Game-changer

TLSS is chain of retail stores in China that sells sporting goods and have been growing for some time now. They now have around 50 stores now in China, and in the past few years have decided to make their own football boots along with selling other brand’s products. They seem to have put in a lot of research and thought into their footwear designs as well as the tech included in the boots. TLSS are currently preparing to launch the boots globally and have already started sponsoring players in Japan, as well as China, naturally. Besides the tech, what also sets TLSS apart from other brands is that the boots are seemingly elite level boots for the price of pro level models. One of the headliner boots in their lineup is the TLSS Tactician Goat, which is a full kangaroo leather model that has the potential to shake up the market as we know it.

Fit and Feel

One of the more impressive things about the TLSS Tactician Goat is the quality of the leather upper, which is really nice for a boot that retails for close to 160 USD. It is not quite on the level of even non-Made in Japan Mizuno and ASICS boots, but it is much nicer than other boots around its price point like the Gloro or the Premier, or even the recently discontinued leather upper 442 Pro. The leather is fairly soft from out of the box and feels like it has been properly conditioned to break in quickly.

Even aside from the nicer leather, there are several things that propel the Tactician to be an Elite level model. First, there is the presentation. The Tactician has a draw style box and has a number of tags attached to the boots showing the different tech that has been included in the boots like the Tempur tech in the upper, and the KaRVO insole. The boots also come with a decent quality string bag as well.

But even just in hand it is obvious that TLSS has put a lot of care into designing the boots. As mentioned earlier, the leather is nice and plush. It is thicker than some other leather boots on the market, but not overly so. There is a rubber anti-abrasion coating around the toebox which ensures that the leather has more protection and durability. The insole feels high-quality and seemingly has just the right amount of cushioning. TLSS’ T-Flash Foam is found integrated into the midsole on the heel and provides extra cushioning and protection for the wearer’s heel. The KaRVO is well, KaRVO. It’s great. The leather does take a bit longer than other boots to break in, but it is not something people will have issues with.

The soleplate feels premium, although I personally could do without the chrome finish on the bottom as that wears away after a while, and the money could have been spent elsewhere, like the laces, which are terrible and seem like they have been taken from a Mizuno boot from circa fifteen years ago.

On feet for the first time, the fit of the Tactician is fairly neutral in shape, and at first, I felt this was somewhat of a mistake. However, it makes sense when I think about how the brand is probably trying to be able to fit as many different foot shapes as possible. This seems to be the case as the deep, central lacing system allows for a lot of adjustability to the point that the boots can probably fit just about everyone. The only drawback of this design decision is that the heel also is a bit overly neutral for my liking, and I think that the Tactician would be better served if the heel fit was a bit tighter.

This does not mean that the heel is uncomfortable, as it has a good amount of padding, and is lined is this very soft, suede like material. TLSS also smartly included an extra lacehole to allow for the ability to do a runner’s knot. Doing the runner’s knot and wearing even slightly grippy socks has meant the heel lockdown is pretty good. I can still somewhat tell when doing hard cuts that the heels are a bit too wide, but to be fair, I do have to go looking for the problem to even notice it. I also want to heap praise on the fact that the boots are very comfortable, and that excellent insole combined with the T-Flash Foam means there is no heel pressure to be found. In fact, the boots overall provide a very comfortable ride, even on harder surfaces.

For sizing, I went with my true to size fit and while there is just the very tiniest amount of space, I do not think I could get away with going a half size down. So, my recommendation is to go true to size.

On the Ball

Obviously, one of the most noticeable things about the Tactician when manipulating the ball is the grip area on the midfoot. It is very grippy and does take some getting used to, like other boots on the market that have grippy parts on their uppers. The grip area does have a fairly tactile feel on the ball and is actually thinner than it looks because the leather is fairly thin in this area.

The rest of the upper has this nice cushioned, but not overly so, feel on the ball. There is just enough thickness on the upper to take the sting out of the ball while at the same time still being thin enough to feel fairly close to the ball. The upper of the Tactician feels slightly more classic than other modern leather boots on the market but the upper is still thinner than many of the more classically styled leather boots available. Again, the touch on the ball is very good, and strikes a good balance between thinness and padding.

Dribbling is a fairly straightforward affair in the boots. The consistent shape of the forefoot means there are no surprises, unless you like to dribble with your midfoot. Then it takes getting used to. Also, praise should also go to the stud layout, which feels great to roll the ball around with. If I am to be super critical, I would prefer it if there was some texturing on the bottom of the studs, but still, it’s good.

When it comes to hitting the ball with more power, the Tactician responds well, and there is a nice, solid feeling when hitting the ball. Again, there is just enough cushion for the sting to be taken out of the ball but at the same time, there is still plenty of feedback. It’s good, but nothing to fully separate it from other modern leather boots on the market, in spite of the Tempur cushioning in the forefoot. I do appreciate the soleplate design here as it helps with anchoring the foot to the ground when hitting to ball and I have not felt any awkwardness underfoot when doing so.

Grip

While the soleplate design seems fairly standard, there is actually a good amount of grip to be found with the Tactician, and as mentioned previously, it is a comfortable ride. There is an MG plate option for people who are worried about the stud length, but I had no issues on either firm or hard ground, though I did not get a chance to use these on AG, sadly. I have also heard that there have been some durability issues with the MG plate, but there have been issues on the FG model to speak of.

The soleplate does not feel overly grippy. It has a nice balance, and the KaRVO provides a good amount of snapback without being over the top. I personally would have liked the midfoot shank to be stronger, but in action have not really noticed it all that much. It is just a nice, well thought out design and it compliments the boot well. And while I do not normally talk about the weight of a boot as most boots are fairly lightweight these days, the Paperfly material used on the soleplate makes it feel much lighter than it looks at first glance.

Overall, a really good soleplate that is another part of the boot that feels more premium than its price point would suggest. I really like what TLSS has done here.

Conclusion

And that is what can be said about the TLSS Tactician Goat as a whole. It is a well thought out boot that has lots of little touches that make it feel like they are excellent value for money. The KaRVO, the T-Flash Foam, the fit, the comfort, and the performance are all things that make the boots feel truly elite. Again, if TLSS can get international pricing right, then they could very well shake up the international market and give far bigger companies something to think about. Well done, TLSS.

What do you think of the TLSS Tactician Goat? Please share this with your friends and make sure to follow me on Instagram!

Also, please check out the podcast I do with Boot Wizard, the Football Boot Hour!

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