Adidas X Crazyfast.1 review: Are these the best speed boots about?

As its name suggests, the Adidas X Crazyfast.1 is engineered for speed, and is the latest version of the former F50 Adizero range. 

Consistently one of the best football boots on the market, the Adidas X Crazyfast.1 is no exception. Aimed at attacking stars with pace to burn, the X range has been worn by some of the most devastatingly quick players to grace the game in recent times, such as Gareth Bale and Mohamed Salah. 

Thankfully, the Crazyfast.1 continues this tradition of raw speed, with slight modifications bringing about marked improvements. While targeted at speedsters, that's not to say those slightly slower off the mark can indulge in what these boots have to offer. Goalkeepers Kepa Arrizabalaga and Guglielmo Vicario don these, with Luke Shaw and Benjamin Pavard also X Crazyfast.1 wearers. 

How we tested the Adidas X Crazyfast.1 boots

We wore an FG pair of the Crazyfast.1 on grass. This version is best worn only on firm, natural grass pitches. The bladed studs on its aggressive soleplate mean that use on artificial ground can be dangerous. 

Adidas, of course, also offer an AG option so these should be used when playing on these surfaces.

Comfort and fit

The Crazyfast replaces the outgoing X Speedportal and improves on them in virtually every category. Where the upper of the Speedportal was quite rigid, the Crazyfast is extremely pliable. 

There is some very slight stiffness to begin with but within about half an hour they are fully broken in and soften up nicely. The lacing is deep with the top lace hole further back and slightly lower on the foot than most boots and so the boot wraps your feet tightly leaving you feeling completely locked in. 

Although there have been narrower iterations of the X, this is still not a boot that will work well for those with very wide feet. We would recommend going true to size for the best fit.

Design

The upper is made from a material adidas are calling Aeropacity Speedskin which is protected by an Aerocage casing. The result is an extremely thin, almost plasticky, semi-translucent boot that provides the lightweight minimalism that is important in the speed category.

The soleplate was one of the better aspects of the X Speedportal and this is carried over for the Crazyfast. The chevron shaped bladed studs provide good aggression even if not as aggressive as those on latest Nike Mercurial Superfly. 

The aeroplate inserted into the sole helps give excellent energy return – this plate was previously made of carbon fibre in the first few X Speedportal releases but has since been a plastic that does much of the same job. 

This is a boot with speed as its primary concern and the minimalist approach taken by Adidas lends itself well to this – players looking to ghost past their markers do not want to feel tied down by their boots and the stripped back Crazyfast.1 understands and delivers that.

On the pitch

This is about as thin as a boot as you are likely to find on the market. Add to this the lockdown provided by the lacing system and the flexibility of the Primeknit collar and you get a boot that feels almost like you aren’t wearing one. 

This, of course, comes with virtually no protection at all so if a bruising defender steps on your foot in these you will really feel it. The responsiveness of the soleplate means you can push off quickly and the stud pattern gives the right amount of traction for moving quickly across the surface.

Summary

The Crazyfast.1 is a marked improvement on the X Speedportal and does a good job of providing a lot of the things that are needed from a boot in the ‘speed’ category.

As a cheaper alternative to the Crazyfast+ and the latest Nike Mercurial Vapor and Superfly, this is an option very worth considering.