Two steps forwards, one big step backwards

Thanks to Tokyo Football Singapore for providing me with the boots to review! Socks are also the TF Grip socks AIR.

Over the past couple of years, the Mizuno Alpha has been recognized among many boot enthusiasts as one of, if not the, best speed boot on the market. There have been good reasons for this. The fit, touch on the ball, and the overall performance made the first Alpha stand above a lot of other speed boots on the market. The Alpha is unapologetically a hardcore speed boot, yet it did not fall victim to classic speed boot issues like being uncomfortable or causing foot pair, blisters and the like.

It is absurd how popular the boot has become in context of Mizuno’s overall popularity. With the release of the Mizuno Alpha 2 Japan, Mizuno has made sure that even if you are only somewhat interested in football boots, you will probably have heard of it. This is testament to Mizuno’s rising stature in the game, and the excitement of people to see what Mizuno has created. In a lot of ways, the Alpha 2 shows why this excitement is justified. In other ways, Mizuno may have created a problem with people’s expectations given what the Alpha 2 is.

Fit and Feel

The second part of that statement makes sense when first unboxing the Alpha 2. While the presentation of the boots from Mizuno has always been nice, getting the boots in hand fresh from the box is somewhat of a shock. This is because the upper feels noticeably stiffer out of the box versus the previous model. Mizuno possibly could have wanted to make the boot feel more solid and durable, but it still feels like a bizarre choice.

Of course, a lot of the changes with the Alpha 2 cannot be seen without tearing the boot apart, since many of the changes are to the material composition of the upper. But some of the changes are noticeable when first getting the boots on for the first time. The overall shape of the boots feels improved versus the original. The front of the toebox is more rounded and it means the toes do not feel as cramped as the original model. The toebox is also taller than the original and while this initially seems like a good thing, this feeling changes when it comes to touch on the ball (more on that later).

Even worse is the fact that this taller toebox means that there is dead space on top of the toes and no matter the size, the boots do not fully feel like they fit the foot. I would have liked Mizuno to keep the toe height from the first model and just made the toebox more rounded.

When I tested the original Alpha, I was impressed with how quickly the upper broke in. Unfortunately the Alpha 2 is a massive step backwards when it comes to this. It makes no sense why Mizuno decided to make the upper so much stiffer and as a consequence of this, even after three to three and a half hours of play the upper felt barely broken in. I have heard that the other colourways are not as bad. But it is still very frustrating that the headline colourway of a brand new boot is so stiff.

One very obvious change is the fact that the entire of the inside of the boot is now lined with ZeroGlide, Mizuno’s proprietary grip material. What this does is absolutely lock the foot into the boot. It is not a stretch to say that the Mizuno Alpha 2 Japan has the best lockdown of any boot on the market. It is absurd how locked in the foot feels in the boot and even during play, the foot feels anchored in place.

Thankfully, Mizuno has decided to not change the shape or feet of the heel, because the heel shape from the original was great for a speed boot and it continues to be one of the best when it comes to the overall fit. It is also more substantial than other speed boots on the market without feeling overly bulky and offers some decent to good cushioning.

Something that is quite frustrating though is how cheap the laces feel. Mizuno makes ZeroGlide laces that are of far higher quality and yet the fact that they are not included with the Alpha 2 Japan seems like either a bizarre oversight or a decision on Mizuno’s part to cheap out on the laces. Given the expensive prices of the Alpha 2 outside of Japan (£300.00 in the UK, €330 in the EU and $320 in the US), then surely Mizuno can toss in a nicer pair of the laces. The choice to go with black laces for the launch colour is also bizarre as it makes them seem like an afterthought. Mizuno should have maybe created a custom colour for the launch colourway, making the boots feel that much more special.

Another frustration with the boots is the sizing. Now, Mizuno boots have been running longer for around five years now and the Alpha 2 Japan seems to be no exception. Except that is only for some people. Other people fit best true to size. While I personally went half a size down from normal, I also did this with the previous generation of the Alpha. It is because of this that my recommendation is if you wore the previous generation, go with the same size. If you have never worn the Alpha, go half a size down.

Touch

There are some clever things going on with the touch on the ball in the Mizuno Alpha 2 Japan. The flatter surfaces of the upper have just enough friction on them to be noticeable while the caged structure on the upper has some raised texture on it that must have been difficult to create. It is a nice touch that is very impressive and must have been a pain to engineer and get right.

On the ball this translates to having a super close to the ball feel and yet it is accentuated by the slight grip on the upper. In wet conditions it is more noticeable, and it gives this ever so slight extra confidence on the ball. It is not as grippy as something like GripKnit, or even the current F50, but it is noticeable to enough to the point that you appreciate it when controlling the ball in adverse conditions.

The Runbird logo on the outside of the foot has a slightly different feel to the rest of the upper, meaning if you dribble with the ball on this part of the foot, you might notice it. Again, it is not overly obvious unless you go looking for it. It also means that the logo was put on the upper after the first part of the upper was created. If you dribble with the tips of your toes however, that raised toe becomes much more obvious to the point that for me I find it to be distracting, and the boot loses that thin feeling on the ball that the rest of boot has.

