Harry Kane has been the most consistent striker in soccer across the last decade and is tearing it up in Germany right now for Bayern Munich at the top of the Bundesliga. He has 14 goals in 12 games!

His switch up from Nike to Skechers took the soccer world by surprise last year, and if anything the move has seen an increase in his numbers. Now his Skechers SKX 01 have 42% off as we head into Cyber Monday.

Harry Kane's Skechers SKX 01 almost 50% off

When our expert soccer cleat reviewer, Lolade Jinadu, got on turf with the SKX 01, they were shocked. “A very impressive first foray into the elite boot market from Skechers and the SKX 01 is already good enough to be considered a viable, lower-cost alternative to boots from the bigger brands.

“The boots bear some similarities to the Nike Phantom GT 1 & 2 with the shape, texture and soleplate all resembling the now discontinued Nike pair.”

We spoke to Harry Kane about the cleat exclusively for FourFourTwo last year and he explained how the switch from Nike came about. "We started talking earlier in the year. Skechers contacted me and my team and told us about what they wanted to do. I’ve been really impressed with them. I’m really proud to be the face of the boots.

"I think it was a surprise to a lot of people around the football world to see Skechers come into the football market but I think that's what makes it so exciting."

It’s also surprising to see an elite cleat that is already priced underneath Nike and Adidas’ with a further 42% off. This is hands down the best soccer cleat deal we’ve seen this all year.

Here at FourFourTwo we are covering the best Cyber Monday soccer deals as a comprehensive guide, with most of our Black Friday soccer deals also still available too.

Happy saving!

Skechers entered the elite football boot market at the beginning of the 2023/24 season with the SKX_01, before then introducing the Razor as its 'speed' boot.

The American brand's original Razor has been well received, with Anthony Elanga, Oleksandr Zinchenko and Mohamed Kudus all players who now wear - and perform at the highest level - in them. Lightweight, responsive and featuring a soleplate with aggressive traction, the original Skechers Razor offered many the features that you would want and expect from a boot in the speed category, but with the added comfort that Skechers is so famous for.

A little under a year on, the brand has made the decision to subtly update the boot with relatively small tweaks to a few areas. I tried a pair in FG to see whether these changes improve what was already a very good football boot.

Skechers Razor Elite review

The launch version of Skechers Razor was one of the most comfortable football boots on the market that also provided a lightweight feel, with the brand clearly leaning into this massive part of its reputation and putting it at the centre of its boot range.

Comprised of a wonderfully soft material, the main component of this comfort came from the forefoot, which required no break in time to feel plush and flexible. Unsurprisingly, the feel of this part of the boot remains largely unchanged but has been made even softer out of the box.

Other areas have also been improved. There's a little less cushioning in the heel area, which will be music to some people's ears. While that sounds counterproductive, some people did suffer from blisters in the launch version of the Razor due to the extra material. I personally had no problems, but did notice there being a slightly bulky feel.

The knit collar at the opening of the boot has also been updated. This is now slightly flatter, making putting the boots on easier and allowing for the knit to better hug your foot. Aside from this, the boot remains the same as with the launch - which is by no means a bad thing.

However, Skechers still do not offer an AG or SG option for the boot – the former being the most disappointing given most casual players play primarily on artificial surfaces. Looking for the best football boots for astro turf can often be difficult, so the lack of adaptability Skechers has in producing a suitable version for artificial grass is a concern.

That's because the soleplate on the Razor is very aggressive, making them completely unsuitable for anything other than firm ground due to the increased risk of injury. For me, that's a major shame, because the Skechers Razor is not only one of the best lightweight football boots, but also one of the best football boots in general.

I find them more comfortable, accomodating and a slightly cheaper alternative to the best football boots for speed from the bigger brands, so the lack of an AG option is something that Skechers will undoubtedly address at some point. It's worth noting that this negative does not necessarily take away from the boots themselves, either.

It's clear, though, that Skechers are here to stay in the football boot market, and if models like the Razor are anything to go by then that is a very good thing. I am a big fan of when brands build on pairs that do the right things rather than constantly overhauling and the subtle changes made to the launch version of the Razor serve to make a good boot even better.

