An absurd proposition

If there is one thing that a lot of us boot heads have been wanting for a while now is for brands to go crazy with their high-end products. For a while, it has felt like brands have been playing it too safe. Car manufacturers often have “Halo” models which are less about making a normal car for everyone but instead something super specialized and over the top, just to prove the can. And in the boot world, we started to see that last year with the release of the adidas F50+ laceless. It seemed like a great idea, only to be frustratingly let down by the fact that adidas decided not to add laces. However, with the newest model of the adidas F50+, adidas have fixed that and have created a boot that is wild, but with a great execution.

Fit and Feel

Given that the F50+ model has the Lightstrike Pro tech in the soleplate, it would be understandable if the boots felt slightly heavier than others and a bit unbalanced in hand. However, the boots are still very lightweight, and while the foam tech in soleplate stands out, it does not look obnoxious in my opinion.

There have been some comparisons of the upper of the adidas F50+ with that of the Crazyfast+. While I can understand the comparison in terms of the thinness of the upper, the upper on the F50+ feels higher quality and more durable than the Crazyfast+. Part of the reason the newer seems more high quality might be because there is not really any perforation in the upper in the same way that the Crazyfast+ had, but I also feel that Sprintweb upper on the F50+ has a premium feel to it overall as it does not feel as flimsy.

While the tech in the boot takes some getting used to, the upper itself breaks in pretty quickly, only needing about a couple of sessions in the boots (about an hour and a half to hours) to feel mostly broken and ready to go. The upper gets surprisingly soft and malleable, but the midfoot retains it structure really well.

The heel cushioning is very nice on the boots, but the shape of the heel is wider than the standard F50. It seems that this may be down to the shaping of the soleplate overall, but I still would prefer a tighter heel fit, especially as the boots are so focused on speed, which needs good lockdown in order to make full use of the tech in the soleplate.

Speaking of the lockdown, it is ok, but I feel it should be better. Part of the issue is that the laces are so thin that I constantly worry that I will tear them apart if I pull them too hard. But laces are an easy fix. However, the other issue with the lockdown is that the laces do not go up high enough towards the ankle. Given that the soleplate is so high tech, it seems a bit weird that they did not bother to do more for the lacing set up. At least if there were some extra eyelets for a runner’s loop, then it would be better.

The other weird omission is the fact that the boot would really benefit from the Compression Fit Tunnel from the regular F50 to give the F50+ that extra bit of lockdown and security for the foot. In fact, if the F50+ had that feature and the normal F50 did not, it would make far more sense. A bizarre oversight.

The overall width is pretty good however, and there is plenty of adjustability in the lacing set in order to accommodate various foot shapes. However, if your feet are very wide, I think it is best to skip the boots as the upper itself as zero stretch to it. For my medium to narrow foot shape, the width is perfect. The shape of the soleplate also follows the width of the upper nicely, and there is not much awkward bulging in the upper while wearing the boots.

For sizing, I actually went to true to size, which for me is a 26.5 JP/UK 8/US 8.5/EU 42. Normally, for adidas boots I go a half size down, but partially because of the curve of the soleplate the boots run more true to size. So, go true to size if you are considering buying these.

On The Ball

While the F50 has not had too big an upgrade overall versus the model released last year, the new texturing on the Sprintweb upper gives some nice extra friction on the ball overall. I did not particularly feel that last year’s model was too slick, but I must admit I do prefer the new upper more. This is because I enjoy putting lots of spin on the ball, especially which crossing or shooting.

At the same time, driving the ball feels nice as well and the thin upper provides a great amount of feedback on the ball overall because the upper is so thin. Occasionally, there is a pingy sensation when hitting the ball, but that feeling is not always present. I think this is because of the way the texturing is laid out across the upper.

And unlike some brands (looking at you Nike!), adi are smart enough to have that texturing on the part of the boot that quite a few people use for dribbling. Even if it is a giant F50 logo. To be fair, it is a wild boot, so the giant branding makes sense visually, in my opinion. Anyways, back to dribbling. It is really nice because of how thin the upper is and there is a very direct feeling on the ball.

As one might expect, the Lightstrike Pro foam means that it does take a bit of getting used to. While it can feel awkward compared to other boots, I found that it did not take as long as I expected to get used to. And again, given the madness of this design, it is worth getting used to when it comes to very obvious difference that the boot’s headline feature makes.

Grip

Let’s finally talk about the performance of the Lightstrike Pro. It is one of the most absurd pieces of tech ever put on a boot. And I absolutely love it. There is an immediate noticeable difference as soon as I wear the boots. Even just taking a light jog the boots are pushing you forward. It is a ridiculous feeling and yet, also very impressive. The dual plates that the foam is wedged in between help with the energy return and I feel like I just need to keep going faster and faster to try and be fast enough for the boots. Sure, that last part is in my head, but if you run in the boots, you will immediately understand the feeling.

When I run side to side, it also takes getting used to and the plate is obviously designed for more straightforward sprinting. In spite of that, I actually think that it is still more reactive that most boots on the market. But again, like the rest of the boot, it does take some getting used to.

The grip itself is good, though definitely for softer firm ground pitches as the stiffness of the soleplate does not absorb a lot of pressure. I do not feel stud pressure, but I did find myself reaching for the comfort insoles when using the boots.

One of the things I think about the outsole, even when just looking at the boot, is that it seems very precisely made. What I mean is that it is obvious that ton of work went into making the sure the soleplate performs as wild as the looks promise. The design team and the development team both deserve a lot of credit for this one.

Conclusion

The adidas F50+ is a boot that probably should not exist. Adidas is probably not looking to move a ton of units, and there are no major players wearing the boots. But I am absolutely glad it does exist. Brands need to go crazier more often, and many can definitely be accused of playing it too safe with their designs. But the F50+ shows that it does not need to be that way, and I would argue that we are better off overall because if adidas is willing to take a gamble and make a boot that is more outlandish than others on the market. Surely other brands should look to do something similar. The adidas F50+ is one of the wildest boots I have ever worn. And does it ever deserve praise for what it does.

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