Three Morelia are better than one

The recent release of the Mizuno Morelia M8 Japan remake has led to questions about which Morelia is the best model overall. After all, we already have the regular Morelia II Japan and the limited-edition Morelia DNA Japan. So, it can be a bit confusing as to which one of the Morelia series boots is best to go with. A simple answer might be the regular Morelia II since it is the most balanced out of all the Morelia available at the moment. But that would also do a disservice to the Morelia M8 and the Morelia DNA. Which is why we will now look at all three in comparison.

Upper

The Morelia DNA and the Morelia M8 lead in this category over the Morelia II, since they are limited edition and you can tell that more effort was put into their uppers over the regular Morelia, which is (relatively) mass-produced. This is normal since limited edition models get a bit more attention during the production process. This is not to say that the regular Morelia II is a slouch. For me, it has the best leather out of any regular leather boots on the market.

Between the M8 and the DNA though, it does seem that the Morelia DNA has just a slight edge over the M8 model, with that special shimmer effect that is on the upper of the DNA makes it look that bit more premium and the leather feels a tad softer out of the box.

Fit

Things get interesting here. All three of the Morelia models have a slightly different fit from each other. The regular Morelia II has a great fit, but it is made for “average”-width feet. The deep lacing system allows for a ton of adjustability for many different foot types, which makes it the most flexible of the three models. The Morelia M8 is also somewhat adjustable because of the similar lacing system. However, the toebox has more volume that the regular model, which makes it better for those with wider feet. At the opposite of this, we have the Morelia DNA, which can still fit a variety of foot types but the soleplate used makes the boot more narrow through the middle and it pushes up on the arch of the foot more.

The heels of all three boots are also shaped differently. With the regular Morelia II, the heel is more snug than one might imagine and gives good lockdown. The Morelia M8 has the tallest of the three boots and it feels slightly wider than the regular Morelia. However, it does have that soft, brushed heel liner which feels great on the heels and helps with lockdown. In the Morelia DNA we find the narrowest fitting heel of the three. This is due to the external heel counter from the Morelia Neo 3’s soleplate that the DNA uses. Yet, it does not feel overly tight and fits nicely. We also find that brushed heel liner on the DNA as well.

Soleplate

Both the Morelia II and the M8 use the exact same soleplate, so performance and feel is the same between both the models here. The outlier is the Morelia DNA with it’s Morelia Neo 3 soleplate. This also means that the DNA has the most aggressive and responsive soleplate of the three boots. It reminds me somewhat of the older adidas adiPure SL models, which used the adidas F50 adiZero soleplate. This means that while the upper gives you that nice, classic boot feel, you still feel like you can play constantly on your toes. So, the three boot models give you two different options.

Conclusion

While there are many similarities, there are also more than a few differences that make each boot feel unique in its their own right. The Morelia M8 has the classic stand up tongue, which is reminiscent of boots from the late 80s and has a more retro feel and look to it. It also has the Mizuno ZeroGlide laces, which are fantastic and is a big plus in the M8’s favour. You have the standard Morelia II, which offers great performance and stands as the best modern classic leather boot on the market and then you have the Morelia DNA, which is more dynamic and responsive than its looks might seem to be. No matter the model of Morelia you pick, you have made the right choice, and I personally would be happy playing with any of the three.

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