Up Close | PUMA evoPOWER Stampa - Football Boots

PUMA pulled off a piece of marketing genius in December when Mario Balotelli laced up in a disguised boot made up of his own newspaper headlines featuring the words ‘Why always PUMA?’ Unveiling a new boot with a new signing was one serious way of creating a stir. The boot, later revealed as the evoPOWER Stampa was released in limited numbers and we’ve got hold of a pair to give them the once over.

You always have to expect the unexpected with PUMA, the brand have a reputation for outrageous designs and crazy campaigns and the style in which they captured Balotelli has to be one of their biggest moves yet. The AC Milan striker’s contract with Nike was up and after much speculation PUMA swooped in, in spectacular style.





The PR stunt, which began when Balotelli wore an unbranded version of the boots against Roma, exploded across every media channel, breaking all kinds of social media records and reaching European national newspapers - a tidy Christmas bonus should be in order for the PUMA team responsible! The reaction has shown just why Balotelli is PUMA's biggest signing to date.





Speaking about the new partnership with PUMA, Mario Balotelli said: “This is a great move for me. From the early conversations I had with PUMA it was clear that they understand me, my personality and my ambition. The product and marketing plans they have developed are very exciting and I will be proud to be associated with everything I have seen. I am sure that the coming years will bring many good things for us all.”





The PUMA evoPOWER has since been released in a CAMO version ahead of the official launch date later this month when the first colourway will drop. The Stampa editions feature newspaper cuttings created by Mario Balotelli’s actions both on and off the pitch, from his heroics at EURO 2012 to the ‘Why always me?’ t-shirt that made headlines in the Manchester derby.





The evoPOWER replaces the old PowerCat model and will see Mario Balotelli join the likes of Marco Reus and Cesc Fabregas in the brand new silo . PUMA have once again outdone themselves and we can’t wait to see what they’ve got lined up for the Italian going into the 2014 World Cup.



The PUMA evoPOWER Stampa football boots are available in limited numbers from Pro-Direct Soccer. What do you think of the boots? Let us know. Join the conversation online, on Twitter and on Facebook.