When keeping the ball up in the air with the top of the foot, like when juggling, there is this flat slapping sound that dulls the touch on the ball, and it makes the boots feel and sound cheap.

Passing and Shooting

The general passing experience is good, and that thin upper means there is almost nothing between the foot and the ball. It is also appreciated that the upper is (mostly) consistent so that there is no weird bulk or extras to try and enhance the feel on the ball when passing. It is relatively no fuss so no issues here.

Hitting the ball with any sort of power provides somewhat of a pingy sensation. It is not overly pingy as some older speed boots, but if you are looking for that feeling you will find a bit of that here. Again, the thin upper is a bonus here if you want that feeling and it is one of the ways that the Mizuno Alpha 2 Japan feels like a throwback speed boot.

This rawer feeling is obvious when shooting the ball. Since there is almost nothing between the foot and the ball it feels like the power transfers immediately. Interestingly, a combination of the ever so slight friction on the upper and the overall thinness means that striking deadballs in the boots feels fairly satisfying overall. This is not something I was expecting going into this review.

Unfortunately, the raised toebox raises its ugly head here as well. When striking the ball on the volley towards the tips of the toes, you can feel the upper crease and compress under the ball and the strikes do not feel as “clean” as you would hope for a boot with such a thin upper. It is pretty frustrating.

Grip

Mizuno has toned down the KaRVO inset in the Alpha 2 Japan after professional feedback. But this does not mean that the soleplate is a slouch, and the difference is barely noticeable. There is still a lot of springback and the boot really propels you forward when sprinting. It is a simple and useful part of the boot and something other brands can learn from.

The rest of the soleplate has not changed at all and there is no issue with this as while the soleplate is not overly aggressive, it still offers plenty of grip for multidirectional movement and for me I find it more reactive than a lot of other speed boots on the market.

There have also been no changes to the stud shape itself which I have no issues on artificial or hard ground pitches, but I can understand why other people will prefer the AG soleplate option. It is down to knowing what your body can handle.

The problem(s)

That stiff upper kills so much of the Alpha 2’s potential. It feels like a modern take on a classic speed boot upper and I do not mean that in a good way. It is nowhere near as pliable as it should be, and it makes the boot feel cheaper than it should be. I had to double check that I got the Japan model because it was so stiff out of the box.

I am sure that some people will love the new upper as there is absolutely still demand for a more classic speed boot feel. And to be fair, in that way the Alpha 2 is a great call while being more comfortable and having a better playing experience than speed boots of old.

But speed boots have changed drastically over the past couple of years and expectations have changed as well. Again, there is absolutely still a market for crazier, more hardcore speed boots but both the Vapor and F50 have changed to be far more multifaceted, and I would argue that the F50 series was never even a speed boot until the release of the adiZero in 2010.

However, these changes of expectations have certainly happened with me, as well. The ASICS X Fly Pro 3 is categorized as a speed boot and yet while it is not as hardcore as the Alpha 2, the overall performance is higher in my opinion, and I would rather have the X Fly Pro 3 in my matchday bag as a speed boot option.

Thinking again, even the more hardcore speed boot options like the Sokito Scudetta has made me rethink expectations for a speed boot. The Scudetta is softer, easier to break in and yet still offers a very speedboot like experience for almost half the price of the Alpha 2 Japan. I would argue that even the fit of the Scudetta is better overall for my foot.

In some ways, I think myself, and some others, have changed what we demand of our boots and the current speed boots on the market reflect that. Maybe my opinion would be different if Mizuno had not messed with the upper so much, but I am not totally sure. Either way, it will be something to keep an eye on over the next few years as the market continues to change.

Conclusion

In many ways the Mizuno Alpha 2 Japan is a good step forward for the series. The internal lining being switched to ZeroGlide is a great move and the rounder toebox means that the toes are not as tight as the previous model. The boot is also still comfortable overall, which is a wild thing for such a hardcore speed boot.

Unfortunately, not everything is so great. The upper is too stiff and a huge step back from the previous generation and that raised toe is completely unnecessary. It is frustrating as I loved the original Alpha but just have not been as impressed as I thought I would be with the Alpha 2. There are people who will love the new upper of course, but I feel that overall expectations of what a speedboot should and can have changed and Mizuno seem a bit behind the times.

Don’t get me wrong, the performance of the boot overall is excellent but the pricing and the fact that Mizuno have cheapened out on something as the laces are a cause for concern.

I do recommend the Alpha 2 Japan, but with caveats. It is a great boot, but with an asterisk.

Thank you again to Tokyo Football Singapore for providing me with the boots! Make sure to grab your Alpha 2 (or any other Japan market boots) from them as their prices are far better than the European and American markets. This is one of the reasons I teamed up with them for this review. At their prices, the Alpha 2 Japan makes much more sense. Clink the link here to be directed to their website!

What do you think of the Mizuno Alpha 2 Japan? Please share this with your friends and make sure to follow me on Instagram!

Also make sure to check out The Football Boot Hour, a podcast I co-host with BootWizard Boot Reviews on his YouTube channel!

じゃあね！