience coupled with the Laznera Professionale. Each pair of Professionales come with a wooden, yes, a WOODEN shoe box. The box is etched with the company branding and is numbered with your pair of boots #/1000. This is a pretty cool feature as I hadn’t realized the boots were considered a special or “limited” edition pair. I received #460/1000 as you can see in the photos attached.

The paper is a nice tan color with golden Laznera branding across which continues to elevate the unboxing experience. Nestled beneath the golden touched paper are the boots themselves which are neatly laced and shining. You also receive a solid string bag with Lanzera branding and an extra pair of shorter laces. Lastly, after taking the boots and paper out of the box, you will see a QR code at the bottom of the box which takes you to Lanzera’s website, the video titled “Fatto en Italia” (Made in Italy) which shows the viewer the build process of the boots, very very cool touch.

Fit and Feel

In terms of fit, I’d say that the Professionale will fit most foot types. It has a traditional u-throat tongue that has decent depth for adjustability. Out of the box, I’d say the last is slightly more narrow than that of a Mizuno Morelia II, but due to the deep lacing system, is still very accommodating. Granted that the upper is fully “water repellent full-grain K-Leather” you’d be correct to assume there will be SOME stretching. However, Lanzera thoughtfully added a rubberized logo on the midfoot on both the inside and outside of the boots, which, in the 5-6 sessions and matches I’ve worn them, has greatly helped minimize overstretching and helps with the overall responsiveness of the boots.

The leather itself is thinly padded, and I would compare it to the likes of high quality K-Leather uppers such as that of the Copa Mundial and Umbro Speciali, which is an immense compliment. On the topic of padding, the tongue offers a nice bit of padding near the top of your foot to prevent any lace bite while tying your boots tightly.

Though just a step behind the likes of Mizuno and Adler, the upper is no slouch. Additionally, as advertised, it doesn’t allow for much water retention. The upper wraps the foot incredibly well and doesn’t bunch if you’re correct on sizing, which, to my surprise (given that seemingly all Italian brand boots run ½ size long) fit completely true to size.

Much to my pleasure (am I’m sure yours as well), the Professionale also has a well sculpted heel area. It is lined with micro suede and has done an immense job of helping me feel secure and locked into the boots (even in the horrific and constant Seattle mist). Additionally, this microsuede lines the insole which has a similar effect and helps greatly with lockdown. It’s no ReaLine insert, but it does a good job and offers perforation in the front of the insole, which is a nice touch.

Touch

As mentioned earlier, the upper is lightly padded, providing a balanced feel. It offers just enough cushioning to slightly soften the touch, as you’d expect from a leather boot, while still maintaining a close, controlled connection with the ball. This makes passing and shooting feel nice and connected—your foot doesn’t sting after striking the ball, but you still get a clear, responsive sensation when the ball makes contact with your foot. Something I’d additionally like to note in this section is the fold over tongue on these boots, Lanzera have truly done a GREAT job here. More than ANY fold over tongue boot I’ve played in, these stay put! The craziest part about that is that there is NO velcro. I believe it must be the method in which they stitched the tongue as well as the weight of it, that does a great job of keeping it in place and not flopping around and getting in the way of you making a clean touch on the ball.

Traction

As you can see in the photos attached, the traction is very classic and conical. The studs are of typical length, very similar in length to that of a Morelia or Copa Mundial but have a little less surface space and could class as more “narrow”. This makes the studs a good option for both firm natural surfaces as well as artificial pitches. The soleplate has decent flex in the forefoot and stiffens into the midfoot. This isn’t the most snappy or responsive plate in the world but is not a slouch either- it gets the job done. If I had ONE thing to ask for, that I didn’t know I actually cared about, is just some slight texturing on the bottom of the studs. It just adds a nice underfoot feel when receiving a pass with your studs. Outside of that singular gripe, the traction is as it appears, solid.

Weight

When looking at these boots, you might not immediately think, “I bet those are lightweight.” However, once on your feet, the weight is very evenly distributed, making them feel solid without weighing you down. The boots themselves weigh 8.8 ounces, which is very respectable for this style and lighter than some competitors, such as the Umbro Speciali, Copa Mundial, Diadora Brasil, and Unozero Modelo 1.0.

Of course, if you’re looking for the absolute lightest experience in a traditional leather boot, Mizuno or Adler would be the go-to brands. That said, these boots fit so well that you hardly notice their weight when wearing them, which is a definite bonus.

In summary, the boots feel light and solid on your feet. Additionally, the water-repellent upper ensures they won’t absorb excessive water and begin to weigh significantly more, making them an excellent choice for wet or inclement match days.

Durability

At the time of writing this review, I’ve now worn the boots for two full 90 minute matches and a handful of training sessions, all but one of which were on artificial grass (thanks Seattle). Thus far the boots have held up exceptionally well. The upper is riveted to the sole at both the front (twice) and back (once) , additionally, the upper seems to be very well glued to the sole as absolutely zero separation has occurred.

The only scare I had in terms of durability was when the wearable super shiny finish on the upper began to peel off, this however doesn’t affect the durability or performance of the boots and the upper still does have a good shine to it even after all the wears. With proper care, I believe these boots will last a good amount of time, they are built exceptionally well and have an overall sturdy feel. I truly rate these near something like a (drumroll please) Morelia in terms of build quality, absolutely top marks.

Performance

Though I have touched on it throughout the review briefly, I really wanted to hone in on the in match performance. I typically play on the left wing and consider myself to be a fast paced flair style of player who is often bugging defenders and using sharp cuts and quick bursts of speed to get by. I typically wear my tried and true Mizuno Morelia II’s and I can say with full confidence that from a performance standpoint I did not feel as if I took a step back wearing these.

The depth in the heel paired with the lockdown provided by the addition of the runners loop and suede lining truly made me feel quick and nimble on my feet. The boots also experience little to no roll over on the side due to the upper being reinforced by the rubberized flying four logo on the instep and outside of the boot.The traction is what I prefer from a pair of boots and has worked very well on the artificial surfaces I play on as well. Where some traditional style boots feel sloppy and unresponsive on feet these are amongst the “big players” in terms of responsiveness and performance.

Conclusion

In summation, the Lanzera Professionale really impressed me. A recent experience I had with another “rebirth” boot brand had my expectations low, figuring maybe I’d be receiving a low performing leather boot with a retro logo slapped on it, hoping to make a couple bucks. As soon as I received the boots, saw the presentation, and held them in hand, I knew I was working with something completely different.

These boots are a TRUE competitor and performer in this market and deserve your attention. Though they are priced high ($295 USD at the time of writing), Lanzera has recently had a 20% off sale and I would be on the lookout for future sales as well. Though priced high, I believe they truly offer top performance and something truly different to the “traditional style” boot market.

In a world where kangaroo leather boots are dying off, these do an incredible job of carrying on the torch. It has been a great pleasure to review these boots and I can’t thank the great people over at Lanzera enough for providing me with these as they are my new go-to matchday boots. I’m confident that if you are an admirer of traditional style leather boots that you will be well pleased with these from a performance standpoint!

Finally, a huge thanks to Andrew for allowing me to feature on this amazing blog! This is a beautiful place where people all around the world can come and share common interests in the great world of football boots and become more knowledgeable.

Thanks again to @properbootz for writing this review and input! Please follow him over on Instagram!

What do you think about the Lanzera Professionale? Please share this with your friends and make sure to follow me and Properbootz on Instagram!

Also make sure to check out The Football Boot Hour podcast which I co-host with Boot Wizard Boot Reviews!

じゃあね！