Overall Adidas have engineered a success with their tribute to one of the greatest footballers of all-time. It manages to combine having a slick, responsive touch on the ball while still ensuring the user has high levels of comfort.
Pros
+
Good comfort
+
Responsive touch on the ball
+
Good lockdown
Cons
-
Outsole could be more snappy for a speed boot
-
Cosmetics wear off
After almost a decade, Adidas have finally brought back the beloved F50 silo by releasing a special edition colourway for one of its most prominent wearers, Lionel Messi.
However, this special edition colourway is a noticeable shift away from what made the original beloved by fans and players alike.
With Messi’s own personal customisations under constant attention, Adidas have decided to give the series an update in tribute to the Argentinian World Cup winner. The design pays tribute to some of the alternations featured on Messi’s footwear in recent years.
I tried out a pair to look at the performance of the boot and whether they’re worth giving a go.
Unlike the mainline version of the Adidas F50 Elite, the Messi update includes a hybridtouch upper which feels more leather like – understandable as that is the Inter Miami superstar’s preference.
Soft and pliable to begin with, expect the upper to become even more comfortable as you rack up the minutes. However, this boot still requires a little break in time – around three or four sessions should do the trick.
While the inside of the F50 Elite Messi has a thin suede lining, a well-cushioned heel area makes for a comfortable, premium feel.
Fittingly, for perhaps the most versatile player in history, the boot comes with two sets of insoles – ‘comfort’ and ‘speed’. The former is slightly thicker, naturally taking up a bit more volume within the boot.
Sizewise there is no need to jump up. I went with my usual 9.5 UK and was happy to find the boots fit me true to size – a nice grip with little to no room in the forefoot.
The Messi-favoured “burrito” tongue not only makes for a smoother experience putting the boot on – but also a great amount of lockdown to help keep that secure feeling. Crucially, this is done without feeling overly compressive.
When it comes to width, the F50 Elite Messi could be described as neutral and shouldn’t be an issue for most foot types. Despite being technically classified as a ‘speed’ boot, the sprint frame 360 outsole is not as aggressive as most would expect on a burner boot.
But what is lacking in speed is made up for in traction. This is thanks to a stud pattern featuring a mix of chevron, conical and bladed studs. This – crucially - doesn’t come at the expense of freedom of movement. On the pitch, I always felt mobile and nimble in these boots.
My only major gripe is the soleplate. It needs to be a bit snappier. Only then will the wearer get that ‘on your toes feeling’ associated with the best speed football boots - and what most of us need to even get close to recreating the passes and movements Messi accomplishes. The soleplate is stiff, but on the positive side it still provides a lot of support.
Alternatively, the touch on the ball is one of this boots’ main strengths. The thin and leather-like upper of the hybridtouch provides a minimalistic and barefoot feel on the ball, reminiscent of the older F50 models. This caters for those purchasing a pair primarily for a nostalgia trip. As with the original design, the boots also have a low-profile toe box, allowing for players to get underneath the ball when going on a mazy dribble.
Overall, the F50 Elite Messi is a successful, and welcome, edition to the series. For comfort and touch it is close to unbeatable. The well-designed upper, in combination with the low toe box, provides players with a very responsive touch of the ball. This ensures passing, dribbling and striking the ball feels extremely natural. Playmakers in particular will feel right at home in a pair.
A self-proclaimed football boot scientist and long-time boot collector, Subomi is better known as Sub on his platform SubStance Football, creating content across YouTube, TikTok and Instagram. He creates content around football gear, while using his expertise in Material Science & Engineering to explain certain aspects of football gear technology that you won’t find anywhere else.
