Speed Battle: PUMA evoSPEED Ducati SL vs v1.815 Ferrari
The PUMA evoSPEED Ducati SL is the continuation of a speed theme dating back to 2009. Then it was a collaboration with motoring legends Ferrari, but now PUMA have teamed up with the legends of two wheels Ducati. Here we take a look at two of the boot world's most famous speed associations...
It's all too easy to roll-out the motoring clichÉs (see there was one), but after PUMA released the evoSPEED Ducati SL we thought it only right the boot was joined on the starting grid by the v1.815 Ferrari, for a race-off between PUMA's two fastest boots. 
A union of speed, the collaboration with the motoring industry is quite a fitting one. We often awe over a sleek new boot or marvel at a prototype, in much the way you would for a motor vehicle. And if you're looking to launch a boot with connotations of speed, then the names Ferrari and Ducati are certainly credible associations. 
Dipping into the SoccerBible boot archive, the PUMA v1.815 Ferrari football boots were released early 2009. Created and crafted after designers at PUMA had spent two years collaborating, the end result were these ultra-limited, highly desirable PUMA v1.815 Ferrari Editions. If you're wondering how they got their name, it's after the very first Ferrari the Auto Avio Costruzioni (AAC) 815. 
PUMA's latest performance footwear is the ultra-lightweight and sleek Italian-inspired evoSPEED 1 SL Ducati boots, combining high-octane Ducati style with full-throttle PUMA speed. Weighing just 160g - the same as the Nike GS - the evoSPEED Ducati is lightweight design at its best. The PUMA v1.815 Ferrari set the benchmark in 2009, weighing 165g. Now the PUMA Ducati SL once again pushes boot construction to the limit. 
What distinguishes the two boots are the strikingly different uppers. Unique to the Ducati, the boot is constructed using an ultra-thin premium microfibre upper to drastically minimise weight, with the unique look inspired by the speed and aerodynamic silhouettes of a Ducati motorbike.
The Ferrari features a textile material with added abrasion and water resistance properties, and which for the time reduced weight dramatically compared to standard materials. The vibrant red and gold colourway is traditional to Ferrari, and every little detail on the boot exudes premium and quality, with gold stitching running around the tongue, under the toe area and inside the boot.
For the evoSPEED Ducati, PUMA breathe new life into their revolutionary Pebax outsole first featured on the v1.815 Ferrari. The Pebax frame forms the outsole base, with a carbon-fiber composite insert reducing the weight yet offering strength. The Pebax material offers outstanding mechanical, physical and chemical properties by bridging the gap between thermoplastics and rubbers. 
Two remarkable sporting and speed collaborations, which stand alone as exceptional footwear. The Ferrari and Ducati are examples of PUMA executing innovative speed ideas, and we'd love to hear your opinions on them both, and which would you prefer to own in your collection?
