Italian Standard

Thanks to Akuna Cinquestelle for sending me the boots.

The football market continues to evolve and change as time goes on. New tech comes and goes, with little to no reason for the change beyond marketing. Despite this, some companies consistently offer the same great boots, or the same style of boots, year in and year out. Akuna Cinquestelle is one of those companies. While they do have newer boots like the Evo, or occasional updates to some of their other boots like the Colibri (review coming soon), the Akuna Cinquestelle 90° is one of those boots that offers a throughline from classic Italian boots of old to the modern day. It is the standard for Italian handmade boots and offers something for the players who want a no-frills experience with a hefty helping of quality.

Fit and Feel

As par for the course now for Akuna’s boots, the leather quality is great out of the box. The leather quality is not as high as the Evo model, but there is still a nice softness to the upper. And of course, the smell is excellent. It really evokes that sense of boots from a different time.

The leather is also on the thicker side versus some of the other boots in Akuna’s lineup, and obviously thicker than a lot of modern leather boots, like the Morelia II Japan. At the same time, I would hesitate to call the boots bulky, but then again, they do have more weight and heft than many boots on the market.

In terms of the overall fit, it is good. The lacing system is nice, wide, and deep, and allows for a lot of adjustability for the overall fit. The 90° is a boot that will fit a lot of different foot types with relative ease. However, I will say that if your feet are on the wider side, you will probably prefer these over some other boots in Akuna’s lineup.

It should be no surprise that the break-in process is fairly quick. By around an hour of playtime, the boots felt ready to go for the most part. The leather has stretched nicely around my foot shape, and there are no weird gaps. It was mostly a pleasant experience.

Except for the heel. The 90° is definitely the standard Italian boot in every single way, and this sadly includes a stiffer heel cup with not much cushioning. On the Evo (and even the Colibri), the heel cups are softer and mold around the back of the heel nicely, which makes up for the fact that there is less cushioning. The 90° has a stiffer heel cup, so there is some initial discomfort when wearing the boots.

Fortunately, this improved the longer I wore the boots; the more the heel became softer and molded to my heel better. I just wish Akuna would switch to a softer heel cup to ease the breaking-in experience.

For the lockdown, there is obviously nothing crazy to aid the overall lockdown. It is good enough, and it does help that the laces run deep enough for the tightness where you need it. I recommend wearing a pair of grip socks with the boots as it will aid with the lockdown. I also would personally prefer an extra lacehole at the very top so I can do a runner’s knot. A personal preference of mine.

Considering the boots have such a soft upper, it is no surprise that there is not much side-to-side stability. But like the Evo, these boots are not designed for that sort of thing. Comfort comes first and foremost.

And the 90° are comfortable overall. Aside from the heel issues, the boot is comfy to play in, and it is like having a soft cushion wrapped around your feet.

A lot of praise also has to go to the overall quality of the Akuna Cinquestelle 90°. The boots feel well-built. And it feels like you can go into or take heavy tackles without worrying about how the boots will hold up. And I especially appreciate that the soleplate is stitched in the forefoot and riveted in heel. Also, the little Italian flag is a nice touch.

When it comes to the sizing, similar to other boots in Akuna’s lineup, I went a full size down from my normal size and the fit is perfect. This means I got the 90° in an EU 40.5 versus my normal size, which is a EU 41.5.

On the ball

The touch could be best described as “cultured”. What I mean by this is that there is a nice plushness to the upper when controlling and manipulating the ball. Again, the upper is thicker than many other leather boots on the market. Admittedly, this does mean that you will not get a thin touch on the ball.

At the same time, what I really enjoy about the touch on the ball is that it is very satisfying to strike the ball on the volley or hit it with power. This is probably because the thicker upper takes the sting out when hammering the ball.

Passing and dribbling have no real surprises, and I appreciate the uniform feel of the upper as this means there is a consistent touch all over the boot.

The 90° is very much one of those boots that you get out what you put in, and I appreciate the simple and high-quality upper.

Grip

Literally the same as the Evo, so I will copy and paste from that review here:

“The soleplate Akuna Cinquestelle uses for their boots is pretty basic, but it does the job. There is enough grip to get good traction, and I even feel confident to wear these on AG with no issues. It’s a solid soleplate and really doesn’t need to be anything more than that.

One of the big positives, however, is that an AG soleplate is readily available, so if you are worried, you can always order these boots with that plate instead.

There is enough stability where it is needed right under the middle of the foot, but I do wish there was just a little bit more stiffness in front of the midfoot section. It’s not bad, per se; it’s just something I prefer to have.”

Classically Italian

The Akuna Cinquestelle 90° is the standard classical Italian leather boot. The high-quality and soft upper, and the classic touch on the ball harks back to a simpler time in football history. And yet the consistent touch on the ball and great fit make for a boot that could easily be a go-to for a lot of people looking for a no-frills experience. It might not have a lot of the modern accoutrements of a boot, but that’s not the point. It is a no-nonsense boot that delivers quality and comfort.

If you are looking for a pair for yourself, click the link here: https://bit.ly/akuna_Andrew and use the code Bootwizard for 10% off!

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I split my time between wearing HAVO Grip Socks and PureGrip Socks for training and matches.

Use code LOCKHART15 to get 15% off your HAVO Grip Sock order or click the link here: https://havosports.com/LOCKHART.

Use code lockhart for 10% off your entire PureGrip Socks order here: https://puregripsocks.com. Along with the socks, I also recommend the Pure laces and Pure Carbon 2.0 shin guards.

じゃあね！