Comfort in a football boot is one of the few aspects that is demanded by everyone and being able to marry this level of it with the demands of the highest tech category in boots (speed) makes the Skechers Razor one of the best boots of its type currently available.

Skechers released the SKX 01 - the brand's first-ever elite football boot - in the second half of 2023, using England captain Harry Kane to unveil the footwear in a blockbuster lifetime deal.

Since then, the original Skechers SKX 01 has gone from strength to strength, with the latest release a slightly updated version featuring refinements in key areas to create a boot that is even better than the original. The American brand has done something similar with the Skechers Razor Elite, making subtle improvements to enhance the quality of one of the best football boots available.

Indeed, the launch version SKX 01 was generally received well and many saw it as an extremely solid entry into market, so I was interested to see whether the changes made to the boot took it further in the right direction.

Skechers SKX 01 Elite review

Made up of the brand's Fit Knit material, the Skechers SKX 01's upper is supported by a tough silicone skin on top of a knit, which is not only soft but also comfortable straight out of the box. This softens up very quickly during play, too, helping to make them feel great in either a game or training session.

This certainly appears to be an area that is unchanged between the first and second versions of Skechers' flagship model, because I did not feel much difference in the feel of the uppers. That's not to discredit the decision, though, with the upper of the SKX 01 a great option.

Where alterations are noticeable is in the heel counter, which I found a lot more comfortable thanks to the cushioning in that area of the boot feeling softer and slightly less bulky. The Skechers SKX 01 is certainly one of the most comfortable football boots available, with that support clearly a priority of the brand.

The same can be said for the changed shape of the knit around the opening of the boot, which is now flatter. This makes the boots slightly easier to put on, and also means they sit more comfortably around the foot once they are on. The changes may seem small, but they are key to the overall feel of the boot.

It is a shame, however, that after a year of the brand's forray into the football boots market, there is still no dedicated AG or SG options for the SKX 01 (or the Razor). Whereas the outsole on the Skechers Razor Elite makes it unsuitable for artificial surfaces, the SKX 01 Elite soleplate is far less aggressive - so can feasibly be worn on astro turf. However, doing so will likely affect the durability of the boot and increase the risk of separation from soleplate and upper.

With lots of people now playing on 3G or 4G surfaces, I would personally expect a brand to offer models for these surfaces, and is something that will hopefully come in the near future. For now, though, players will just have to look elsewhere for the best football boots for astro turf.

In my opinion, I think the Skechers SKX 01 Elite would compete with some of the best football boots for midfielders, with the boot offering a grippy upper, great comfort and a glove-like fit.

Minor tweaks and improvements are also welcome, too. Too often brands implement dramatic innovation in an attempt to improve results and ultimately regress the quality of product, rather than learning from the first model and building upon something that already works extremely well.

Footwear brand Skechers have continued their foray into the football boot market with the announcement of another star name to their roster. Mohammed Kudus is the latest footballer to sign for Skechers, joining the likes of England captain and Bayern Munich superstar Harry Kane, who swapped Nike for their rival American brand in the summer of 2023. West Ham winger Kudus is excited to don his new wheels ahead of the 2024/25 season. 

“The most important addition when playing football is the boots, of course,” Kudus explains in an exclusive chat with FourFourTwo ahead of the new campaign. “With these Skechers boots, I’m confident that I’ll be able to show my best this season”

Kudus is particularly impressed with the design of his new boots, as well as the Skechers ethos. “The boots are really nice,” he says. “I tried them on and I liked them immediately – that’s when I knew I had to go for it. 

“Aside from their great products, I like Skechers as a brand. Using my platform to give back to my community is important to me and Skechers are committed to helping me with that. They’re a brand that aligns with my vision. That was a big factor in me joining Skechers.

“I’m super excited to wear the boots and represent the brand from this season.”

FourFourTwo previously reviewed the Skechers SKX 01 football boot, as worn by Harry Kane, describing it as "aimed at technicians who are looking to get on the ball and create for their teams" and "a very impressive first foray into the elite boot market from Skechers". 

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Harry Kane's leaving Nike to wear Skechers football boots?! Yep, we couldn't believe it either.

