A new beginning

Adidas has had some iconic speed boots over the years. The obvious ones are boots like the 2014 F50 adiZero, the 2010 adiZero, the 2005 F50+, and the X Speedflow. Oftentimes, adidas has struggled to meet the high bar that they have set for themselves. While the generation before this one tested well when it first launched in 2024, the boot began to struggle as subsequent colourways featured stiffer, less pliable uppers.

Because of this, adidas knew they had to get this generation right. And they have surpassed even my expectations to the point that I think that the adidas F50 Hyperfast deserves to be mentioned in the same breath as the boots mentioned above. In fact, I argue that it surpasses some of those boots to the point that the F50 Hyperfast is a new beginning for the levels that new speed boots need to reach to compete.

Fit and Feel

Attention and care have been made towards the design and final product of the F50 Hyperfast is immediately obvious when pulling the boots out of the box for the first time. The new HALOSKIN+ upper is impressively soft. There is also a kind of dual density to the upper that feels well-engineered. The forefoot is very soft and on the plusher side, whereas the midfoot has a stiffer, thinner, yet still pliable, version of the material. This will be touched on later, as it makes for an interesting, yet positive, juxtaposition.

The overall fit and shaping of the boot feels much improved, even against many adidas speed boots of the past. The boot feels like it better follows the shape of the feet, and because the upper is so soft, the boot takes to the shape of my foot rather than needing to get used to the boot’s shape.

What is also very pleasing is just how quickly the upper breaks in. The Hyperfast feels ready for matches within an hour of total playtime. It must be noted how much of an upgrade the new upper is. It is light years ahead of any upper adidas has made for a speed boot in some time.

Maybe this is slightly hyperbolic, but I feel that HALOSKIN+ is a better material than Hybridtouch, and it feels like an evolution of what Hybridtouch offered.

Adidas also warrants much praise for the heel design on the F50 Hyperfast. While it is not a stitch-and-turn heel, which I would normally prefer, it is very impressive. The shaping and placement make for great comfort and excellent lockdown without causing any pressure points around the heel. This is in part because of how flexible the material used on the heel is. It is one of my favourite heel designs on the market. It is remarkable how well-engineered the shaping is.

This well-refined heel has a very clever piece of engineering: there is a flex point at the top of the heel. This flex point enables the tip of the heel to bend with the back of the Achilles when running and stops the tip from rubbing against the back of the heel. It is a small piece of the overall design and yet speaks to how well thought-out the boot is. Click the link here for my unboxing of the boots for a visual idea of how it functions.

One thing I am glad that adidas has carried over from the previous generation is the reinforced tunnel through the midfoot of the boot. On the F50 Hyperfast, the structure on the inside of the tunnel is now called the HALOBELT+ and functions the same as previously. I appreciate this decision as it helps with the lockdown through the midfoot.

What makes the midfoot tunnel better than previously is that it is made of a softer material. On top of this, it does feel more premium than the one on the previous F50.

This HALOBELT+ structure is also repeated on the inside of the midfoot material (the portion that sits between the tunnel and outer structure of the upper). This is also where the more structured midfoot comes into play, as all these different pieces of the boot come together to create this really nice lockdown and stability through the midfoot.

While the lacing system is not much deeper than others on the market, I like how far back the boot’s lace holes go, as it helps the foot feel more locked into the heel.

The stability through the midfoot is nice, and when making hard cuts and dashes, the foot does not feel like it rolls over. The overall structure of the boot feels solid, while at the same time still pliable enough to feel very comfortable.

It has to be said that the Hyperfast is a comfortable boot overall, even to the point that I feel it is more comfortable than many non-speed boots I have tested in the past few years. I know we are some years past the point of having to put up with discomfort when wearing speed boots, but it is still impressive how comfortable the F50 Hyperfast is.

In terms of width, there is some adjustability thanks to the central lacing system and the fact that there is a bit of stretch to the tunnel system. If your feet are overly wide, I would say that it might be best to give the F50 Hyperfast a pass. However, if your feet are only somewhat wide, then you might not have many issues. See BootWizard’s review for more details as he has a wide foot.

For sizing, much like the previous F50, I find the Hyperfast to run slightly long. Because of this, I went half a size down from my normal size. This means I got the Hyperfast in a size US 8/UK 7.5/EU 41.5/JP 26. While the softer HALOSKIN+ upper has some slight stretch to it, I still recommend that most people go with their normal size unless they like a snug fit.

On the Ball

This is yet another part of the boot that is impressive. The upper is fairly thin, yet it still has a slight plushness to it that has the effect of granting a very nice touch on the ball. It is not as raw a sensation as other speed boots on the ball, yet there is this sensual feeling when manipulating the ball.

