The Return

Adidas has been the talk of the market this year. The relaunch of a proper Predator, as well as the marketing and performances that surround it, has put the Three Stipes at the forefront of everyone’s mind when it comes to football boots. The fact that the new Predator not only looks the part but also performs has no doubt helped. It would be a stretch to say that the return of the F50 name is more difficult, but at the same time considering the success of the Predator the onus was on adidas to not mess this up. After all, the X series had its fair share of hits (and misses), though it never had the same big name history as the F50. In spite of any pressure adidas may have had with the return of the F50, they have absolutely delivered a boot worthy of the name.

Fit and Feel

Out of the box, the upper does feel a lot different when compared to the previous X Crazyfast. It is slightly stiffer, but pleasingly this stiffness disappears within the first session of wearing the boots and the Fibertouch upper even has some stretch to it, similar to the Hybridtouch 2.0. Another difference between the Crazyfast and the newest adidas F50 Elite is that the F50 is has a slightly thicker upper. This is due in part to the Sprintweb texturing but even in areas where there is no texturing, it still is thicker. This is a positive however as the newer F50 has far less overall volume than the Crazyfast and the fit is better and more streamlined across the boot. It also delivers a better touch than the last generation X, but this will be covered later.

The Compression Fit Tunnel is also an excellent addition to the boot as it provides additional lockdown without feeling like it gets in the way. It definitely helps with lockdown, but it does not get in the way or provide any awkward feeling inside of the boot. The Compression Fit Tunnel feels like a modern interpretation of the TPU Techfit support bands that was found in the first adiZero in 2010. Which in itself was a modern interpretation of the woven bands found on the original F50 in 2004. Basically, the Compression Fit Tunnel has these bands of support included on the material that prevents the material from overstretching, which helps enhance the lockdown.

As a result of the Fibertouch upper and the Compression Fit Tunnel, there is this very nice, streamlined fit in the adidas F50 Elite. The boot feels like it is designed specifically for your foot and the only awkward spot is a slight bulge around the ankle that goes away the more the boot is broken in. On a personally note, it is probably the best fitting boot I have worn this year, even better than the Predator FT, which considering how much I enjoy the fit of the Predators is surprising.

Adidas also deserves a lot of praise for how they have designed the heels on the F50 Elite. At first there were some slight hotspots towards the upper part of the heel, but this did not result in any blisters and went away the more the boots are worn. The heel has much less cushioning versus the Crazyfast, but it feels a lot more refined, and it wraps the back of the heel and keeps it locked in without feeling overly bulky, as was the case in the Crazyfast. Adidas seem to have really worked out their heel fits and this is another part of the F50 that I prefer over the Predators.

Like a lot of classic F50s, the new F50 Elite comes with two different insoles. While the lightweight insole is comfortable enough, the cushion insole is definitely the preferred option as it is more comfortable. It should be noted as well that the soleplate does not really have any stud pressure, and this is because there is a good amount of distribution of the pressure because of the well-designed soleplate.

There is a slight amount of lacebite because the tongue is so thin, but at the same time it is not as noticeable as the boot is broken in. While the adidas F50 Elite does not quite have a proper floating tongue, the fact that it is not a one-piece upper and the central lacing system means there is some decent adjustability to the fit, which allows the boot to fit multiple foot shapes.

Lastly, it has to be noted how high quality the F50 feels in hand and on feet. Similar to the current Predator, adidas seems to have put a lot of effort into making their boots feel premium. This is something I feel has been missing from boots over the past several years (with obvious exceptions) and it is a welcome change, especially given the price of boots these days. Praise has to also be given to how soft the upper gets after a few wears and it is still very reactive yet comfortable at the same time.

As far as sizing, I went with my normal size in adidas which is half a size down from normal. The boots run slightly long. Not everyone will need to go a half size down especially if you have wider feet, but for me a half size down fits best. It should be noted that this is what I did with the Predators.

Touch

One of the impressive things about the upper of the adidas F50 Elite is how it manages to feel like it enhances the touch on the ball. A large part of this is down to the Sprintweb texturing on the upper. It has this slightly grippy feel on the ball that allows for better control in various conditions. It is obviously nowhere near as grippy as the Predators, but definitely more than the previous Crazyfast. This is another part of the boot that feels like an improvement upon grip elements that were found on previous generations of the F50, specifically the 2014 adiZero. Even on the parts of the boot that does not have the Sprintweb texturing, there is still a slight tackiness on the Fibertouch. Unlike some other boots on the market however, it does not really require much adjustment and after a few touches, the boot feels good to go.

