With the arrival of the new season for European soccer, comes the arrival of new equipment. Being a goalkeeper myself, I figured my first product review would be that of a glove I have fallen in love with, Iker Casillas' adidas Predator Pro.
The glove is very close to perfect. Nothing what I would've imagined from an $80 special glove. The thing that separates this glove from the original Predator Pro is simply the colorway. Varying from the white, orange, and blue back hand, it is black and orange, no big changes. As well as virtually no other changes from the original color. What makes this glove so special is everything about it.
The wrist enclosure is almost a neoprene material, similar to that of a wetsuit. it feels nice around the wrist, giving no friction with movement, and absorbing sweat nicely. The wrist strap, while tight at first, eventually loosens up and gives great support through its double wrap. It doesn't come around two full times for me, but absolutely gets the job done. The backhand is a bit weak. It's not the same as the palms latex, which is disappointing, it actually chips away with subsequent punches and dives, revealing white underneath the color. They do run a little tight and stiff, but if you wear them in a little before use, there shouldn't be any issues. The cut of the glove is a negative cut, meaning all of the palms stitching is done on the inside. Unlock a full negative though, which is a backhand, stitched to a latex gusset, stitched to the palm, it's the backhand, stitched on the outside to a neoprene gusset, which is stitched on the inside to a latex gusset, then stitched on the inside to the palm. It's really not a big deal, just kind of trying to find flaws at this point. The palm is its greatest success. With a small prewash, nothing major, the gloves is insanely tacky and adhesive. Shots I would normally be unsure of catching, are done with ease. The padding is superb, and gives you a feeling of a second skin on your hands while giving you full protection and catching ability. The only issue, is that it will wear a little quickly, but if taken care of properly, there shouldn't be any issues. Oh, and they're only $80! A steal for their quality. I'm more than 15 games in with these and they're in great shape and I absolutely adore these. They are a class pair.
If you're in the market for a new glove for a good price, find these. They don't come in half sizes in America so you'll have to go to an English website to grab a half size, otherwise you're in for the regular sizing. Usually as well, the English websites are going to have them for a little bit cheaper, but shipping is a bitch.
Grip - 9.75/10
Durability - 8/10
Fit - 8.5/10
Design - 9.5/10
Cost - 9.75/10
Overall - 9.5/10
Thanks for sharing such a sweet review. You've rated this stuff 9.5, that's such a bold claim to make. Here on my page on Best goalkeeper gloves I've also done a review but I think I should also start giving overall ratings. Thanks man for the idea.
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