Puma Calibre cricket shoes

Puma's Calibre shoes offer cracking support and comfort to cricketers both lumbering and lithe.

"You'll have to be pretty confident in your cricketing ability to wear these," said skysports.com's editor when he handed over a shining pair of Puma Calibre shoes, with their rather fetching bright yellow flashes down either side. Fortunately, I'm quite confident that my ability fluctuates from 'questionable' to 'limited', something that I've been more than prepared to blame on my old scruffy boots for some years. Puma's Calibre cricket shoes could solve all that. Using 'id Cell' technology more commonly found in running shoes, they offer cracking support and comfort to cricketers both lumbering and lithe, giving those who can bowl the reassurance that their ankle isn't going to twist and buckle beneath them, and those who can't one less excuse. These boots do have plenty of the 'modern' about them. Just as bats these days do not require the hours of linseed oil lubrication and knocking in with a ball in a sock, the boots I tried do not have spikes to take care of. Instead, they use rather small-looking rubber teeth to maintain grip. In essence, they are smaller versions of the 'blades' used in most football boots these days, the theory presumably being that they are the low-maintenance footwear, and can be used indoors or on artificial surface. The problem is that these 'teeth' are so small that, while they might do nicely for the nets or a dry track under the baking sun, they prove slightly less practical when faced with a greasy surface. That's not to say they don't serve a purpose. For the right conditions, they are fine footwear, just make sure you're careful about when you use them. And if you're anticipating a wet summer then don't worry. The Puma Calibre also comes in a full spike version ideal for those soggy saturdays in April. Nick Miller