The adidas F50 adizero miCoach is one of the lightest, fastest boots to hit the field. The adizero is essential for players who want to quicken their footwork and accelerate the ball. The upper is made of Sprintskin, which drastically reduces the adizero’s weight. Along with innovative internal TPU support bands in the upper, to offer support and stability. The new and improved Sprintframe is designed to be lightweight, while still providing optimal stability. The new TRX stud pattern also improves your balance at top speeds.
Comfort/ Fit
This is the first real change to the adizero since it was originally released, and I have to say, Adidas has improved on some of the issues that the original two releases had. Something that the synthetic adizeros have always lacked, in my opinion, is the premium fit that you get from a shoe like the Nike Mercurial line. That is not to say that the older models of the adizero had a bad fit, they just didn’t have that feeling where the upper of the shoe feels perfectly formed to your foot. Have they improved upon this? The answer is yes, but it still isn’t the best fitting synthetic on the market. The changes come just ever so slightly in the actual shape of the upper, but the biggest change is the actual make up of the upper. You will notice that there is a different type of material that covers the forefoot area, and wraps around the toe, if you refer to pictures above you will know what part of the upper that I am talking about. This particular section of the upper is made of a slightly firmer, almost rubberized material that is designed to provide lateral stiffness and fit slightly tighter, which you can feel when you pull the laces tight. This is the biggest change in creating a slightly tighter fitting adizero and I am happy to say that it works well. Another issue that I always had with the adizero is the heel area, as well as the liner. Instead of a very shallow heel with a little flap at the back, there is now a heel that actually has a shape, like pretty much any other soccer shoe does. To me, this makes the world of difference comfort wise, and the new liner helps too. I also noticed that the actual soleplate is a little stiffer, which is also a good thing. The reason for this seems to be a slightly thicker sole and perhaps a different type of plastic, so it is something worth noting. The lacing system and tongue seem to have been kept relatively the same and suit the boot well.
As far as the actual fit of the shoe goes, they have a pretty roomy fit, meaning that even people with wider feet shouldn’t have any issues wearing these. The toe box on this boot is also on the bigger side, and I would have liked to seen it brought down to make for a slightly tighter fit. When you do pull the laces tight, the stiffer parts on the upper will be felt, especially for the first few hours, so there is somewhat of a break-in period with these. One funny thing about the synthetic version is the sizing. I was always a size 9US in the 2 previous synthetic adizeros, but for this particular version, I needed a size 9.5US to get the same fit. The fit is a half size small, so if you are looking to order a pair, I would recommend going half a size up.
Weight
This is where some of you may be disappointed. The listed weight of the synthetic adizero miCoach is 5.8oz, which is very light, but unfortunately is not true. If you throw in the comfort insole, which everybody does, the shoe weighs in at 6.3oz, making the adizero a shoe that is no longer a sub 6oz shoe. Throw in a miCoach chip and you’re pushing 7oz! So, is there some misleading stats being thrown around? The answer is clearly yes, but they did improve the overall comfort and gave the shoe a more solid feel. This just goes to show how such minor changes can make a shoe go from ultra-lightweight, to just lightweight. I have always preached that weight is such a minor thing in soccer shoes, but if that is your main concern, which it shouldn’t be, the adizero is no longer your lightest option.
Traction
New adizero, new stud pattern, kind of. Adidas is calling the stud pattern on the new adizero a new and improved stud pattern, and the honest truth is that the difference is incredibly minimal. There are three minor changes from the previous adizero stud patterns, and when I say minor, I mean that it doesn’t really change the feel of the stud pattern at all. The first difference comes in a slight change in the shape of the front two studs. Instead of being perfect triangles, one side of the triangle is slightly curved. The second change is the stud in the middle of the foot, where instead of being flat, like the rest of the studs, it is angled at about 30 degrees. The last change is the surface of the studs, meaning the part that comes in contact with the ground. There is a triangular pattern on each stud, where part of the middle is slightly cut out. With all of these changes in place, the overall feel of this stud pattern, like I said earlier, is the same. If you have ever worn an adizero in the past, this stud pattern should be familiar territory. They provide decent grip, without locking your foot in too aggressively. It works well on nearly any surface, but it is worth noting that the studs are ever so slightly longer than your average firm ground stud pattern.
Touch
The overall feel of the synthetic adizeros remains relatively the same, which is not a bad thing. Adidas’ Sprintskin is one of the thinnest materials on the market, and does a pretty good job of creating that barefoot feel on the ball. The upper itself has no cushioned qualities whatsoever, so the way you touch the ball will be very similar to the way it would feel if you were barefoot. The improved fit does make the touch feel a little higher quality, but the truth is that the overall feel has not changed much. If you are looking to have one of the thinnest uppers possible on your boot, the synthetic adizero is a pretty good option.
Shooting
Shooting the ball with these boots shouldn’t be too much of a surprise either. There is a minimal amount of padding on the upper of the boot, so if you are somebody who likes a little bit of padding on your foot when striking the ball, you should probably look elsewhere. There are no shooting elements on the boot and you will feel all of the ball when you do strike the ball. Like I said earlier, if you’re looking for something with a thin upper, this is one of the thinnest.
Protection
One thing that the adizero has never provided, nor do most lightweight boots, is protection. The upper is very thin, and since it has no cushioning qualities, you will feel every bit of the opposing players studs go into your foot should you get stepped on. On the same note, if you are buying a thin synthetic soccer shoes, safety is probably not your main concern.
Durability
It’s always very difficult to call the durability level of a soccer shoe, especially one that is made so thin and lightweight. The adizeros have never been a super durable boot, but with the addition of this rugged, slightly rubberized material that meets the soleplate pretty much all the way around, I am going to go out on a limb and say that the level of durability is improved from the past adizeros. The synthetic version of the adizero always seemed to be the most durable, but this new version seems to beat out the past models.
The Verdict
I have always had issues with the adizeros. I feel like the entire line has been over-hyped, over-marketed, much like the Nike Mercurial line, and apart from the weight, just didn’t offer enough for me to justify wearing them. I am happy to say that this new version is definitely an improvement on all levels, except for what made it so famous, the weight. It fits better, it’s more comfortable and is more durable, but are no longer the lightest boots around. I feel that the extra weight makes this a much better overall shoe, but if you are looking for the lightest shoe around, the adizero is no longer it.
| Comfort/Fit | 9 out of 10 |
| Weight | 9 out of 10 |
| Traction | 8 out of 10 |
| Touch | 9 out of 10 |
| Shooting | 8 out of 10 |
| Protection | 6 out of 10 |
| Durability | 8 out of 10 |
| FINAL SCORE | 57 out of 70 or 81% |
