What adidas says about this boot: Feel fast and light on feet
Boot style: Speed
Weight: 186g/6.56 ounces (US 9/27cm)
Previous model: adidas X Crazyfast.1
Adidas has been the talk of the market this year.
The relaunch of a proper Predator, as well as the marketing and performances that surround it, has put the Three Stipes at the forefront of everyone’s mind when it comes to football boots. The fact that the new Predator not only looks the part but also performs has no doubt helped.
It would be a stretch to say that the return of the F50 name is more difficult, but at the same time considering the success of the Predator the onus was on adidas to not mess this up.
After all, the X series had its fair share of hits (and misses), though it never had the same big name history as the F50. In spite of any pressure adidas may have had with the return of the F50, they have absolutely delivered a boot worthy of the name.
adidas F50 Elite – True to Speed
Despite its name change, the one thing that has stayed the same is that it’s still a speed boot and adidas was looking for the best way to create a modern speed boot.
The biggest inclusion in this iteration has been its Compression Fit Tunnel which is a compression band within the boot (where the tongue is supposed to be) that wraps around your mid-foot to keep you feeling locked in.
It is an excellent addition as it provides additional lockdown without feeling like there is an extra piece of fabric in the way. The Compression Fit Tunnel is a modern interpretation of the TPU Techfit support bands that was found in the first adiZero in 2010, which in itself was an iteration of the woven bands found on the original F50 in 2004.
The adidas F50 Elite feels like it is designed specifically for your foot and the only awkward spot is a slight bulge around the ankle that goes away the more the boot is broken in. On a personally note, it is probably the best fitting boot I have worn this year, even better than the Predator FT, which considering how much I enjoy the fit of the Predators is surprising.
Turning Heel
adidas also deserves a lot of praise for how they have designed the heels on the adidas F50 Elite. At first there were some slight hotspots towards the upper part of the heel, but this did not result in any blisters and went away the more the boots are worn. The heel has much less cushioning versus the Crazyfast, but it feels a lot more refined, and it wraps the back of the heel and keeps it locked in without feeling overly bulky, as was the case in the Crazyfast.
adidas seem to have really worked out their heel fits and this is another part of the F50 that I prefer over the Predators.
Like a lot of classic F50s, the new adidas F50 Elite comes with two different insoles. While the default speed insole is comfortable enough, the comfort insole is definitely the preferred option as it is more comfortable. It should be noted as well that the soleplate does not really have any stud pressure, and this is because there is a good amount of distribution of the pressure because of the well-designed soleplate.
Fits Well and Feels Great in Hand
There is a slight amount of lacebite because the Compression Fit Tunnel is so thin, but at the same time it is not as noticeable as the boot is broken in. While the adidas F50 Elite does not quite have a proper floating tongue, the fact that it is not a one-piece upper and the central lacing system means there is some decent adjustability to the fit, which allows the boot to fit multiple foot shapes.
Lastly, it has to be noted how high quality the adidas F50 feels in hand and on feet. Similar to the current Predator, adidas seems to have put a lot of effort into making their boots feel premium. This is something I feel has been missing from boots over the past several years (with obvious exceptions) and it is a welcome change, especially given the price of boots these days. Praise has to also be given to how soft the upper gets after a few wears and it is still very reactive yet comfortable at the same time.
As far as sizing, I went with my normal size in adidas which is half a size down from normal. The boots run slightly long. Not everyone will need to go a half size down especially if you have wider feet, but for me a half size down fits best. It should be noted that this is what I did with the Predators.
Grippy and Close Touch
One of the impressive things about the upper of the adidas F50 Elite is how it manages to feel like it enhances the touch on the ball. A large part of this is down to the Sprintweb texturing on the upper.
It has this slightly grippy feel on the ball that allows for better control in various conditions. It is obviously nowhere near as grippy as the Predators, but definitely more than the previous Crazyfast. This is another part of the boot that feels like an improvement upon grip elements that were found on previous generations of the F50, specifically the 2014 adiZero.
Even on the parts of the boot that does not have the Sprintweb texturing, there is still a slight tackiness on the Fibertouch. Unlike some other boots on the market however, it does not really require much adjustment and after a few touches, the boot feels good to go.
Even when dribbling at speed, the texturing feels like a benefit and not a drawback as the material is placed in a way that helps add to the feel on the ball and gives this very confident feeling when touching the ball. It is not barefoot, but at the same time it does not feel bulky or cumbersome in any way. Again, personally, this has one of my favourite touches on the ball out of all of the boots I have tested this year.
