X18+ Marks The Spot for Adidas

The X just got a little faster.

Adidas is cranking up the heat for this summer’s World Cup extravaganza with some bright hot colourways for their latest boots and updates to the X and Nemeziz lines. Here, we explore the season’s biggest launch the X18+.

The biggest announcement of the lot has been reserved for the latest generation of the X line up. Going deep into its speed roots, the latest X18+ is a departure from the more padded look of the X16 and 17 and harnesses the spirit of the F50 Adizero which is one of the best speed boot silos created in our opinion.

The X18+ is truly laceless, unlike the X16 and 17+, which is designed to provide no distractions in an attacker’s play. The upper is mainly built off a new knit material called speedmesh which provides comfort. It is put together with “skeletal weave” which assists in stability in areas of the foot which are high impact from striking and fast changes in direction. The speedframe soleplate has also been modified with minute drilled holes shedding away unnecessary weight in pursuit of optimizing the weight for fast lift-off from ground.

Last but not least, the shape of the boot is rounded off with the distinctive low-cut “claw collar” which curves just below the ankle bones on the sides but rise pretty high on the front and back. It definitely looks cool but we’re not sure if the high collar on the back can cause blisters to those without a sock protecting the skin.

Sam Handy, adidas Vice-President of Design said: “With the new Energy Mode X18+ we have produced something that is really lightweight and minimalist in its design, which removes the barriers between foot and ball while still achieving the elite touch and support at high speed required by the game’s most explosive players.”

Get yours now at Adidas.com.