The Adidas F30 is the first takedown model in the very popular F50 line, and it shocking how different the F30 is in comparison to the F50. Whenever a thin synthetic is used on a soccer shoe, the fit depends on the predetermined shape of the upper, and the predetermined shape of the F30 is pretty shocking. From right out of the box, the upper looks mangled and deformed, which bulges and creases that just should not be there. Generally a good fitting synthetic shoe should look similar to the shape of a foot, and the F30 just does not have that. When put the shoe on your foot, you will immediately notice how shallow the heel fits. It is so shallow that the actual back of your heel, the part that would still be considered your foot, is exposed. This makes for a very insecure fit, where it feels like your heel is going to slip out of the shoe at all times, I also had some issues with heel slippage, which wasn’t a major issue, but it did cause some discomfort and it was not a problem that seemed to go away, even after break-in. Another reason for the heel slippage is the very stiff soleplate, which has a flex-point that seems to be a little too far back in the forefoot and a midfoot that is super stiff, causing your heel to be pushed up and down. As far as how the upper fits, the heel, midfoot and forefoot are fairly wide, while the toe box is very small, which was not an issue for me, but I am sure that it could be for others. The sides of the shoe do not come up very high either, so while I have a slightly narrow foot, when I tie these boots up, it appears as if my foot is pushing the maximum width of foot that the shoe can handle. The upper is itself is also on the stiffer side and is by no means a soft synthetic, so instead of small creases when your foot bends, you get actual folds in the upper, which can make for some pressure spots, which can lead to potential blisters and discomfort. As far as sizing goes, I would say that the F30 fits just about true to size, maybe just a little on the small side, but not enough to justify going up half a size. The width of this shoe is tricky because the actual width of the shoe in the midfoot is on the wider side, but the shoe itself can actually only handle no more than an average width foot.
Weight
The F30 weighs in at 9.8oz, which is not heavy, but it is not even close to being able to be considered lightweight, and is even further away from offering that ultra-lightweight feel that the F50 provides. 9.8oz is about average weight for any soccer shoe, but when the top end model is one of the lightest shoes on the market and the entire line is marketed for “speed”, one would expect the takedown model to be at least somewhere close to lightweight. Any shoe that is marketed as a “speed” boot should be lighter than this, especially for this amount of money.
Traction
The F30 uses the older version of the adizero stud pattern, where the F50 has the new 2.0 version that makes some minor changes. The studs are all on the longer side and are triangular, which is somewhat unusual, but it does work. The stud pattern offers a blend between conical and bladed stud patterns, with the overall feel coming off as a conical stud pattern more than anything. I did find that the stiffer soleplate of the F30 makes the stud pattern feel a little less effective than the same stud pattern on the F50 soleplate, simply because the soleplate is not as flexible. This is a stud pattern that is suitable to be used on nearly any type of playing surface, but keep in mind that the studs are on the longer side for a firm ground stud pattern, so if you are playing on turf, you may find the studs to be a little too long.
Touch
The synthetic upper on the F30 is made from Adidas’ Singmax material. From what you can see, the upper is made from about 4 different layers of material, making for a synthetic upper that is about the same thickness as most leather soccer shoes. As I described earlier, the upper has a shape that is somewhat off to begin with, so while the upper does not fit perfectly to your foot, the actual touch on the ball is honestly not that bad. The upper is not necessarily all that thin, but it does not have any padding, so the feel is reminiscent of playing barefoot. The finish on the outside of the upper is identical to that of the synthetic version of the F50, textures and all. I didn’t find the touch to be all that bad, but it definitely does not offer that premium feel that most would expect from a shoe that retails for over $100.
Shooting
Shooting in the F30 is not bad, but due to the fit of the shoe, there are some problems. Since the heel fits so shallow, the shoe offers next to no ankle support when striking the ball. This means that any added stability that you would get from most soccer shoes will not be there with the F30 on your feet. I also found that the lack of secure fit in the heel made for plenty of sliding around in the heel of the shoe when striking the ball, which means that you may find yourself with a blister on the heel of your kicking foot after a shooting session. While the soleplate is nice and stiff, it just doesn’t seem to work with rest of the shoe.
Protection
While the F30 is going to provide a little more protection in comparison to the F50, what is there still isn’t much. Should you get stepped on, the upper is not padded at all, so you will feel nearly every bit of the blow. The heel uses an internal, plastic heel counter, but because the heel is so low cut, you are likely to take a kick to the back directly on your heel.
Durability
While I don’t think that the overall quality of this boot is that high, it is very solid, and I am confident is saying that it will definitely last an entire season. There isn’t much that could go wrong.
The Verdict
With the F50 being as popular as it is, I expected the first takedown model to be at least somewhat similar, but instead the F30 offers easily one of the most flawed designs that I have ever used. While I am sure that some of you who are reading this may own this shoe and do not in any way agree with me, all I have to say is that you have been mislead and you really should try new things. The F30 is honestly one of the worst soccer shoes on the market and I cannot recommend it to anyone for any price. In the price range of just over $100, you have so many better options than the F30, and you should seriously give those other options a look if you were interested in the F30.
| Comfort/Fit | 6 out of 10 |
| Weight | 6 out of 10 |
| Traction | 8 out of 10 |
| Touch | 6 out of 10 |
| Shooting | 6 out of 10 |
| Protection | 6 out of 10 |
| Durability | 8 out of 10 |
| FINAL SCORE | 46 out of 70 or 66% |
