The professional choice
Having reviewed both the EVO and the 90°, we now move on to the most popular boot in Akuna’s line up, the Akuna Cinquestelle Colibri. Akuna specifically mentioned in our podcast with them (go check that out here) that the Colibri is the main choice for any professional player who wears their boots. And the Colibri does feel slightly more geared towards the professional game as the boots are made with their most premium and thinnest calf leather. There is also the addition of a neoprene sock to help with lockdown. After doing several sessions in the boots, I can understand why this might be the professional’s choice.
Fit and feel
Out of the box the first thing that is noticeable is the smell of the leather. Additionally, the suppleness of the upper makes it obvious that the leather is high-quality. The leather is also thinner than I expected. I have previous experience with the Colibri, as I had a pair twelve odd years ago. The leather feels softer and thinner than previously, and it seems like Akuna has worked on updating the boot over time.
The leather is so soft that the break in process is quick, only taking around half an hour for the boots to feel soft enough to take into match action. As far as synthetic uppers have come, especially with boots like the X Fly Pro 3 or the Tiempo Ligera Pro, for me it is still difficult to beat natural leather when it comes to breaking in a boot.
In terms of the fit, the shape of the Colibri is neutral for the most part, with only a slight anatomical curve to it. As a consequence of this, the boot feels like it can fit and form to various foot shapes without too much difficulty, and the central lacing system allows for a good amount of adjustability.
When combined with the neoprene sock, there is a decent amount of lockdown available. I wouldn’t say the lockdown is super strong, but it is better than average for a classic leather boot.
Also, while I do wish that Akuna used a knit instead of neoprene for this sock area, I can understand why they didn’t as even as long as knit has been on the market, it is still fairly expensive to use and it seems like Akuna is trying to keep their boots under 150 EUR, with the Colibri being their most expensive boot at 143 EUR.
And I do want to touch on the price really quick. The Colibri feels like it should be a much more expensive boot, and I personally find the boots to be really good value for money, especially in terms of the leather quality and build quality. Part of my confidence in the build quality comes down to the outsole being stitched to the upper, which always helps prolong the life of a boot. The boots always feel like they can take heavy tackles without worrying about the leather getting torn up.
Also, both BootWizard and I have a discount link available which is posted at the bottom of this review.
Going back to the neoprene sock and the heel, I was worried when I originally got the boots in hand as there is some raised material and stitching where the back of the sock is attached to the heel of the boot. Interestingly, I did not feel this at all when playing in the boots. Also, the neoprene sock also does not run the length of the boot, instead only to the end of the lacing set up. And on the sides the neoprene only goes down the first few laceholes, meaning the areas of high contact with the ball is the leather only.
The heel shape is similarly as neutral as the rest of the boot. While there was some initial discomfort, the heel cup is soft and breaks in easily. By the second session I did not have any more issues with the heel. In general, I still prefer to have more cushioning on the heel, however.
Of course, the disadvantage of such a soft upper means that the side-to-side stability is not going to be on the same level as something like a Morelia II Japan. At the same time, I think if you are looking at getting a boot like the Colibri, you kind of go in expecting that lack of stability on the sides.
While the upper has stretched nicely around my foot, I did have experienced any overstretch, and it feels like there is a limit to much the boots will stretch.
Much like the other boots in their line-up, the insoles are also more cushioned than expected. Again, they’re not as cushioned as some other leather boots on the market, but still better than many other classic leather boots out there.
For the size, Akuna sent me a full size and a half down from my normal size. So, I got the Colibri in a EU 40. The size does fit, but it is more snug than normal out of the box. I do recommend that you get a full size down from your normal size, similar to other boots in Akuna’s line up.
On the ball
I really didn’t expect the touch to feel closer to a modern leather boot but because the leather upper is so thin, the foot is closer to the ball than a boot that looks like this would suggest. The leather is not the thinnest on the market, but again, it is thinner than pretty much every other classic boot available.
A benefit of the relatively stitchless upper is that the touch on the ball is uniform all over the boot. There are no surprises and I appreciate when a boot is nicely consistent with the touch like this.
Naturally, shooting and hitting ball with power is all about what you put in. Again, the boot is not trying to do anything special here, but I also do not mind that.
Overall, the touch is nice and uncomplicated, there’s no pingy sensation but it’s a leather boot so that’s expected. Just solid performance all around here.
Grip
It’s relatively copy and paste from the other Akuna reviews, though I do find that the soleplate is stiffer here than on the other Akuna Cinquestelle boots I have reviewed. It means that there is just that bit more stability here.
Like mentioned in the other reviews, the soleplate is solid if unspectacular. It performs as much as it needed for a classic leather boot. And again, if needed Akuna does offer an AG option for all of their boots.
The high-end choice
The Akuna Cinquestelle Colibri is just that slight step above the rest of the line up. The leather is thinner, the soleplate is slightly stiffer, and there is even a neoprene sock to help with the lockdown. The boots feel more modern on feet than their looks would suggest and the touch on the ball is lovely and consistent. While there are some improvements that could be made, like a switch to a knit material instead of the neoprene, Akuna has offered us a boot that is of premium quality for a far more reasonable price. The Colibri is a wonderful option for the leather boot purists, and the fact that it’s the professional’s choice would supports this.
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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Also, check out the Football Boot Hour Podcast I co-host with Boot Wizard!
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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！
