Nike CTR360Every Generation
Fàbregas running the midfield. Iniesta's World Cup winner. The numbered Lights Out farewell. Every Nike CTR360 Maestri, from 2009 to the 2023 remake.
By Boots Plug · Updated October 2026
The lineup, from our own pairs: Maestri, Maestri II, Maestri III, the 2014 Lights Out and the 2023 remake.
The Lineup
Swipe ▸The Nike CTR360 was Nike's control boot for midfielders, from 2009 to 2014. It had three generations, all called Maestri: the Maestri (October 2009), the Maestri II (January 2011) and the Maestri III (July 2012). The Magista replaced it in 2014. In June 2023 Nike remade the Maestri III.
CTR360 Maestri
Our Pair: Red/BlackOne goal. Four assists. Arsenal 6–2 Blackburn, October 2009. Fàbregas couldn't have given the first CTR360 a better debut.
2010 World Cup Winner Nine months later, Iniesta scored the winner in the final in the Elite version of this boot.
Two raised pads on the forefoot to cushion the first touch, a pass pad on the instep and off-centre laces.
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Nike built the CTR360 around Fàbregas and launched it on 1 October 2009 at the Emirates, as a new kind of Nike boot: one for control, next to its speed, accuracy and heritage lines. The Blackburn game was that weekend. Maestri is Italian for master. The goal was 360° control.
The upper is Kanga-Lite, a synthetic made to feel like kangaroo leather and take in 20% less water. Memory foam pads sit on the forefoot. The front studs are dual-density for trapping, the heel studs sharper. Around £120.
For the 2010 World Cup came the Elite, launched in Metallic Mach Purple/Total Orange: a carbon fibre plate, 19% lighter, at £225. Fàbregas, Iniesta, Mascherano, Milner and Ashley Cole were down to wear it. In the final, Fàbregas set up Iniesta's winner. The reports name the boot, not the colour he wore.
One weak spot: the heel could rub. The Maestri II fixed that.
The Ones We Still Chase- Red/Black (launch)
- Team Red/Metallic Gold
- Elite World Cup Purple/Orange
- Elite Black/White/Retro
- Elite Blue Sapphire
CTR360 Maestri II
Our Pair: Launch ColoursSame Maestri, a few smart changes: a new pass pad, lower laces and a softer heel. Nike didn't need to start again.
The instep pad is split in two, with fins. Otherwise it looks a lot like the first Maestri.
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Players had it first. Fàbregas debuted it at Old Trafford in December 2010, on a custom plate. Shops took pre-orders that month in Challenge Red/White/Black, and it was on sale from 1 January 2011. £130, up from £120.
The split pad borrowed ideas from the T90 Laser III. The forefoot pads got a small reshape. Suede and extra padding in the heel stopped the rubbing, and the lower laces gave a tighter fit.
The Elite came in red and white: carbon fibre plate, 19% lighter, around £225. Song and Wilshere wore the Maestri II too. Fàbregas kept it at Barcelona until he signed for Puma in September 2011. In May 2012 it got a Clash Collection pair for Euro 2012, white at the front and blue at the back.
The Ones We Still Chase- Challenge Red/White/Black (launch)
- Black/White/Challenge Red
- White/Silver/Purple
- Dark Shadow/Volt
- Blue/White/Blue
- Black/White/Orange
- Clash Collection
CTR360 Maestri III
Our Pair: Citrus · 2013Iniesta led the Maestri III, and his feedback shaped it. New control fins, a dimpled forefoot and ACC: the biggest change the CTR360 ever had.
Eight raised fins on the instep instead of a pad, and a dimpled forefoot instead of raised pads.
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Fàbregas had signed for Puma in 2011, so Iniesta fronted this one, with Wilshere and Ganso. Revealed in July 2012 in Sonic Yellow/Black, with Black/White/Crimson next. Pre-orders from 24 July, in shops from 1 August. £145 for FG.
Nike's first boot with All Conditions Control (ACC): the same grip on the ball, wet or dry. A softer Kanga-Lite 2.0 upper. The plate has round studs on the inside and blades on the outside, for turning. There was an SG-Pro version, but no carbon Elite this time.
Then the colours kept coming: Citrus in January 2013, Mint/Black/Lime that spring, Blue/Volt for 2013/14 and an orange pair at the end of 2013.
The Ones We Still Chase- Sonic Yellow/Black (launch)
- Black/White/Crimson
- Citrus/White/Black
- Mint/Black/Lime
- Blue/Volt/Black
- Orange/Black
Lights Out
Special Edition · 1 Of 2,500April 2014. The Magista had already been revealed. Nike turned the lights off on the CTR360 with one more Maestri III: all black, 2,500 pairs, every one numbered.
Every heel has its own number, laser-etched. Plus a gold Swoosh on the insole and white-tipped laces.
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It dropped in early April 2014 at $225, the final colourway of the line. Nike said it wouldn't keep developing the CTR360, but wanted a proper send-off. Why black? Players like the secrecy of blacked-out sample boots, and the first CTR sample was black.
The Magista took over. Nike revealed it in Barcelona in March 2014, with Iniesta as its face. The CTR360 had lasted five years and three generations.
↑ All GenerationsMade for the ones who pass.
Fàbregas. Iniesta. Mascherano. No speed tricks, just a boot built around touch and control. Three generations, then Nike called time. If we could keep one CTR360? The original red and black Maestri. Easy.
The Maestri III, Remade
2023 RemakeEleven years later, the yellow Maestri III was back. A limited drop in June 2023, in the yellow and black it launched in. Same tech, same plate.
Check the code. Nike sold the 2023 pair as the CTR360 Maestri III FG SE, style code FD3803-710.
