Immediate Boot of The Year Contender

Thanks to Sokito for providing the boots.

A running change is when a brand updates a model without releasing an entirely new one. We have seen many brands take this approach before, like Nike with the Hypervenom to the Hypervenom 2.5. Many brands will also make changes to their boots in less subtle ways without making a big deal about it. Sokito is certainly no stranger to this, with the original Scudetta receiving an early-life update to make the midsole stiffer and the soleplate more responsive.

In line with their publicly shifting focus towards the Japanese Kaizen philosophy (see the Sokito Scudetta Kaizen Review), Sokito has again delivered an update to one of their boots, this time the Scudetta Biotouch. While I did not think the Biotouch needed any real updates (see the review of the Scudetta Biotouch Emerald), the new Sokito Scudetta Biotouch AG in the Sapphire is a brilliant update to what was already an excellent boot.

Improvements

One of the most impressive aspects of the updated Biotouch is that the upper is even softer out of the box. I personally found that the Emerald colourway is very pliable out of the box, and yet the new Sapphire colourway is even softer out of the box than my worn pair of Emerald Scudetta.

It is remarkable that Sokito managed to take an awesome upper and somehow cleared an already high bar that they set for themselves. This new, updated Biotouch is now one of the softest synthetic materials out of the box on the market.

Equally significant, though, is that they do not feel sloppy or have a lack of structure. While there is not as much stability as the Scudetta Kaizen, for example, the shape and fit of the boot means that it still wraps the foot nicely. At the same time, the wrap is not as aggressive as the regular Scudetta, so some people might prefer the more comfort-oriented direction of the Biotouch.

The lockdown also still remains very good, as one would expect from a Scudetta. While it is not as aggressive as the Kaizen, the deep lacing system and the extra laceholes for a runner’s loop mean that the boot can be adjusted as needed, and the lockdown does not suffer. It is great.

As it is a Scudetta, people will wonder about the toe pinch. I had mentioned in my Scudetta Kaizen review that Sokito had slightly raised the toe in the new model, but it is further raised here. While the Biotouch still has a lower volume than other boots on the market, the softer upper and comfort-focused fit of the Biotouch mean that it is not prevalent here.

Something else that I want to give a ton of praise to is the heel. Again, the Emerald Biotouch has a great heel, but not everyone got along with it, such as Boot Wizard. However, the Biotouch Sapphire heel is not only softer, but the faux suede lining has also been changed to an even softer material. I cannot give enough praise to the design choices made by Sokito here.

To quickly touch on the uhhhhhh…touch. It is really good. There is some cushioning to the upper to make it feel plush and natural, yet at the same time, the feel on the ball is excellent. Every touch on the ball feels so natural. While the upper material itself is smooth, the somewhat raised lines in the upper do add just a little bit to the feel on the ball. I also appreciate the texturing on the Sokito brand logos, as it also adds just a slight difference when dribbling at speed.

For the size, like every other Scudetta, I wear a size US 8.5/UK 7.5/EU 41.5, and the fit is perfect. Unlike some of the other Scudetta, I do find that this Sapphire colourway does not fit as short as the others. Like anything else, I highly recommend trying them on first, and people might still prefer that half size up, especially if you have wider feet. If your feet are more medium to narrow, like mine, however, your normal size might be more preferable.

Outsole

I am not sure how many times I need to reiterate this, but I will gladly do so again and again: the Scudetta AG outsole is the best AG-specific outsole on the market. It has a lot of stability (Mizuno, take note), good snapback, and the studs are just long enough to work on the thicker and deeper 4G/5G turf, yet still short enough to work on the older, more worn-out AG surfaces. It is superb. See my Scudetta AG review for more details.

Some weirdness

The updated Sokito Scdudetta Biotouch AG has been rightly given a lot of praise up until this point, and deservedly so. But I do find it weird that they gave us an update so soon after they released the Emerald colourway. Again, the Emerald colourway is good, but the Sapphire is better, to the point that maybe they should have just held off on releasing the Emerald.

Though again, like I mentioned earlier, I do like when brands make running changes. However, I did feel this was something worth pointing out.

The new meta boot

While the Sokito Scudetta Biotouch is still a speed boot, the softness of the upper and the overall comfort mean that it feels utilitarian. Many types of players would benefit from such a soft and easy-to-break-in boot, and because of the excellent AG outsole, for me, I think that the new Biotouch is a no-brainer if you play mostly on AG. Really, for anyone playing on artificial surfaces, I think that these are the number one choice. Even aside from that, the running changes that Sokito have made to the boot have immediately propelled it into Boot of the Year contention. Incredible.

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

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