Par Excellence

We’re only just over half through the year, and there have been a ton of excellent releases on the market. Almost every single brand seems to have been working in the background for several years to make 2026 arguably one of the best years for boot releases. There are so many excellent options on the market that we are spoilt for choice. People could pick one boot or the other and make a convincing argument for why that boot is the best option. However, even among all these brilliant releases, some boots stand above others. The adidas F50 Messi Elite is one of these special releases. Adidas has released a boot that goes beyond just one standout piece of tech, but rather a boot that is a brilliant experience, one that everyone should try.

Fit and Feel

The new Hybridtouch+ upper feels soft and pliable out of the box and is a big upgrade over the previous F50 Messi uppers. Obviously, the incredible attention to detail in the overall design of the boot is immediately impressive as well. It is also apparent that a lot of work has gone into how all of the different pieces of the boot come together to form a coherent package.

While the F50 Messi shares a lot of its DNA with the F50 Hyperfast, it is different in several ways. The most obvious is the lacecover. It could be very easy for adidas to make it similar to lacecovers that have been found on the likes of last year’s F50+ Spider Remakes, but instead, the adidas design team has worked its magic to make a lacecover that is not as bulky as one might imagine.

On foot, the lacecover sits flat across the top of the foot. While there is some bulk, it is nowhere near as bulky as one might expect, and for me, it adds to the overall experience of the boot rather than taking away from it.

Part of what makes the lacecover work so well is that the lacing system sits recessed under the lacecover. This does mean that it sits much closer to the top of the foot, but rather than being uncomfortable, it is more reassuringly snug without being too tight.

A clever design callback that the design team at adidas has made is the addition of the hook and loop laceloops, which is a callback to what the original F50 from 2004 used. It works really well here as it allows the laces more adjustability in terms of how high or low they sit across the top of the foot.

What adidas has also done is make an excellent stitch-and-turn heel on these boots. The lining of the heel is very soft, one of the softest on the market. It also has a good amount of cushioning. While it is thicker than something like the heels on the ASICS Jetray Elite, it is again another part of the boot that matches what the boot is seemingly designed to accomplish.

Another design choice that I appreciate is that the reinforcement parts of the HALOBELT+ system pop up here through the midfoot. It is a great addition as it helps the boot feel nicely wrapped through the midfoot.

And that wrapped feeling is probably the best way to express how the boot feels on the foot as a whole. There are no awkward gaps, and yet even with the lacecover, the lacing system is deep and wide enough to allow for a lot of adjustments for various foot shapes.

The overall lockdown is good, but it is not as extreme as what you might find on the Sokito Scudetta Kaizen, for example. I would say it is above market average, but the F50 Messi is not a boot that is designed to have over-the-top lockdown.

Going back to the upper, what is impressive about the Hybridtouch+ is how premium it feels in hand and on foot. There is a nice leather grain look and feel to the upper that makes it feel close to a natural material, though it is obvious that it isn’t.

However, the most impressive aspect of the new upper on the F50 Messi is that it breaks in very quickly. It is yet another boot that I did not wear much before taking them into a match. It may have taken around 30 minutes for the boot to feel ready for anything. It is a superb upper.

I also have to quickly praise a very clever design choice: the lacecovers do not try to fold back on themselves when you are tightening and tying up the laces. It is a very simple piece of design that makes it obvious that a lot of time and effort went into the boot.

The excellent combination of the Hybridtouch+ upper and that brilliant heel, as well as the overall shape and fit of the boot, means that the adidas F50 Messi Elite is a very comfortable boot. Even if your feet are wider than average, you should still have relatively few issues getting the boots to fit your feet. And yet, the boots even fit my medium to narrow foot extremely well. It might be one of the best-fitting boots of the year for me.

For the sizing, as is usually the case for adidas boots with me, I went half a size down from my normal size. This means I got the F50 Messi in a US 8/UK 7.5/EU 41.5/JP 26, and while the fit is perfect for me, there is also a slight bit of toe pinch, and it is recommended that most people go with their normal size for the best fit.

On the ball

The touch on the ball is brilliant. The upper has this slight friction to it that is noticeable enough to make a difference, yet not so much so that it takes much to get used to. I think it is because of that previously mentioned leather graining on the upper to make it feel closer to a natural material.

For me, in combination with the excellent fit, the feel when dribbling, shooting, or passing the ball makes the boot really stand out. It is more than just a boot; this is an experience. It is maybe hard to describe, but I think the F50 Messi is one of those boots that when you get them on your feet and play in them, you intrinsically understand that these boots are something special.

There must have surely been a temptation to add grip or design elements across the forefoot and top of the lacecover, yet the resistance to this enticement means there is a massive, clean striking surface across the top of the foot. Again, the design of the lacecover means that there is not much bulk across the top of the foot.

And aside from making the boot look cleaner visually, it also means that there is not much between your foot and the ball as one might expect a boot with a lacecover to have. Especially in the forefoot, the thin Hybridtouch+ material helps the foot sit really close to the ball.

This is especially important when dribbling, as the symmetrical pattern of the forefoot means there are no distractions, and the soft Hybridtouch+ upper works brilliantly in this regard.

The upper is not quite as thin as some other boots on the market. It is just slightly thinner than the F50 Hyperfast. However, it is still thin enough to give you a very close and tactile touch on the ball.

Also, I quickly need to point out that I appreciate the adidas stripes being pulled further towards the heel. I know it’s more of a design choice, but it allows the midfoot to have a clean surface for passing and controlling the ball.

Some embossed and debossed patterns sit on the side of the forefoot, which, again, are more of a design choice. But I do not feel like they get in the way, but it is also not prevalent to really add much to the touch.

Grip

The only possible gripe I have with the boots is that we did not get the GambaTrax outsole that Messi has been using over the past decade. It is a shame because I felt like it would have complemented the boot perfectly. Maybe they did not include it because of cost, but it would have been a nice addition to an already special boot.

That being said, the F50 Messi does have the same outsole as the F50 Hyperfast, and it is still an excellent outsole that I really enjoy. There is some nice snapback, and the studs do allow for some nice pivoting in the ground.

I have worn mine on FG and AG both, and while I don’t personally have any issues with them on AG, it is not something I can recommend. It is nice that adidas does offer this boot in an AG outsole; only the Hyperfast AG is available in AG in Japan, however. I haven’t been able to test how the AG outsole works on the F50 Messi.

A marvelous boot

Like I mentioned in one of my reels on Instagram, while I do not know what other boots this particular design team at adidas worked on, I can still confidently say this is their best ever work. It is definitely the best Messi boot adidas has ever made. There have been some other great Messi boots in the past; the Pureagility+ is one of my personal favourites, and the adidas F50 Messi Elite is just that special of a boot. It is an experience and celebration of some of the best of what adidas can offer.

It is such a special boot that I feel I need to have several pairs. For me, while I can see some people keep them as a collector’s pair, the boots are too good to just sit in a display case. They need to be worn.

The exceptional Hybridtouch+ upper, the extremely comfortable heel, and the excellent overall fit all come together to make one of the most special boots currently on the market. Maybe it could even be said to be one of their best boots. That could be somewhat hyperbolic, but if you try the F50 Messi, you will understand. I consider it a must-have, and it is already one of the front-runners for boot of the year.

What do you think of the adidas F50 Messi Elite? 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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