Play Test: PUMA evoSPEED 1.2 Goalkeeper Gloves
We've taken another trip to the training ground this week to put PUMA's latest glove through its paces - the new strapless evoSPEED 1.2. With pre-season on the horizon we were intrigued to see what this unique glove had to offer other than a visually strong on-pitch presence.
The first thing that strikes you when putting the glove on is the fact that it doesn t have wrist straps. We weren t sure how this was going to effect the fit and feel of the glove as most brands are going the other way with adidas wrap around wrist band and Uhlsport doing likewise but to put it simple, it worked. They slip on to create a secure and comfortable feel with no distractions.
The double thumb wrap adds to the comfort and is a definite improvement in fit to previous PUMA gloves where we ve often found the thumbs a little loose, which we know is to many keepers likings but just not ours. The wrist band on the gloves is a little longer to compensate for the lack of a wrist strap and it also features a pull on tab to help get the other glove on, which we all know can be tricky, especially in wet conditions.
The illuminous lime green colour makes a loud statement on the palm, which is made from 4mm elite grip latex, it's certainly bright and could well blind strikers breaking through on goal let alone put them off! So do bright gloves make you look bigger? We're not sure, one of lads' theories is that bright gloves help the striker, they can see where you are in their peripheral vision and it can help them get their shot on target. 
Whether that theory is true or not is down to opinion, but as always the most important thing about the glove is the performance and we started off with a few simple handling drills. They performed exceptionally well and as we moved through the drills and upped the intensity the glove was superb in both comfort and performance. 
The cut of the glove is hybrid meaning the index and little finger are roll cut and the middle and ring finger are flat palm cut; the design of this is based around providing additional grip for the 2 fingers which are most in contact with the ball, to aid with distribution in keeping it in contact until the point of release. We found this worked really well in the throwing drills we did and gave a decent platform to throw as accurate as possible.
We finished off with some crossing drills, which as you know is one of the most important parts of any keepers' game. Any keeper will tell you that you ve got enough to worry about when claiming a cross so the fact the gloves were faultless in the drill is a massive thumbs up from us.
The backhand features raised latex areas over the knuckles to help abrasion with punching the ball clear. We chucked in a few punching exercises when we were working on crossing and we found we could generate a lot of power as well as accuracy in our punches. There's nothing sweeter than connecting perfectly with a punch and seeign the ball fly clear. Job done. Get out.
The backhand also features PUMA's unique segmented design, designed to improve the fit as well as provide ventilation along with the Mesh finger gussets which are there to aid breathability. It was a typical stuffy day when we tested the gloves, real pre-season weather but our hands remained cool.
Summary: PUMA have really gone to town with designing something unique here, which in a market where most things are already taken care of is one thing, but to pull it off is another! A real success which ticks almost every box. The evoSPEED is comfortable, performs fantastically and looks.
It's common knowledge as keepers we can be a stubborn bunch so convincing keepers to leave a traditional glove in favour of this new design could be tricky but we guarantee if you try the change you won t regret it. 
The PUMA evoSPEED 1.2 gloves are available to order now at online stockists including Pro-Direct Soccer.