It was almost as big a shock as the fact he was leaving Tottenham Hotspur. England's all-time leading goalscorer and captain, one of the best strikers on the planet, leaving a sports manufacturing giant for a 'sneaker' company famed for strong arch support.

Furthermore, this is Skechers' first ever foray into the football boot market, and they'd landed Harry Kane to front their entry into one of the most competitive categories in sport: boots. Or cleats as they call them at Nike HQ.

We were desperate to get our hands on a pair. They were sure to be terrible, right?

We were pleasantly surprised. In fact, Kane's SKX 01's are a bit of a game changer.

Our intrepid boot tester, Lolade Jinadu, put them through a week of testing. What he found was a light boot, suitable for most feet (particularly players with wide feet). 

They were comfortable right out of the box, and they look every bit the premium level football boot. Read Lolade's full review here.

Most interesting was the price point: £195. That's about £50 cheaper than the equivalent Nike boot that Kane scored his 60-odd England goals in. Skechers had low-balled Nike.

Heading into the madness of Cyber Week, we had our eyes peeled for a Black Friday deal on Kane's Skechers which would make them even more of a tempting proposition. Finally, one has arrived. ProDirect have moved and slashed £50 off their blue/green SKX 01s with the slightly higher FitKnit collar.

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To say Skechers have entered the boot market with a bang would be an understatement. The SKX 01 launched with a mystery, unbranded prototype before it was fully unveiled by Skechers’ new poster-boy – England men’s captain Harry Kane.

In October Kane exclusively told FourFourTwo: "We started talking about six months ago. Skechers contacted me and my team, and told us about what they wanted to do. I’ve been really impressed with them. I’m really proud to be the face of the boots, and I’m happy I’ve been scoring goals in them already.

"I think it was a surprise to a lot of people around the football world to see Skechers come into the football market but I think that's what makes it so exciting."

A string of other well-known players have followed suit, including Oleksandr Zinchenko and Anthony Elanga. The brand’s intent in the market is clear but how good is their first elite football boot? We tried a pair of the Skechers SKX 01 in FG to find out just that.

So are these boots worth the hype? Are they some of the best football boots around right now?

How we tested the Skechers SKX

We tried these a few times on both natural grass and 4G pitches and the boots took well to both surfaces.

Comfort and fit

The boot is on the lighter side and will suit most foot types comfortably – including those with wide feet. This is actually perhaps one of the better boots on the market for those with wide feet. The upper is pliable and the boots are comfortable straight out of the box, needing little-to-no time to break in. 

The SKX 01 is Skecher’s ‘control’ silo aimed at technicians who are looking to get on the ball and create for their teams and the lightweight upper alongside a soleplate that offers bite without sacrificing the ability to pivot will suit players of this type.

Design

The boots bear some similarities to the Nike Phantom GT 1 & 2 with the shape, texture and soleplate all resembling the now discontinued Nike pair. The upper is made from Skechers ‘FitKnit’ material with a knitted upper reinforced with a slightly tougher outer skin. 

The boot is covered in what Skechers are calling Precise Strike Control (PSC) texturing for added grip and control on the ball. PSC consists of a series of micro dots and macro lines with the dots aimed at helping with control and the lines with long passing and shooting. However, while the material is undoubtedly grippy, these features are not likely to make a significant difference when actually controlling or striking the ball. 

On the pitch

Skechers do not currently offer an AG specific option for this boot so those who play primarily on artificial ground who wish to try a pair will have to go with the sometimes-risky option of an FG plate on AG. 

The soleplate is not overly aggressive, so these are passable on both ground types while being better for grass.

Summary

These retail for £195 so do represent a saving compared to the boots of the same category for the likes of Nike and adidas (the Nike Phantom GX retails for £234.99). This is wise from a brand that is new to the market whose aim is to entice people away from the established giants. 

We would recommend going to true to size for the Skechers SKX 01. 

Overall this is a very impressive first foray into the elite boot market from Skechers and the SKX 01 is already good enough to considered a viable, lower cost alternative to boots from the bigger brands. 

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Best Black Friday football deals 2023 - FourFourTwo are here to help you find the best products, for lower prices