Nike CTR 360 Maestri III - The control boot is now out in red

Nike continue to launch new boots on this wonderful spring Friday. Now it’s the ultimate control boot, the CTR360 Maestri III’s turn. It will come in a razor sharp red colourway, which certainly catches the eye.

In December the Nike CTR360 Maestri III was launched in an orange and silver combination, which had certain similarities to the launch colourway of the Nike Tiempo Legend V. This is also the case this time, with both pairs of boots landing in predominantly red colourways and there is nothing random about that at all. The Maestri and Tiempo, which share colourways, are both controlling boots that both possess sublime control.

With the new colourway, the midfield general can now not only dominate the game with his play, but with his boots too. The boots are made for the controlling player, regardless of position, therefore a controlling defender like Thiago Silva will enjoy the undoubted quality of the boot, as much as a midfielder like Andres Iniesta, or Jack Wilshere, who currently both wear the boot.

The concept behind the Nike CTR360 Maestri III is quite simple and easy to understand; it aims to give you the best prerequisites for full control. The first step is to ensure phenomenal comfort. This comes in part, thanks to the upper, which is made of Kanga-Lite 2.0, which is a synthetic material, that emulates leather. It shapes itself to your foots shape and gives an extremely soft touch, but it doesn't expand too much, something leather has a tendency to do.

The Kanga-lite material ensures a very personal and very comfortable fit, as well as a natural touch on the ball. The upper is naturally also developed with Nike's All Conditions Control (ACC) incorporated into it. ACC makes sure you have the same ball grip in wet weather, as you would otherwise have in dry conditions. This adds yet another element of control to your game, which players like Jack Wilshere, Landon Donovan and Iniesta all enjoy.

On the front foot Nike have replaced the old Dampening Pods, which were fitted on the predecessor, with little dimples in the upper that create added friction between the ball and boot, to improve dribbling and general control. Furthermore, two stitches run across the front foot, which creates a natural flexzone, as to make sure the boot follows your foots natural movements better.

On the medial side, we find the control boots most important weapon. Here we find the 3D control zone, which is made up of 8 fins that follow the boots curve, ensuring you get an even strike on the ball, no matter how your foot is positioned. The thought behind it is that you get a plane surface, which makes sure you have stability, when controlling and passing the ball.

Nike have reinforced the outsole with two torsion bars, which gives maximal stability and therefore comfort. The stud-configuration, has slightly rounded studs on the outside, which makes for easier tight-space maneuvering. This is combined with bladed insides, which grip the ground firmly and improve your kick-off from the ground, thus giving powerful acceleration.

We expect to see Iniesta, Thiago Silva and the other Nike CTR360 Maestri III stars wearing the new red colourway this weekend. It will pay to keep an eye out for the new boot, because with the Magista Obra looming, it’s looking more and more like a goodbye to the Maestri-silo. In others words, this will probably be the last Nike CTR360 Maestri boot we get to see.

A fresh colourway, for an even fresher football boot. What do you think about the red Nike CTR360 Maestri III, do you love the full blooded crimson design? Tell us what you think in the comment-section down below, or on Twitter and Facebook.