PUMA FUTURE 1.4 Fearless Review

Over the past few years, PUMA has been making big movements in the football community. The brand has partnered with many new ambassadors, namely Neymar Jr. and more, to cement its place among the incumbents. Even beyond just partnering with big football names and releasing great boots, the brand has also gone beyond the lines of the pitch. 2022 was a big year for PUMA Football, launching many new packs for its FUTURE and ULTRA ranges. It is the former, which we received for review recently, the PUMA FUTURE 1.4 Fearless.

It was released in late 2022, ahead of the FIFA World Cup, as part of the PUMA Fearless Pack. Having received the review pair over the December holidays, I couldn’t wait for league football to kick off again in 2023 to try out the boots in earnest. After a few practice sessions and two games, I could finally draw my conclusion for the FUTURE 1.4 Fearless Pack.

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PUMA FUTURE 1.4 Fearless Pack Design

As with many of the football boots available on the market today, the PUMA FUTURE 1.4 Fearless features a bold burst of colour. Its colourway is known as Fiery Coral for this release, with a mixture of reds, oranges and yellows. Mixing these together gives you a unique colour palette for the boots. As PUMA describes it, in addition to the Fiery Coral, it includes Fizzy Light (the yellow hues) and PUMA Black and Salmon.

There are two portions to the upper. This is split between the sock-like middle section, created from PUMA’s FuzionFit+ technology. The second portion is the PWRPRINT technology. These work together to form the bases for the upper, working in conjunction for the best comfort, movement and protection.

It may appear fairly straightforward at first glance, focusing on the beautiful print and colours on the upper. However, it is much more complex. The boot has a multi-layered finish, with the FuzionFit+ finish as an overlay atop the black construction. You can see the black material push through the sock-like mesh. The FuzionFit+ technology is crafted in the ULTRAWEAVE material – another of PUMA’s unique technologies. This is covered in TPU skin while still maintaining a super-lightweight feel.

On the other end, there’s the PWRPRINT portion, which is featured on the front and rear. This gives the wearer that lock-in feel and is characterised by its cross-divisional lines. What’s also notable in this portion are the 100s of directional arrows. This gives it a kind of flowing aesthetic, similar to how vectors symbolise movement in math. But they’re not simply there to add to the looks. Instead, they offer more than meets the eye, which I’ll touch on further below.

The upper rests on the SPEEDPLATE outsole. It continues the bold colourway. It, too, features omnidirectional arrows throughout, giving it that flowy appeal.

Unlike the ULTRA variant, the FUTURE doesn’t feature the Speedcat symbol, replaced instead by two large logos on the front and rear. These are featured in the contrasting Fizzy Light to make them stand out quite spectacularly.

It may just seem like an exaggerated finish to draw you in with bold colours, but there’s so much more to the FUTURE 1.4 Fearless design than meets the eye. Each component has a purpose – it may as well look good performing its function.

Sneaker Comfort and Fit

As with sneakers, I’ve had the privilege of reviewing and field-trialling quite a number of football boots in recent years. Irrespective of whether I ended up buying the boots or not, it provided quite a bit of insight into the technological aspects, especially when it comes to comfort and feel.

What’s really great about the PUMA FUTURE 1.4 Fearless is that it provides support and comfort in almost all aspects of its build. As mentioned previously, the upper makes up quite a large portion of the comfort you experience wearing the boots. This includes the stretchable materials that wrap around your foot for a secure fit. Further to this, it is also quite flexible while still offering durability.

The SPEEDPLATE also offers a lot of balance, creating a supportive base on which to build. It is very durable, with a slight bit of flex to allow for bending when required to toe off, for example.

The one aspect that came as a surprise is the insole (or sock liner). It has also been designed to add value to your comfort levels. It has Nano Grip technology, which is coated on the top of the insole. This means that even without the sock-fit upper, it prevents your feet from sliding around internally. Think of it as a grippy material such as Velcro, but not as permanent.

The level of comfort is great overall. Whether you’re walking around or really going across the field, you never feel any discomfort that will affect your performance. It just feels great.

Sneaker Build and Quality

Although it may have just been a few weeks worth of use, there hasn’t been any indication to note that it could lead to some deterioration. The level of comfort described above stems from having that confidence underfoot. You can only have this type of confidence knowing that irrespective of how much load it’s under. You won’t have to worry about the quality of your boots.

The FUTURE 1.4 Fearless offers great quality through its materials. PUMA uses the best in quality materials for its manufacturing process while adding a mix of recycled fabrics. It looks and feels great.

Unlike many modern football boots, the FUTURE 1.4 Fearless isn’t necessarily on the light side for flagships. It weighs around 227g for each boot. However, unlike the ULTRA, the FUTURE offers more control and stability on the field rather than focusing on a lightweight build for speed. This is the main difference between the two silhouettes, providing a great appeal to different types of players.

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Performance

There’s no doubting the performance of these football boots. They work great and offer control and balance.

If you zoom into the forefoot, you’ll note that the PUMA FUTURE 1.4 Fearless has a mix of waves and a form of perforation for different types of control. This technology is known as Grip Control Pro. The waves are positioned on the lateral side of the forefoot to provide control of the ball when received. In contrast, the perforations are positioned on the medial side for better control while passing and shooting.

Further to this, there’s the performance of the FuzionFit+. This is the second generation of the technology, providing great flexibility and support while also being durable. It gives wearers the ability for explosive movements and a change of direction without feeling it in the foot. On some boots, you’ll feel that difference in the foot, something like a pressure point.

What’s also great is its outsole, which features the SPEEDPLATE technology. It is incorporated alongside the Dynamic Motion System to create a superior outsole for added traction on any surface. It is a bit on the long side, which isn’t always ideal for indoor football. That being said, I’ve tested this on turf and indoor (synthetic) fields and haven’t had a problem with it. Even when it rained once or twice during the game, I had no issues with traction, especially considering a few of my teammates struggled at times.

I had zero hangups about its overall performance during practice and in games. The boots were great for control when receiving it the first time or when having it at your feet. The support of the boot also allowed me a few additional points on my shooting power, mostly as a result of the traction under my standing foot at the time. It was a really good experience.

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Should You Buy the PUMA FUTURE 1.4 Fearless Pack?

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The PUMA FUTURE 1.4 Fearless is a great addition to the PUMA Football lineup. As part of the Fearless Pack, it offers a unique performance on the field, allowing you to be you and providing the control and balance that every player needs. It may be a bit on the heavier side, but if you’re controlling the midfield, you don’t want to be blazing through on the wings.

It comes highly recommended, being donned by some of the most notable football players during the FIFA World Cup 2022. The boots complement any footballer who needs all the control they can get. The PUMA FUTURE 1.4 Fearless is great overall and feels natural on your foot from the first moment.

You can get your hands on the PUMA FUTURE 1.4 Fearless Pack via the online store at PUM.com. Additionally, it can also be purchased at PUMA retail stores, as well as retailers that stock football gear.