Exploit defenders with the quickness you gain by wearing the adidas Super Sala IX. Lightweight synthetic leather and mesh with an air mesh tongue for maximum ventilation. EVA insole with adiPrene insert for comfort. Non-marking rubber outsole for use on polished indoor surfaces.
Comfort/ Fit
The Super Sala IX is definitely comfortable, but fits very wide. The upper is almost entirely mesh, with the exception of the front of the boot that has a very thin layer of foam like material on the outside. This makes for an upper that is very flexible, will not stretch much, but also makes it difficult to have a very tight fit. The reason for this is because mesh naturally stretches when pressure is applied, so it will expand ever so slightly, even when your shoes are tied tight. This is not a bad thing, but I felt like I could never get them tight enough. Another small complaint that I have about the fit of this shoe is the material that was used for the heel liner. It’s a shiny, very tightly woven mesh material that is certainly soft and comfortable against your heel, but because it is so smooth, I found that my heels would slip in out of the shoe ever so slightly. Normally this would cause blisters, but because the heel liner is so smooth, the shoes will remain comfortable, but you still get that slight heel slippage. My last small complaint about the comfort of this shoe is the tongue. It is a very thin layer of mesh that doesn’t even feel like it is there. This makes for some lace-bite, but not a whole lot. It doesn’t make the shoe uncomfortable to wear, it just makes the struggle between having your boots tight enough and being comfortable a little more difficult, a problem that could have easily been solved by just having a slightly thicker tongue. The sole is thick enough to provide just the right amount of padding for running on hard gym floors, which is always nice to see. The overall fit of this shoe is definitely on the wider side. I have narrow to regular width feet, and unless I really pulled the laces extra tight, I felt like my foot was floating in this shoe. Sizing was pretty normal. I wore my usual size 9US for review and they fit perfectly in the length, so these shoes definitely fit true to size. Like I said, these shoes are comfortable, but have somewhat of strange fit.
Weight
This shoe has a listed weight of 9.8oz which is fairly average, but when I held the shoe in my hand I knew for sure that it had to be less. So I weighed my own pair in a size 9US, and I was right. They weighed in at a slightly less 9.1oz, making them one of the lighter options as far indoor shoes go. The reason for this is because of the predominantly mesh upper. This lightweight upper allowed for extra weight in the sole, which means that this will provide the most cushion when running in comparison to other lightweight indoor soccer shoes, like the Nike5 Elastico.
Traction
Adidas really did a good job in the type of rubber that was used on the sole. It is a soft gum rubber sole that will provide excellent traction on hard gym floor surfaces. I also really liked that they used a very thick layer of gum rubber, so it will not wear away as quickly and you will have good grip for longer. This is a great indoor sole. It’s simple, uses quality materials and it will last.
Touch
This is where Adidas seemed to have somewhat lost the concept of creating a futsal style shoe. They designed a shoe for he indoor game, so they decided that ventilation would be important, and I agree. It gets hot indoors, so some mesh should be used as a means of ventilation for your feet. The next, and probably the most important aspect of the indoor game is touch, meaning that the upper needs to have a good feel. This is where Adidas completely missed the boat. The front part of the shoe is claimed to be a synthetic leather, which is generally cheap, and an understandable material choice for a more price point indoor soccer shoe. Synthetic leather is fairly common on indoor soccer shoes, and we have all probably owned a pair that uses this material. It’s not the best, but it feels ok and still gets the job done. The synthetic leather that is used on the Super Sala IX is just a single layer of mesh, covered in a very thin layer of hard foam-like material, and to be honest, it feels like mesh. If you told me to start kicking the ball around blind folded with these shoes on, and I didn’t know what they were, I would guess that I was wearing a pair of mesh running shoes. Of course mesh doesn’t offer a terrible feel, it just isn’t that premium feel, which is why you by indoor “soccer” shoes in the first place. If indoor soccer shoes were all mesh, than why would anyone buy them? They might as well play in their running shoes. I’m not saying that the touch on these shoes is bad, I just wanted more. If you like the feel of a mesh upper, you will like these.
Shooting
I didn’t have as big of an issue with the mesh upper when shooting. It’s just worth noting that mesh is thinner than your standard leather material, and will not provide that same amount of padding. Shooting with a pair of mesh boots feels like a slightly dampened version of shooting barefoot. There is no extra grips or shooting elements on the boot, so they are pretty bare bones in that respect, but so are 95% of indoor soccer shoes.
Durability
You will certainly get your money’s worth out of these boots. Mesh will generally never wear out and will not stretch much at all either. They will dry really fast and the thicker sole gives you lots of wear time before you lose the layer of grippy rubber. The only thing to note is that you probably shouldn’t wear these for use of the street, simply because one fall or scrape on the cement will most likely lead to a hole in the mesh upper.
The Verdict
These are the entry-level pair in Adidas’ indoor specific line of soccer shoes, so for what you pay, they do have something to offer. For around $45, you get a lightweight, fairly comfortable and durable shoe that has some really good grip. These are ideal if you have very wide feet, and because of there simple styling, can also be worn as a casual shoe, allowing you to be ready in case a pick up game breaks out. For the money that you pay, I’d say that you get a pretty solid boot.
