Since their inception, adiZero models have held the crown for the best speed boots on the market. adidas’ latest creation, the adiZero miCoach had huge ‘shoes’ to fill. Contrary to popular belief, the new model has not simply undergone a paint job with the addition of a chip at the bottom from prior incarnations, rather whole scale changes have been made to the adidas F50 adiZero MiCoach football boots for the better.
Design 4/5 (People will be drooling over your boots and begging to try them on, and a host of world class players will sport them)
Although many people have criticized the aptly named ‘McDonalds’ colorway, the amount of compliments I received while wearing them quickly erased those opinions. Like I mentioned in the First Impressions post, the boots look much better in person than they do on the computer screen. The latest colorways adidas have in store for us will really show what great looking boots these are!
In fact, the adiZeros are probably my favorite looking speed boot on the market today. The way the new Sprint Frame looks is fantastic and aids for some great looking colorways.
In regards to player endorsement, you know a boot is good when it tops the goal charts in both the English Premier League and the Spanish La Liga. That is what the adiZero miCoach has done. The majority of these adiZero endorsers have opted to wear the more popular adiZero miCoach leathers. I have been fortunate enough to review the the boots that Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and David Silva (just to name a few) have graced over the course of this season.
Comfort 4.5/5 (Fantastic out of the box comfort, you can wear them straight into a match and be happy with the comfort)
One of the aspects that sets the leather adiZero apart from all the other speed boot contenders and even a majority of the other boots on the market is the comfort the boot offers. They are ridiculously comfortable; after wearing these you will never be able to wear another speed boot without feeling discomfort. The way the boot is crafted on the inside is a huge factor in the boot’s high rating. A suede like material wraps around the side of your foot and is cushioned at the top by the extremely soft calf skin leather. Simply put, they are brilliant in terms of comfort. The only thing keeping them from a 5 is that they aren’t the most comfortable boots ever made, an achievement that may forever rest with the Umbro Speciali Statement.
Performance 4/5 (You become a noticeably better player due to the performance of the product)
Now to the most important part of the review. Although the adiZero lacks prominent performance enhancing technologies such as a Pass Pad or a swerve coating on the instep, all of the boot’s features combined provides for brilliant performance.
Traction: One of the big things companies have worked on with speed boots is the stud shape and configuration. We were surprised with the amount of traction you get from the Mercurial Vapor Superfly III but as per usual, the adiZero has topped it. The traction you get from the improved soleplate is brilliant, not that much has changed from the original model. With that said, we looked very closely at the durability of the studs as many consumers, us included, had studs fall off on previous incarnations of the adiZero, and we are pleased to announce we have yet to see any wear on the soleplate.
Touch: Another aspect the adiZero miCoach leather boots excels in is touch. The super soft and supple full grain leather helps you achieve that fantastic touch that you used to only get from the classic boot range. Receiving passes and dribbling in these boots feels fantastic, even more so than thinner synthetic speed boots which are oft associated with good touch.
Kicking: One of the big improvements from the previous adiZero models is shooting. The redesigned upper allows for a much softer and thicker leather kicking surface which gives you a nice powerful shot that does not hurt your foot, a problem we faced with previous adiZero boots. Another change with the adiZero miCoach is that the boot is not as curved shaped with asymmetrical lacing, rather a more traditional centered lacing system. Although this does not aid for more swerve it is a huge improvement as it makes your short passes, long balls, and shots more accurate. With the previous adiZero models, when first wearing them I used to have trouble getting the ball to go straight without any swerve. Now, even out of the box I had and continue to have no trouble with any kinds of kicks.
Protection and Moisture: There is nothing that stands out here. In fact, this section is what unfortunately stops the boots from being a 5. Although the protection has improved due to the thicker leather around the toe area, it is still near excruciating if you get touched with someone else’s studs, much less getting stomped on. Like most leather boots, moisture is not a strong point of the adiZero. The boot is not as good at repelling water as other speed boots on the market, namely the synthetic ones.
Overall, the new adiZero miCoach performs fantastically well, and is most impressive with the combination of touch and kicking.
Value 3/5 (Quite a good value cleat where you get your money’s worth and it will last at least 8 months, plus a bag is thrown in)
At $210 dollars, the adiZeros are standard market price, but are the cheapest speed boots on the market when compared with the other ‘Big Three’- the Puma v1.11 SL and the Nike Mercurial Vapor Superfly III. With the cheaper price comes an omission of a bag, a handy feature which the Superfly and v1.11 SL have. What the boot comes with though is another pair of insoles, something I think is really good as it gives you the option of using lightweight or comfort insoles. If you’re willing to pay $70 or more, your boots come with the MiCoach chip. MiCoach appears to be a seemingly fantastic technology that provides you with in-game statistics about yourself, a feature that used to be exclusive only to professional footballers.
We know you are interested in how the new MiCoach feature works, so stay tuned for a future article devoted specifically to the technology.
So far, the adZero football boots have been very durable and we have not had any problems with the boot yet. It seems like it should be able to last a long time. As aforementioned, one thing we are worried about is the studs falling off which happened to us with the first adiZero model. We will keep you updated on the durability of the adiZero as anything can happen, as demonstrated by the Mizuno Wave Ignitus II boots!
Conclusion
Positives
1. Comfort: The adiZero miCoach football boots are without a doubt the most comfortable speed boots on the market. The full grain leather is extremely soft and aids for a comfortable fit right out of the box. You can even wear these boots straight into a game without facing any discomfort!
2. Kicking: Where most speed boots lack in kicking, the adiZero is absolutely fantastic. For speed boot wearers, kicking is an absolute joy in these boots thanks once again to the thick and soft full grain leather. Whether you bend it like Beckham or smack it on a free kick like Cristiano Ronaldo, the adiZero is a great medium through which to strike the ball.
Weaknesses
1. Protection and Moisture: As per norm with leather football boots, the weakest point in these boots is the water repulsion and repellence offered. This is the only section where the leather adiZero falls behind the other speed boots on the market as the upper soaks up moisture like a sponge. As for protection, like most speed boots, the adiZero has none. However, that’s something you sacrifice when purchasing a pair of lightweight soccer shoes.
Simply put, the leather adiZero miCoach is the best speed boot on the market. I am even tempted to say the best speed boot ever! They perform fantastically well; super light, fantastic to kick with, fantastic touch, and stunningly comfortable are characteristics of the adidas F50 adiZero MiCoach Leather football boots. If you’re looking for a speed boot, copy the boot choice of the best player in the world, Lionel Messi.
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