I got to try the new Luigino Strut and Attitude boots today. (review continued below)
Luigino Strut
Luigino Attitude
Wow, what a surprise. I first skated on my current best working boot to compare it to the new Strut and Attitude I was trying today. After skating on my current good working boot I then tried the Strut boot. It was like there was a motor in the boot over my current best working boot. It was so efficient. I could go and go before I had to slow down to rest. I thought there was something wrong.
Maybe I wasn't warmed up and that's why the Strut was working so much better then my current best working boot. I went back to my old boot and the drag was back. I would go 1/3 the way before I had to rest. I then tried the Attitude boot. It worked like the Strut boot but it had a bit less ankle support.
If you like a boot that has a bit less ankle support I would choose the Attitude but for me I like the bit more ankle support of the Strut. After trying the Strut boot today I didn't want to put my current best working boot back on. My crossovers were better on the Strut then on my old boot, my double push was better on the Strut then on my old boot and I felt more stable on the Strut then on my old boot. Also the Strut felt very light in the crossovers.
I had asked Doug years ago to make a boot with the lower end of the Mogema Python boot but put his good working upper ankle on the top of that boot. The lower part of the Python boot was great but the upper ankle cuff made it unusable no matter what you did with the upper cuff. After skating on the Strut today the best way I can describe it is the bottom half of the Mogema Python boot with Doug's good working upper cuff. It's like Christmas in July. I have never tried an off the shelf boot that has this efficiency with this comfort in 1 boot. This new boot last design will set a new standard for an efficient, comfortable off the shelf boot.
Trying boots for the last 15 years I don't get to excited anymore about new boot designs as for the last 8 years boot last design has leveled off. But with the new last design in the new Strut boot for the first time in 8 years I'm excited about my next skate outing.
Something small. I've complained in the past about boots that were starting to come from the factory with the laces being laced from the upper side of the grommet down. Lacing like this makes it very hard to get your foot into the boot and then hard to tighten the laces. Well the new Strut and Attitude are now coming like they used to, lacing from the under side of the grommet up. Again this is a small thing but it does save me time of having to un-lace the whole boot and re-lace it from the underside up.
As far as sizing I wear a size 9.5 to 10 in a Nike running shoe and the size 11 Strut and Attitude fit my foot perfectly.
I think the Strut is a must try for anyone looking for a new boot or are not happy with the current boot their in. Thanks to Doug for pushing the envelope and spending the time and money on R&D and coming out with newer better last designs.