The SPRINTWEB returns, this time as the SPRINTWEB+, but in design it is different from the previous application. It has a slightly more rubbery feeling, while also feeling more flexible, which helps with the general softness of the upper. And while it is not as grippy as something like Nike’s Gripknit, or Athleta’s WetSand Tex, or even what is found on the strikezone of the adidas Predator, there is still enough grip there to help exude an extra confidence on the ball. It is also not necessary to get used to it as other slightly grippy boots on the market.

It would be understandable to worry that the more structured midfoot would be detrimental to the touch on the ball, the midfoot material is slightly thinner than the forefoot, which brings the foot closer to the ball. In addition to this, the SPRINTWEB+ application here is well-placed as it allows for some (slight) extra grip when controlling or hitting the ball with the instep, while leaving the midfoot passing area mostly free of distractions.

With the way the upper is split into a softer forefoot and a more structured midfoot, as well as the 3D line splitting the two areas, it would be understandable to assume that this would negatively affect the feel on the ball, especially when shooting. However, shooting and crossing the ball is very enjoyable, and this split is not overly obvious during play.

Given the design and the softer upper, there is obviously not a pingy sensation when hitting the ball with power, and yet, it is still satisfying.

Another positive thing about the F50 Hyperfast is how nice it feels to dribble the ball. The texture on the upper has just enough grip to make a difference, while it is still soft enough to make the foot feel well connected to the ball.

Grip

There are obviously design cues from the last two years’ F50+ when it comes to the soleplate. It seems structurally similar to that boot as well. However, outside of that, the F50 Hyperfast is more aggressive and feels more speed-focused, where the previous soleplate seemed more geared towards versatility rather than outright grip for speed.

Throughout all of my playtesting in the Hyperfast, it is obvious how focused the soleplate is when it comes to the grip and ability to change direction. The soleplate is surprisingly agile, given its overall look. What I mean is that cutting and changes in direction feel natural, and the soleplate feels like it is working with the foot.

Unsurprisingly, there is some nice snapback, and I appreciate where the flex point is in the forefoot as it feels like it more naturally flexes with the foot, while still offering that forward propulsion that one wants from a speed boot. It is not as springy as the soleplates on boots like the Sokito Scudetta or the Mizuno Alpha 3 Japan, but there is still a noticeable effect when sprinting.

I have worn the Hyperfast on both FG and AG, and while these are obviously designed for FG only, there was only some slight drag on AG. However, I do not recommend that anyone wear these on AG. I understand what my body can handle, and I often wear FG boots on AG, but again, I recommend that most people wait for an AG model of the F50 Hyperfast, which I imagine will come out for the World Cup pack. This is because World Cup colourways always get every option as they are the most popular packs every year a tournament takes place.

Long-term planning

Designers at adidas have admitted that the Hyperfast has been in development for a longer-than-normal development cycle. And it bears little relation to the previous generation F50. In fact, the Hyperfast is so drastically different in how impressive it is that it barely feels related to many speed boots that adidas has released this decade, aside from the Speedflow.

As I mentioned earlier, HALOSKIN+ feels like it is an evolution of Hybridtouch, and it is certainly softer than any of the recent iterations of Hybridtouch. The work adidas has put into the upper material is seriously impressive.

The adidas speed boot comparison

This may or may not upset some people, but I think the F50 Hyperfast is better than any of the X models adidas have produced, including the Speedflow, which seems overly basic by comparison. I would even rank it above the 2010 F50 adiZero in terms of what it brings to the market. I somewhat think it is even better than even the 2014 adiZero, though that may be sacrilegious for me to say, and it has admittedly been several years since I last wore a 2014 adiZero. Maybe something to compare in the future.

Versus other Speed Boots

I will, of course, be making comparison reviews between the Hyperfast and other speed boots on the market. The obvious first comparisons will be between the Sokito Scudetta (Biotouch and non-Biotouch), especially since both those and the Hyperfast share inspirations. There will also be a comparison against the Mizuno Alpha 3 Japan as well, along with any other speed boots that may release over the coming months.

The new beginning

The adidas F50 Hyperfast is a challenge to all of the other brands making speed boots. We seem to be entering Speedboot Summer, with a lot of brands seemingly on the verge of dropping new speed boots, based on what players are testing in training. Yet even after all of those boots come out, I would not be surprised if the F50 Hyperfast still ends up being one of, if not the, best speed boots that release this summer.

Wildly for me, I even wore the boots in my matches last weekend, despite this colourway not being my style at all. And yet, I might end up keeping these. Perhaps the biggest compliment I can give the adidas F50 Hyperfast is that I want more pairs. It is a seriously impressive speed boot, and one of the best speed boots adidas has made for at least a decade. Get a pair.

What do you think of the adidas F50 Hyperfast? Please share this with your friends and make sure to follow me on Instagram!

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I split my time between wearing HAVO Grip Socks and PureGrip Socks for training and matches.

Use code LOCKHART15 to get 15% off your HAVO Grip Sock order, or click the link here: https://havosports.com/LOCKHART.

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