Even when dribbling at speed, the texturing feels like a benefit and not a drawback as the material is placed in a way that helps add to the feel on the ball and gives this very confident feeling when touching the ball. It is not barefoot, but at the same time it does not feel bulky or cumbersome in any way. Again, personally, this has one of my favourite touches on the ball out of all of the boots I have tested this year.

The soft upper means that the touch on the ball can feel pretty deft and gets very close to that excellent feel on the ball that the X Speedflow but it can be argued that this F50 Elite has a better touch as one of the drawbacks of the Speedflow upper is that it could feel slick in wet conditions whereas the F50 does not suffer from such problems because of the Sprintweb texturing.

Passing and Shooting

In close spaces, the F50 performs well, with the upper providing that bit extra on the ball when making quick, short passes without getting in the way of what the player is trying to do on the ball. When it comes to long balls the boot feels very precise and there is no clumsiness when hitting the ball with power. Long balls and curled crosses feel awesome to pull off in the F50. There is a certain enjoyment to be had and this is one of the reasons the boot feels fun to play in.

Of course, it would not be as impressive if shooting was not fun in the boots, but this is not the case as it is equally enjoyable to place shots and it is to hammer the ball with power. There is a slight pingy sensation on the ball when shooting, but it does not feel as raw as some other speed boots. However, it is still extremely satisfying to shoot with the F50s as the upper and grip texturing combine well. I also found it a bit easier to make the ball knuckle compared to other boots. In any case, shooting and hitting long balls are really enjoyable in the boots.

The outsole deserves a quick shoutout as well because it does a great job of anchoring the foot into the ground when shooting and it has a nice balance to it that never makes it feel uncomfortable or weird when hitting the ball.

Grip

This is another part of the boot that adidas has absolutely nailed. There is plenty of grip available for straightline speed, but at the same time the boot feels very agile and allows for quick changes in direction. Now, some people might prefer a more aggressive soleplate, but the fact of the matter is the new soleplate can be worn by a lot more people with a lot of different playstyles without feeling cumbersome. As someone who relies (well moreso when I was younger) on speed and a lot of quick changes in direction, this new F50 soleplate feels excellent. Add this to the fact that even though it is a firm ground soleplate, it still feels good on artificial ground and hard ground.

In fact, it can be argued (by me, specifically) that this is one of adidas’ best soleplates since the GambaTrax soleplate used by Messi. Sure, it is not as responsive as some of the X soleplates but at the same time the F50 did not always have super responsive soleplates, and this feels more like an F50 plate than an X soleplate, although some of the studs have been taken directly from the X Speedflow plate. As we (me and BootWizard) have argued on our podcast, which go watch and subscribe by the way, speedboots needed to change to better accommodate their audience and I would argue that the soleplate is one of those changes that has been needed.

Versus Other Speedboots

A lot people have asked me about comparisons to various other Speed boots on the market. While there is a new Vapor on the way, it would be better to compare F50 to the new Vapor 16 versus the 15 as one, they’ll be more directly competing with each other and two, I do not have enough experience with the Vapor 15 to give a proper answer. Though from what I have experienced on the Vapor 15, I prefer the F50 because of its soleplate, upper, lockdown and overall performance.

When it comes to the Mizuno Alpha Japan (one of my favourite boots on the market), it comes down to what you are looking for. I would argue that the Alpha has better lockdown because of the ZeroGlide material on the inside of the boot. The quality of the Alpha is also better and it has a stronger springback and a more aggressive soleplate. However, I find the F50 to be more multifunctional and the upper on the F50 is softer while also being a bit grippier.

Versus the Puma Ultra, well we will see what the upcoming Ultra is like soon it seems.

As for other speed boots, the Skechers Razor has a thicker upper and a more aggressive soleplate, but less springback versus the F50 and has a more specific fit that might not work for everyone.

To sum up, the F50 is my favourite out of all of the Speed boots on the market at the moment.

Conclusion

Adidas has once again delivered another hit this year with the F50 Elite and given us a boot worthy of the F50 name. The upper is soft and has excellent texturing, the solepate is grippy but still very agile and the boot overall is comfortable without sacrificing performance. While some may see it as not a “proper” speed boot, I would argue that this is what a modern speed boot should be: high performance, high quality and inclusive of all sorts of players who have different demands of their boots. It can be argued that this is somewhat like what the F50 has always been about, lightweight performance that offers a more alternative to everything else in the speed boot space. Rather than conforming to the crowd, the new adidas F50 Elite sets itself apart and for me at least, it is the best speed boot on the market and worthy of the name.

What do you think about adidas F50 Elite? Please share this with your friends and make sure to follow me on Instagram and Facebook! Also make sure to check out the Football Boot Hour Podcast on YouTube!

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