Umbro Velocita 6 football boots review: An attractive boot which just falls short of its "elite" price tag

Not every footballer likes to be flashy, and for those who appreciate a slightly more old-school vibe to their football boots, the Umbro Velocita 6 ticks a lot of boxes. 

Umbro is less mainstream than the big three (Nike, Puma and Adidas), yet they're still considered cool. It's more likely to be Bundesliga stalwarts than Premier League stars sporting Umbro boots these days but that only adds to their charm in FFT's opinion. So when they announced they were releasing an "elite" boot, capable of competing with the very best, FFT couldn't wait to get our hands on a pair. 

When deciding what to buy ahead of next season, check out our best football boots guide to help inform your decision. 

How we tested the Umbro Velocita 6 football boots

For this review, FFT wore our Umbro Velocita 6 football boots to training sessions and football matches over the course of a month. That included two training sessions on a 4G surface per week and 11-aside games on grass at weekends. Therefore, the boots were tested on a decent range of surfaces and in varying weather conditions. 

We tested a pair of the Umbro Velocita 6 football boots in a UK size 10 (US 11/EUR 45/BR 43/CM 29 - Women's: UK 10/US 12/EUR 45/BR 43/CM 29).

Comfort and fit

Pulling the Umbro Velocita 6 football boots on for the first time was a struggle but that was to be expected given they're a "sock" design – the trade-off being that they don't come off as easily in game situations. FFT therefore found itself stomping and twisting its foot just to get them on. 

Once you're over that, they then feel very tight as they squeeze the foot in, so you can expect them to be a little uncomfortable at first. Thankfully, after 10 minutes of running around at training they did loosen up and, on return visits, they became easier to get on and more comfy every time. 

For that reason, we'd recommend getting the actual size you are, rather than getting half a size up. They will loosen, trust us. The foot also found a little more room to breathe and, in fairness, we were really happy with the size, comfort and fit by the time it came to playing a game. 

A criticism, though, would be that the soleplate doesn't have enough bend. A good boot should fold up at the toe and also halfway down the foot – this allows a greater range of movement when jumping, twisting and sprinting. The Umbro Velocita 6 only really bends up at the toes, so your foot is restricted more than it should be. It's not a massive deal but we'd expect better given the price tag.  

On the pitch

Immediately noticeable, out of the box and once playing, is that the boot's “skin” is a harder, scratchier material than you'll have seen elsehwere. It genuinely feels different from any other boot on the market and we were excited to see how that affected our game. 

In practice, the material was quite slippery, meaning it takes a little while for your touch to acclimatise. It’s probably fine if you’re a midfield maestro but FFT is more David Schwimmer than David Silva and it was hard not to think that's a big error on Umbro's part. On the other hand, they felt sturdier as a result so if you value durability and protection above all then you might see this is a positive. 

The studs are chevron-shaped and set out in a fairly bog-standard pattern. Again, we'd like to have seen something unique or innovative given the price tag. They added nothing extra to the traction they offer, but they did a standard job on that front. 

While there are some issues over the Umbro Velocita 6 football boot's material, traction and flexibility, FFT was positively stunned by how light they are. Weighing in at 190g – the same as Nike Mercurial Vapours – this is the one area where this boot sits comfortably alongside the absolute best in the business. During training and games, we half expected to look down and find we were wearing crocs. 

You'll absolutely fly past opponents in these, safe in the knowledge that if you are caught, you'll be well-protected by the tough shell and textile. But don't expect to start plucking the ball out of the sky with much ease.  

Design

Aside from the unique skin, the Umbro Velocita 6 football boots feature “V-Frame” paneling, which runs around the edge of the boot. This has been developed to make the boots tougher so you'll be able to withstand heavy challenges without them splitting. 

Little silicone grip dots line the inside of the knitted sock part of the boot. These attach themselves to your football sock, meaning this boot is more or less impossible to slip off during a game. The laces are also thick and densely packed together. FFT loves these. They feel exceptionally good quality and help the boot feel nice and tight. 

Summary

This is a good boot. It looks exceptional, feels good after a couple of wears and is among the lightest on the market. But there are simply too many faults to justify the £180 price tag. At, say £90 or less, we'd be telling you to rush out and buy these as a decent option for your kit bag (which you could also wear to five-aside without fear of scuffing them up). But they cost too much and offer too little for that cost, which is a genuine shame as we do like them.