Improved, but at a cost

For a brand that used to have only a cult following, Mizuno has grown by leaps and bounds over the past decade in the football boots space. The Runbird rarely misses, and even among those, some people will swear by those boots. One of the reasons Mizuno continues to far outgrow what its modest marketing would allow is that the brand keeps delivering great products and improving them time and time again.

The Mizuno Morelia Neo V Beta continues this trend, with this model making changes that improve the overall experience. A new, thinner leather forefoot, a reworked midfoot and heel structure, as well as strengthening the soleplate for stability and some slight snapback, have led to a boot that continues to impress. But it does come at a cost, and a serious conversation needs to be had around it.

Fit and Feel

Par for the course for a Mizuno leather boot, the leather feels superb out of the box. Some brands have equaled them before (see the Adler Yatagarashu), but Mizuno continues to gradually improve the leather to the point that it is once again without equal on the market. It really is that good. I somewhat scoffed at the thought of the thinner leather making a difference to the touch (more on that later), but the leather quality does feel improved versus the previous Morelia Neo 4 Beta Japan.

Speaking of improvements, the midfoot wrap and heel are better than previous versions of the Beta. Apologies if I failed to mention this in my reviews of previous versions, but occasionally I would get some gaps around the sides of my ankle when the boots were fully laced up. I had to really cinch up the laces to make the gaps go away.

The new midfoot construction has eliminated that issue for me. It is impressive how nicely the boot wraps my foot in this area, and it is one of the most important updates they have made to the Beta series in a while.

This also means that the heel has been reworked to match the wrapped feel of the midfoot. Remarkably, it is also better than the previous model. There is not as much cushioning on the Beta as there is on the non Beta (review of those coming soon), but it is still a comfortable heel.

What is most impressive is that the lockdown in the new heel design is excellent, and better than some speed boots even. When loosening the laces to take the boots off, I had to apply more strength than expected to get my foot out of the back of the boot.

As a result of that, and the excellent midfoot wrap, the overall lockdown has improved when compared to the Neo Beta 4 Japan. Again, like the heel lockdown, the overall lockdown is better than some speed boots on the market.

One thing I will say is that if you struggled with the width of the Neo 4 Beta, you would still struggle here. Yes, the Barefoot Mesh has been replaced by a full knit, but the wrap around the foot is tighter than previously. The non Beta or the Mizuno Monarcida Elite (I really need a new review on them, that will come somewhat soon too) would be better options if your feet are on the wider side.

Unsurprisingly, the break in period is very quick. I could almost have worn the boots straight into a match. While this is expected for many Mizuno boots, it is still impressive.

Also, typically for a Mizuno boot, I do expect the durability to be good for longer than most other leather options on the market. But they need to be for the price they’re charging, more on that further below.

However, like other Mizuno boots, the laces are poor. I can somewhat understand Mizuno wanting to push Japanese market customers into buying a pair of Mizuno’s excellent ZeroGlide laces separately, but considering the price they charge for the boots, as well as the fact that ZeroGlide laces are hard to find outside of Japan, the Beta V Japan should come with the ZeroGlide laces as standard. As should be the case with every other Mizuno MiJ boot sold outside of Japan.

The insoles continue to be of decent quality, but I would not say that they are overly good, but they do the job. This is probably one of the areas that Mizuno could improve upon in the future, especially as ASICS seems to be making better insoles for their boots.

So, with the sizing, I have done the same as I do with every Morelia Neo Beta Japan, and that is half a size down from my normal size. This means I got the Neo V Beta Japan in a US 8/UK 7/EU 40.5/JP 26.

This is the perfect size for me, although I still personally have this issue that the boot feels just a hair long on my left foot, and a full size down is too tight in length. Again, I seem to be the only person with this issue. But if you are grabbing a pair, go half a size down from your normal size, as the Beta continues to fit long. Also, I had issues with the Innovation Pack Beta feeling slightly wide in the forefoot for me, but there is no issue with that here.

On the ball

The best word for the touch on the ball is probably sensual. The Morelia Neo V Beta Japan is a Mizuno MiJ leather boot, so, like other things mentioned earlier, this is to be expected. The thing is, it doesn’t stop being notable. Mizuno continues to set the standard for leather boots time and time again.

While the thinner leather upper, now 3mm thick instead of 4mm, does make the quality of leather feel nicer, it does not seem to make much of a difference on the ball. It does not necessarily need to, but don’t go expecting some radical change in terms of touch on the ball in the forefoot.

