Better than the Original

We are currently experiencing a consistent wave of remakes in the past several years to the point where most major brands are bringing back various models from their past catalogues. While some brands have had their own excellent remakes, especially Mizuno with their Wave Cup and Wave Ignitus remakes, most people will agree that adidas is the current leader when it comes to relaunching old models.

For the most part this focus has been on the Predator line, with the F50 getting some nice pieces every now and then, However, we now have a remake of what I and many others consider once of the boots that changed the market the most when it released, the first F50 adiZero. There is a definite before 2010 adiZero market and a post-2010 adiZero market. For me, and a lot of others, the boot remains a beloved piece of boot history, especially in the leather model. Finally, we have gotten what we wanted in the form of the adidas F50 Elite Leather 2010 Remake. And for me, it is better than the originals.

Fit and Feel

Obviously, the best place to start is with the leather. If feels much softer than the originals did out of the box and this comes down to the fact that adidas has used a calf leather here instead of the Goleo leather (apparently Oxhide) found on the originals. While you can make a point that the originals might feel more durable because they used a tougher leather, I appreciate that adidas seems to have wanted to use one of softest leathers possible for this remake.

That being said, there have been no issues with durability so far, but given the softness of the leather I do recommend they be properly taken care of like a more classic leather boot. This will help enhance the longevity of the boots.

The nice thing about this softer leather is that the break in time on these remakes is very quick. Within thirty minutes the boots felt fully ready for action, and I have not had any issues with hotspots or the like. It is also appreciated that there is a bit of stretch to the boot because this means that the leather properly forms around the shape of the foot properly and stops it from having any awkward bulges.

It is because of this that the overall fit of the F50 leather remake is very good, and it follows the shape of the foot well. While the lacing system is off-centered, it is quite deep and allows for a lot of adjustability. This means that the boot can be adjusted to fit a majority of different foot types with relative ease.

We have to talk about the heel, of course. For me personally, the heel does not give any issues. While it is not as narrow as the originals, on feet there are no issues for me. I have heard that for some people they feel the heel is too wide, but I have not had any problems. I do recommend wearing grip socks to help with this, and the laces need to be tied fairly snug to help as well. However, the heel is just kind of there. Sure, it comes be more padded, but some people would probably have an issue with this as it would not be as true to the originals. The heels are lower cut than a lot of modern boots, so keep that in mind if you want a pair.

The overall lockdown is pretty good. My feet do not feel as if they are shifting around inside of the boot while playing. The laces are also nice and feel very close to the originals, even if they are just the same as the current F50 ones. I also appreciate that similar to the originals the tongue is a bit thicker than on a normal F50, which helps eliminate lacebite. The included insoles are fairly standard and provide enough cushioning to be comfortable.

For sizing, the boots run long so go half a size down from normal.

On The Ball

Something that I think a lot of brands do not appreciate these days is why leather speed boots are/were so popular. For example, when the F50 adiZero first released in 2010, where I worked the leather sold around 6/7 pairs for every one synthetic sold. This trend of the leather outselling the synthetic continued until the 2014 adiZero when it became more even. Still, to this day there is a reason why leather speed boots are still held in such high regard and that is down to the touch on the ball. Yes, a synthetic will almost always have a thinner touch on the ball. But it cannot beat leather for the natural sensation with the ball.

This trend continues with the adidas F50 Elite 2010 Leather Remake. The upper on these remakes is far softer than what is found on the current F50. It becomes immediately obvious that the touch on the ball in these F50 remakes is superb. It offers a very sensual and soft feel on the ball that even some leather boots on the market can struggle with.

While visually the boots look like the leather is very padded, on feet the leather is fairly thin. There is not a lot between the foot and the ball. I find that I much prefer this feeling over the current F50 Elite. It is crazy to think that for a fifteen-year-old boot, the overall package still has so much to offer.

The touch on the ball is where I think the remake exceeds what was offered on the originals. Again, the leather is softer here and therefore the touch on the ball is nicer. This is not to say that the originals did not have a great touch on the ball – far from it – but the use of a softer leather in the form of calf leather means that the feel on the ball is more enhanced versus the original leather adiZero.

Touches on the ball are straightforward, and there is nothing surprising when controlling the ball, but this is the way I like it most of the time. I would not call it no nonsense, it’s more elegant than that. But it also means that what you put in is what you get out. For me, because the leather is so soft, it gives me that extra bit of confidence when striking or controlling the ball.

Being a natural leather also means that there is no ping when hitting the ball with power, but there does not need to be. It is just delightful to hit the ball with power in these leather remakes. I appreciate the work that went into keeping it simple as there was surely a temptation to change things up.

The soleplate also has to be brought up here because I love this soleplate when it comes to dragging and controlling the ball with the bottom of my feet. It is a lovely soleplate and is my favourite from adidas’ current lineup. The soleplate also provides good anchoring when hitting the ball. If you have read enough of my reviews, you know this is something that is very important to me.

Grip

Again, this is my favourite adidas soleplate, probably since the Speedflow soleplate, which I really enjoyed. This is also another part of the boot that makes it better than the original F50 adiZero. The original soleplate was very light and had a pretty good layout, but I always found the positioning of the middle stud to be awkward. It was placed a bit too far back for my liking. The current F50 plate used on these remakes could be argued that it only needs one middle stud, but as I mentioned before, I really enjoy using this soleplate for controlling the ball.

While some people might prefer the more direct aggressiveness of the original plate, I think the new one is better balanced. It offers plenty of grip while still allowing for easy pivoting, and it works well on multiple surfaces. It is also more durable than the original plate because that one was so thin that it could tear/crack easily. The newer plate also feels more supportive overall and does not torsion awkwardly.

This might be a wild take considering the soleplate and the way it was designed is what changed the market when it was first released, but using the current F50 soleplate on this remake only goes to show how far we have come in soleplate tech over the years.

Conclusion

The adidas F50 Elite Leather 2010 Remake is probably my favourite remake adidas has done. They have done so much right with the design while staying true to the spirit of the original. The choice of softer calf leather, as well as using the current F50 soleplate on it means that for me this remake performs better than the original and is a better boot overall. I would probably like to see at least one more colourway launch in these, but I hope they do not overdo it because these are a very special remake, and I do not want the market to be flooded with these. It is awesome that these have been brought back because it means that so many people can experience what was so great about the first adiZero in the first place. These are not just an excellent remake, but an excellent boot overall.

What do you think of the adidas F50 Elite Leather 2010 Remake? Make sure to share this with your friends and please follow me on Instagram!

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