The soft upper means that the touch on the ball can feel pretty deft and gets very close to that excellent feel on the ball that the X Speedflow gave me.
Though it can be argued that this adidas F50 Elite has a better touch as one of the drawbacks of the Speedflow is that it could feel slick in wet conditions whereas the F50 does not suffer from such problems because of the Sprintweb texturing.
An Excellent Strike Partner
In close spaces, the adidas F50 Elite performs well, with the sticky upper providing that bit extra control on the ball when making quick, short passes without getting in the way of what the player is trying to do on the ball.
When it comes to long balls the boot feels very precise and there is no clumsiness when hitting the ball with power. Long balls and curled crosses feel awesome to pull off in the F50. There is a certain enjoyment to be had and this is one of the reasons the boot feels fun to play in.
Of course, it would not be as impressive if shooting was not fun in the boots, but this is not the case as it is equally enjoyable to place shots and it is to hammer the ball with power. There is a slight pingy sensation on the ball when shooting, but it does not feel as raw as some other speed boots.
However, it is still extremely satisfying to shoot with the F50s as the upper and grip texturing combine well. I also found it a bit easier to make the ball knuckle compared to other boots.
The outsole deserves a quick shoutout as well because it does a great job of anchoring the foot into the ground when shooting and it has a nice balance to it that never makes it feel uncomfortable or weird when hitting the ball.
Straight Line Speed Grip
This is another part of the boot that adidas has absolutely nailed. There is plenty of grip available for straightline speed, but at the same time the boot feels very agile and allows for quick changes in direction.
Now, some people might prefer a more aggressive soleplate, but the fact of the matter is the new soleplate can be worn by a lot more people with a lot of different playstyles without feeling cumbersome. As someone who relies (well moreso when I was younger) on speed and a lot of quick changes in direction, this new F50 soleplate feels excellent. Add this to the fact that even though it is a firm ground soleplate, it still feels good on artificial ground and hard ground.
In fact, it can be argued (by me, specifically) that this is one of adidas’ best soleplates since the GambeTrax soleplate used by Messi. Sure, it is not as responsive as some of the X soleplates but at the same time the F50 did not always have super responsive soleplates, and this feels more like an F50 plate than an X soleplate, although some of the studs have been taken directly from the X Speedflow plate.
Speedboots needed to change to better accommodate their audience and I would argue that the soleplate is one of those changes that has been needed.
The Messi Variant
Giving the people, sort of at least, what they want, adidas have also released a Messi signature colourway of the F50. It’s an open secret in football that Messi’s boots have 3 main differences from retail variants – a leather upper, his signature Gambetrax tooling, and that burrito style tongue – and this Messi F50 finally gives us something closer to what Messi uses.
The Messi F50 uses a hybridtouch upper and the burrito style tongue, skipping that Gambetrax tooling, although it’s somewhat understandable as the current F50 stud configuration does look quite inspired by the Gambetrax. Personally, the Messi F50 is the best variant of the F50, because it’s softer and more pliable than the Fibertouch upper on the F50, which will soften up, but doesn’t have that same moulded feeling with your feet.
The burrito style tongue also gives you a better fit on the ball, although if you’ve got wider feet like I do, the burrito tongue does require some effort to lock into the side. Overall, the Messi F50 feels very much like one of my all time favourite boots – the 2014 adizero, which has that perfect balance of comfort, barefoot touch on the ball, light weight, and of course good enough traction for both FG and AG, especially when pushing off.
The Best Speed Boot Yet
Adidas has once again delivered another hit this year with the adidas F50 Elite and given us a boot worthy of the F50 name.
The upper is soft and has excellent texturing, the solepate is grippy but still very agile and the boot overall is comfortable without sacrificing performance.
While some may see it as not a “proper” speed boot, I would argue that this is what a modern speed boot should be: high performance, high quality and inclusive of all sorts of players who have different demands of their boots.
It can be argued that this is somewhat like what the F50 has always been about, lightweight performance that offers a more alternative to everything else in the speed boot space.
Rather than conforming to the crowd, the new adidas F50 Elite sets itself apart and for me at least, it is the best speed boot on the market and worthy of the name.
Other Recommendations
If you like the adidas F50 Elite, you may also like the Mizuno Alpha Japan, Nike Air Zoom Mercurial Vapor 15 or the Puma Ultra Ultimate.
This review was done in collaboration with The Lockhart Boot Blog with further additions by Hats and Jason.