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On sale from 19 June 2023 at Pro:Direct, at £225. Footy Headlines had leaked it in February.
SoccerBible called it an exact recreation of the OG: Kanga-Lite 2.0 and the 3D fins. Footy Headlines lists ACC and says the soleplate matches the original too.
↑ All GenerationsOriginal Or Remake
The 2023 pair copies the 2012 launch pair, plate included, so the look alone won't tell you. Check these.
Original · 2013Remake · 2023Two different colours, shown for the shape. The colour is not the tell.
The Code
The 2023 remake is FD3803-710. Look on the box label and the size label inside. A 2012 pair has a different, older code.
The Name
Nike sold the remake as the Maestri III FG SE (Special Edition).
Not The Colour Name
Shops listed the remake as Sonic Yellow, the same name as 2012. Go by the code.
One Remake Colour
We know of one 2023 remake colourway: yellow and black.
Which CTR360 Is Which
Maestri, II or III? Look at the instep.
Maestri
One pass pad on the instep.
Maestri II
The pad is split in two.
Maestri III
Eight raised fins, no pad.
Lights Out
All black, a number on the heel.
At A Glance
| Boot | Year | Upper | Worn By |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maestri | 2009 | Kanga-Lite | Fàbregas, Iniesta |
| Maestri II | 2011 | Kanga-Lite | Fàbregas, Wilshere |
| Maestri III | 2012 | Kanga-Lite 2.0, ACC | Iniesta, Wilshere |
| Lights Out | 2014 | As Maestri III, all black | – |
| Remake | 2023 | As Maestri III | – |
Questions
How does the Nike CTR360 fit?
Snug. The Maestri II fits tighter than the first Maestri, with laces that go lower, and one reviewer found it ran about half a size small because of a small toe box. The Maestri III runs about half a size small too, so reviewers suggest going half a size up.
Is the Nike CTR360 good for wide feet?
The Maestri III is moderately wide, so most feet fit unless yours are very wide. The Maestri II is close to a normal width. The cheaper Trequartista II fits a little wider than the Maestri II.
When did the Nike CTR360 come out?
October 2009. Nike launched the CTR360 Maestri on 1 October 2009, and Fàbregas first wore it against Blackburn that weekend.
How many Nike CTR360 generations are there?
Three, all called Maestri: the Maestri (2009), Maestri II (2011) and Maestri III (2012). Nike also remade the Maestri III in 2023.
What does CTR360 mean?
It was Nike's control boot, and the aim was "360° control". Maestri is Italian for master.
Did Iniesta score the 2010 World Cup winner in the CTR360?
Yes. Iniesta wore the Nike Elite CTR360 Maestri in the 2010 World Cup final and scored the winner, set up by Fàbregas. More on the Maestri.
What's the difference between the CTR360 Maestri and the Maestri II?
Small changes. The Maestri II (2011) split the instep pass pad in two, with fins, added suede and padding in the heel, and took the laces lower for a tighter fit. Both use Kanga-Lite.
What's the difference between the Maestri II and the Maestri III?
The Maestri III (2012) swapped the pass pad for eight raised fins and the raised forefoot pads for dimples. It added ACC and a softer Kanga-Lite 2.0, with round studs inside and blades outside.
What is Kanga-Lite?
The synthetic upper on every CTR360 Maestri. Nike made it to feel like kangaroo leather, last longer and take in 20% less water. The Maestri III got a softer Kanga-Lite 2.0.
What is the CTR360 Elite?
The top version, with a carbon fibre soleplate and about 19% lighter. It came on the Maestri (May 2010, for the World Cup) and the Maestri II. There was no carbon Elite Maestri III.
What is the CTR360 Lights Out?
An all-black Maestri III from April 2014, limited to 2,500 pairs, each numbered on the heel. It was the final colourway of the CTR line. More on Lights Out.
Is the 2023 CTR360 a remake?
Yes. Nike re-released the Maestri III on 19 June 2023 as a limited edition, a remake of the 2012 yellow and black launch pair, with the same soleplate.
How do I tell a 2012 Maestri III from the 2023 remake?
Check the code on the box and the size label. The 2023 remake is the Maestri III FG SE, style code FD3803-710. A 2012 pair has an older code. The look, plate and even the "Sonic Yellow" name used by shops are the same, so go by the code. More on the remake.
What replaced the Nike CTR360?
The Nike Magista, revealed in March 2014. The Lights Out Maestri III (April 2014) was the CTR line's final colourway.
What's the difference between the Maestri and the Trequartista?
The Trequartista was the cheaper version. The Trequartista II has no Kanga-Lite, a thicker padded upper and a simpler pass pad, on the same stud pattern as the Maestri II.
Who wore the Nike CTR360?
Cesc Fàbregas was the face of the first Maestri and the Maestri II. Andrés Iniesta, Javier Mascherano and James Milner wore the first one. Iniesta, Jack Wilshere and Ganso led the Maestri III.
How do I tell which CTR360 I have?
Check the instep. One pass pad: Maestri. A pad split in two, with fins: Maestri II. Eight raised fins and a dimpled forefoot: Maestri III. All black with a number on the heel: Lights Out.
In Stock Now
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Nike CTR360 Maestri III FG Limited Edition£349.99
Nike CTR360 Maestri III FG£249.99
Nike CTR360 Maestri III FG Limited Edition£399.99
Nike CTR 360 Maestri III FG£349.99
Nike CTR360 Maestri III FG£349.99
Nike CTR 360 Maestri III SG-PRO£299.99
Nike CTR360 Maestri III SG-PRO£249.99
Nike CTR360 Maestri III FG£399.99Some boots you never forget. We're still finding them.
Every pair checked by us before it ships.
Shop All CTR360 →By the Boots Plug team · Our Story ›