Welcome to our review of Storelli's latest and greatest product, the SpeedGrip insole. For some time, Storelli has been truly focused on all secondary soccer/futbol equipment and have brought actual quality to items such as shinguards, protective gear and now insoles. Let's see what they've brought to the market this time.
First Impressions
The packaging was simple, but trademark Storelli with their black and yellow colors, and it showed exactly what the item is and explained what it does. Out of the box, these truly don't look like traditional insoles. The heightened heel tab freaks everybody out at first until you realize why it's there and what it's purpose is.
How to properly use them
Behind the packaging box, there are instructions on how to properly use and insert these insoles as they're not one size fits all that you simply slip in. You need to remove the current insole in the shoe you will be placing them in, trace this insole onto the Storelli insole and then trim the forefoot/toebox area to ensure it is similar length and shape to the original insole. You can then slip the Storelli insole inside the boot, all the while making sure it doesn't fold or crimp up anywhere and that the heel cup and tab slide in nicely.
On feet
I took no chances with my boot selection and went with a broken in, comfortable, reliable pair I've had and used for some time. I also used both a pair of standard Adidas field socks and then a pair of TruSox to compare. Right away, especially with the TruSox, you feel the high amount of grip and sliding your foot into the boot is actually tricky. I needed to really loosen my laces to the bottom and play a bit with the heel tab on the insole to get things comfortable. I then realized that my foot was actually tighter in the boot, and possibly because the Storelli insole is thicker than the original it made my foot look almost too small in the shoe.
Performance
There was no messing around when it came to game time, as i warmed up i definitely felt the high level of grip instantly. However with time and as the game went on, I completely forgot they were there and everything felt just seamless. That doesn't mean they did nothing, simply means they did their job without causing any disturbance to my play. Also, the heel tab is completely unnoticeable and will not rub, it's visually different but causing no discomfort what-so-ever.
Negatives
This being a completely honest review, some cons had to be addressed. When wearing the insoles with TruSox, the grip is insane and it did cause some discomfort on my large toe but nothing out of this world. Also, I did experience some heel pressure during play but it did go away later in the game, probably just my heel adjusting to the new insole.
Overall Opinion
I received these from Storelli to try out and I appreciate them doing that very much, but people will now ask me: Is it worth buying them? Well the answer for me is simply yes. I have mentioned that i own a pair of TruSox, so for me to pay 40$ US for a product that's similar in concept, I wouldn't hesitate much as I've already done it. Truthfully I see these to be very much a product like TruSox, where you pay a premium for a technologically advanced version of a standard product. So if you are a player who hates slippage in his cleats and wants that much more grip and security, these insoles are surely for you.