Similar to this, the reworked midfoot doesn’t necessarily feel like it brings the foot any closer to the ball, but again, controlling and passing with this part of the boot is good, though obviously the forefoot is where the action is.

Another thing Mizuno should get applause for is that they don’t try to overcomplicate the leather upper. It speaks for itself, and adding any grip elements or something similar on the top layer would ruin the magic.

Shooting and dribbling are nothing too unexpected, just more of that superb touch on the ball. Since the Mizuno Morelia Neo V Beta Japan is a leather boot, what you put in is what you get out. At the same time, the soft leather does ooze confidence on the ball, and striking the ball with power has good feedback without making the feet suffer for it.

Grip and stability

Mizuno says that the reworked soleplate works better on AG than their previous models. This is a bit surprising as even in Japan, the Beta V is available with an AG outsole, something which was previously limited to the non Japan market. I’m hard pressed to notice a difference in the grip when compared to the Neo Beta 4 Japan, or even the Neo Beta 3 Japan, so while the studs look different, they don’t really feel different.

The grip is good on most surfaces and is surprisingly grippier than one would expect from a soleplate that has all rounded studs like the Beta’s. However, this is something that was noticeable in the previous models as well.

What has improved, however, is the stiffness and stability of the soleplate. The midfoot shank and outsole materials have been strengthened in order to provide more stability in the long term. Interestingly, there is enough snapback now for it to be noticeable.

The snapback is not overly strong, but there is just enough there for it to be a pleasant and welcome surprise. Thus, aside from the reworked midfoot and heel, the soleplate is one of the most important changes Mizuno has made to the Beta series.

The big issue

However, there is a looming issue that has continued to arise over the past six years: rising prices. While Mizuno’s costs have naturally risen, as has everything else, it comes to a point where we have to ask if it is too much. While, fortunately, Mizuno’s Elite models still represent good value for money when compared to other Elite models across the market, their Japan models are bordering on the absurd in pricing.

It has come to the point that boots like the Mizuno Alpha 3 Japan make no sense when the Mizuno Alpha Elite is almost as good for around $140 less in the US, £110 in the UK, and €110 in the EU.

In Japan, we have seen prices rise to close to 20% since 2020, while the UK has seen a 13% price increase, and the EU has had a price increase of 17%. Weirdly, the US has not had a single price increase this whole time, which seems to undercut the idea that Mizuno needs to charge more for new models.

Even still, $320, £310, €360 is a lot of money for a pair of boots that, while the upgrades are good, if you enjoyed the Beta 4 with no issues, there is not really a reason to upgrade when the Beta 4 can be found on sale.

But Mizuno’s biggest competition for the Neo V Beta Japan is found among its own boots. Not even including the new Mizuno Morelia Neo V Japan (non Beta, again review coming soon), the Mizuno Monarcida Elite is cheaper (£175, €210), has a nicer, more comfortable heel, and the floating tongue construction means a lot more people can wear them. Sure, it is not made in Japan, and it does not have the updated soleplate, but the leather quality is still excellent, and for me, it fits my foot better than even this newest Beta V Japan.

Don’t get me wrong, the Morelia Neo Beta V Japan is an excellent boot, with all the quality and care we all expect from Mizuno. At this point, however, I feel like it has outlived its usefulness. It’s too expensive to be a boot that one could consistently buy, unless your boot budget is absurd.

As mentioned above, Mizuno’s own lineup has a better boot for far less money. On top of that, even in Japan, the Beta is dwarfed by the juggernaut that is the non Beta Neo Japan, which remains the most popular high-end boot in Mizuno’s home market.

Time to retire the Beta

It needs to be reiterated: the Mizuno Morelia Neo V Beta Japan is an excellent boot, one of the best lightweight leather boots on the market. The improvements in the quality of the leather, the boot fit, and wrap through the midfoot and heel, as well as the improved outsole, make for a great improvement over the previous model.

At the same time, the price point is so high that even in Japan, it is more expensive than some limited edition boots from other brands.

I love Mizuno boots, I love the brand, I have a long history of wearing their boots (RIP BigSoccer Mizuno Thread, I miss you), but we have to question whether or not the Beta still serves a purpose.

Mizuno does want to be seen as a premium brand, and they have firmly established that among the boot community. However, the fact that the price has remained stable in the US despite market instability, yet has risen elsewhere, makes it seem like Mizuno could hold its prices but chooses not to. I love the Beta, but I am not sure whether I or anyone else can afford it anymore.

What do you think of the Mizuno Morelia Neo V Beta Japan? 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.

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じゃあね！