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Adidas set tongues wagging at the start of 2024 with the return of the tongue on the Predator boot in a range of retro-inspired colourways, and, as if that wasn’t enough, the Three Stripes have built on this considerable momentum by bringing back one of the brand’s most iconic silos: the F50.
Discontinued in 2015, Adidas replaced the F50 with the X line, though it struggled to have quite the same impact on the market. By bringing back the F50, Adidas are clearly making a play once again to become the pinnacle of speed boots.
I tried a pair of the new Adidas F50 Elite in firm ground to see whether the boot itself could live up to its storied name – and if the resurrected model is actually any good.
Adidas F50 Elite review
While the Adidas F50 Elite replaces the X Crazyfast model, this does feel more like a natural progression rather than a complete revamp of the brand’s speed boot. For me this is no bad thing because the Crazyfast was a good boot that I enjoyed, but anyone hoping for something completely different, or even akin, to older F50 models – will be disappointed.
As expected, the upper is extremely thin and lightweight. Built from the brand’s Fibretouch material, the new F50 feels quite similar, both to the touch and on feet, to
that of the Crazyfast. It’s comfortable straight out of the box, but definitely softens up very quickly, too. There’s a raised toebox, too, helping create a little bit of extra space in the forefoot that the majority of the best football boots have.
Adidas have added Sprintweb 3D texturing to the upper as well, which is concentrated mainly in the forefoot. This provides a rough, gritty grip on the ball when dribbling which was noticeable and something I enjoyed, helping give an extra level of control.
One addition that I found most interesting from the F50 is the Compression Fit Tunnel Tongue that wraps around the foot to help improve lockdown. I think this is a great concept, and certainly one that I would like to see Adidas further develop for future pairs. I didn’t, however, feel a massive difference in lockdown, but it’s definitely a feature that will accommodate players with wide feet better.
One of my main complaints with the X Crazyfast was some awkward bunching in the upper, particularly around the ankle and the opening of the boot. While the F50 has improved on this, due to it being a more structured boot overall, the bunching can still be seen at times.
When it comes to the soleplate, Adidas have made the intriguing choice of deviating quite significantly from what they have implemented on previous speed boots. Gone is the carbon/plastic insert seen in the X Ghosted, X Speedflow and X Crazyfast, and so too are many of the chevron studs that made up the highly aggressive stud patterns of those previous models.
Instead, a third of the studs on the soleplate of the F50 Elite are conical – situated towards the midfoot. There are advantages to this, with rotational support improved. It also makes them significantly more friendly to artificial grass – though they are still best kept for firm, natural grass.
The plate, however, is much less snappy due to the removal of the plastic insert, meaning some of the energy return is lost as a result. Overall, though, it is still a very stiff soleplate providing the kind of stability and responsiveness needed from a speed boot.
These choices, therefore, suggests that Adidas have looked to create a boot that is more balanced, rather than one focused so squarely on speed. This is good news to those who hold things such as comfort at a higher priority than speed or are simply looking for a more rounded experience; but bad if you want an aggressive playing experience more readily available on boots like the New Balance Furon V7+ Pro, Skechers Razor or Nike Mercurial Superfly 9 Elite.
Most importantly, the Adidas F50 Elite is a good football boot and clearly an improvement on the pair that it replaces. So, regardless of whether you want a pair to be a part of the story or just want a pair of football boots to help you perform on the pitch, the F50 is certainly worth considering.
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