Still Special

The newest Mizuno Morelia UL (Ultra Light) is the latest in a sub series of the Morelia line up that separates itself from the standard boots by being lighter. While in its current form the new UL is only about fifteen grams lighter than the standard Morelia, in the past it used to be far lighter than the regular model, sometimes up to a 100 grams lighter. While the weight difference is not as great as it used to be, Mizuno has still taken some strides to make the Morelia UL feel special. It is maybe not as special as it once was, especially since the regular Morelia is now very lightweight for its style and even has a suede lining. Despite this, the Morelia UL is still a very unique boot in Mizuno’s line up and the market as a hole.

Fit and Feel

Just like any other Mizuno boot, the first thing to check when pulling the Morelia UL out of the box is the leather quality. And as one would expect, it is superb. It has that distinct leather treatment smell that is unique to Mizuno and is really soft out of the box. For me personally, I am a bit disappointed that Mizuno decided to use the regular stitch pattern on this UL rather than keeping the side stitching on the forefoot like previous UL models. I would have actually like to have seen the new cross stitch pattern used here, which I rate highly. However, the stitch pattern used is still really nice.

Putting that aside, there is also the fact that the upper is 100% kangaroo leather aside from the logo and some details. The regular Morelia II uses the BareFoot synthetic around the mouth of the boot, whereas on the UL it is full kangaroo leather and still feels like it wraps the ankle just that little bit better than the standard model.

Interestingly, the logos used on the side of the Morelia UL are a bit stiffer than the regular Morelia II and therefore there feels like there is slightly more stability when moving side to side in the boots, which does also mean that there is a feeling of having a little bit more of a secure fit in the UL. Not that the Morelia II does not offer that, but there is just enough difference to notice it, for me.

Like every other Morelia UL before it, the newest model has a lower cut heel than the regular model. It is even slightly lower cut than previous UL models. The actual shape at the top of the heel has changed as well. Whereas before the UL heel was just a lower cut version of the standard heel, it now comes to a rounded point. I could make an argument that this design change does offer a very small increase in lockdown in the heel, but it is probably more down to preference.

At the same time, the heel does not feel like the back of my foot will slip out of the boot. And despite its low cut, it is still comfortable. This is partially due to the excellent suede that Mizuno uses for the inside of the heel. It is also down to the overall shape of the heel being slightly wider than I would normally prefer. This is the same as I have found on the regular Morelia and just like the regular Morelia, I really wish Mizuno would add an extra lacehole at the top in order to do a runner’s knot. Again, the lockdown is good overall, but I can feel the bottom of my heel slightly move when I make really hard cuts. Another thing that is nice, however, is there is still some slight soft padding in the back of the heel.

While the UL uses a similar suede to the standard model, it does feel like the suede on the UL has a bit of grippiness to it that helps grip the sock. I hope that in future Mizuno decides to do this to all of the boots at the top end of their product line.

The overall lockdown of the boot is good, a part of this is down to the fact that the shaping and fit of the boot is excellent. Like the standard Morelia II, the UL is one of the best fitting boots on the market. There are no weird bulges, and the lacing system is deep and offers a lot of adjustability. This means the boots will fit a variety of foot shapes and widths. I also like the Wave lacing system that Mizuno uses. This system has the laces holes placed in a zig zag way which increases the overall fit and lockdown. It is also something that previous UL models did not have, so it is a very welcome addition here.

As for sizing, the Morelia UL has almost always run long, just like the current Morelia II. This means I went half a size down from my normal size and the fit is perfect. For reference, my normal size is a US 8.5/UK 7.5/EU 41/26.5cm. So, for the Morelia UL I went with a 26cm/US 8/UK 7/EU 40.5.

On the Ball

To the surprise of absolutely no-one, the Mizuno Morelia UL feels brilliant on the ball. The boot offers one of the best feeling on the ball in the market. It is very difficult to beat what the Morelia UL offers and while it does not have the same stitch pattern as previous Uls, it is still excellent. One of the few boots that can beat it is probably the cross-stitch Morelia II or Morelia II AG, of which I will review the cross-stitch Morelia FG at a later date. The fact that one of the few boots that is better than a Morelia is another Morelia (though personal preference will determine which one you feel is better) should really say how magnificent Mizuno executes the feel for the ball on its boots. I will also say that the forefoot feels just a little bit thinner than the standard Morelia.

As with any other Morelia model, there are not really any surprises when hitting the ball with power. It is solid, but still spectacular in its simple effectiveness. Also, Mizuno was probably the first brand that got me into appreciating the rough patterns on the bottom of the studs that make it easier to work the ball around with the bottom of my feet.

Grip

There is one surprise here, and it is the inverse of what the difference used to be between the soleplate of the Morelia II and the Morelia UL. That is that the stiffness of the soleplates themselves. For the longest time, the Morelia UL had a more flexible soleplate than the standard model as this was down to Mizuno trying to save so much weight off the UL. In fact, the original UL models had a bunch of tiny drilled out holes just under the soleplate that saved a lot of weight but made the soleplate more flexible.

With the new Morelia UL, the soleplate is stiffer and even has a slight bit of snapback compared to the regular Morelia. For me, I think this is a conscious choice of the part of the design to in order to make the Morelia UL feel more speedy.

The grip itself is good. It works on every surface with no issues and while some people do like having smaller, less voluminous studs on AG or HG surfaces, I like the standard design as the wider studs do absorb a lot more stud pressure.

Conclusion

As mentioned before, maybe the Mizuno Morelia UL is not as special as it used to be. But actually, I think we have been spoiled by just how good Mizuno continues to be, and I think if we look at the Morelia UL in terms of the market in general, then we have a very special boot here. No other brand is attempting to make a superlight or ultralight leather boot. Many brands are not even making leather boots anymore. From that perspective, the UL is a rare boot that immediately separates itself from the crowd. It is a leather boot, an unabashedly so. Mizuno has not tried to throw a bunch of tech at the boot to make it more advanced or full of gimmicks. Instead, the Runbird has given us an incredible boot that with any justice will be held up as something special and unique for years to come.

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