Mizuno Morelia Pro Review

There’s nothing like the classic Mizuno Morelia Pro. If you read my review on the Mizuno Wave Ignitus 1 or 2, you will have read about how comfortable I think they are, and the same goes for the Morelia. If ever I were to say that a soccer shoe feels like a slipper, this would be it. The Morelia is Mizuno’s classic line of soccer shoes, styled off of an older style of soccer shoes, like the Copa Mundial. The shoe is crafted from a very high quality kangaroo leather upper, that once broken in, feels incredible. From right out of the box, I was a little disappointed with how soft the leather was, as it was soft but not exactly what I had hoped. When I put them on my feet for the first time, I also noticed that they felt very tight near the front of the foot. I knew that this was a quality boot, so I didn’t judge it from out of the box and went out to wear them.

For the first 20 minutes, the leather felt stiff and my toes started feeling cramped, but after that first 20 minutes, everything changed. The shoe expanded ever so slightly, molding to my foot beautifully. The leather softened up immensely and the shoes immediately became extremely comfortable, like I had been wearing them for weeks. The leather is very soft and stretches only where it needs to stretch. What I mean by that is most full kangaroo leather will stretch everywhere, where I found the Morelia to stretch only in the places where I needed it to. This makes for a much tighter fitting kangaroo leather shoe than most. After break-in, this boot feels like it is the exact shape of your foot. Other comfort elements include a nicely padded heel and a very flexible soleplate. Sizing is very important with this shoe because you need to get them to fit very tightly from out of the box. I wore a size 9US, my usual size, for review and they fit tight at first, but molded perfectly and now fit exactly the right size. I would definitely recommend ordering your normal tight fitting size in the Morelia for the best possible fit after break-in. These boots do have a wider fit, but will work perfectly with any foot of any width.

Weight

Because this shoe doesn’t have a listed weight, I had to weigh it myself. My scale showed a weight of 9.85oz, which is about average for soccer shoes, but very light when you compare it to a Copa Mundial that weighs 11.7oz. Because this shoe fits so well, it feels a lot lighter than it actually is. For being an old school styled shoe that doesn’t skimp out on materials, this shoe challenges modern kangaroo leather soccer shoes like the Legend IV and the adipure IV as far as weight goes, which is pretty impressive if you ask me.

Traction

As this a classically styled boot, a classic stud pattern would be what you expect, and that is exactly what you get. The stud pattern is made of all conical studs. In the front there are 4 studs on each side of the boot, inside and outside, with one stud directly in between, with the heel being a simple four stud pattern like most boots have. I always enjoy using conical studs because although they do not provide the pure grip that you get from bladed studs, you get this sense of agility. The feeling of never feeling locked in to the ground is a feeling that I really enjoy in a soccer shoe. Not to mention that conical studs are less strenuous on your joints. This is also a stud pattern that is perfect for use on turf because the studs are not too long and they will not cling on when you run. Overall this is a great stud pattern. Why change it if it still works.

Touch

The kangaroo leather on this boot is so soft, making the touch on the ball feel amazing. The Nike CTR360 Maestri is a shoe built around touch, but the Morelia is simply pure touch. This is one of those shoes that really shows that quality material and build quality will beat out technology any day. When you wear these for the first time, you will feel like your touch truly is better than it was before. The ball makes contact with your foot so smoothly. This shoe, as well as the Diadora Maracana, provides the ultimate touch on the ball. One unique thing about this boot is the very old school flap over lace cover. It is made of a thin pliable piece of leather and is the biggest lace cover that I have ever used on a soccer shoe. I was worried that I would feel it when juggling or controlling the ball with the top of my foot, but it is honestly unnoticeable. If it is something that bothers you, because of the shape of the tongue and where the Velcro fastener is located on the tongue, the flap can be fastened to the tongue and worn under the laces, making it completely disappear. Honestly, this boot is pure touch, something that the classics always seem to beat out most modern soccer shoes on.

Shooting

Shooting with this boot is pretty straight forward. There is nothing on the boot made to enhance your shooting ability, and it doesn’t need to have anything like that. The kangaroo leather provides a very nice padding for your foot when striking the ball and the whole experience feels very natural. Because the shoe fits so tightly to the foot, there is an element of precision that you feel when trying to curl the ball and when making small chip shots, something that I have always found with classic boots. This shoe will not disappoint.

Protection

This shoe is definitely going to be safe enough for any position on the field. Leather is always a safer more protective material than synthetic uppers will provide. The heel also has a hard plastic internal heel cup, which will provide some added protection. Remember, this is the style of boot that everybody wore before foot injuries became a major concern.

Durability

The first thing that I think when Mizuno soccer shoes are brought up is quality. The Wave Ignitus line from Mizuno is practically indestructible and I wouldn’t expect much less from the Morelia. The build quality is some of the best from any company and little things like extra rivets on the sole plate and double stitching go a long way in how long your boots will last. Like any natural leather soccer shoe, these do require some maintenance such as regular cleaning and applying leather cream to keep the leather soft.

The Verdict

If you want to try a classic boot, there is not a better option than the Mizuno Morelia. It offers the best molded fit from any other kangaroo leather shoe that I have ever tried. The quality is outstanding, and with the proper care, they will last a long time. This is the ultimate old school boot. If you are interested in buying a pair of Mizuno Morelia, click the “Buy It Now” link above for more information.

Comfort/Fit	10 out of 10
Weight	8 out of 10
Traction	8 out of 10
Touch	10 out of 10
Shooting	8 out of 10
Protection	8 out of 10
Durability	9 out of 10
FINAL SCORE	61 out of 70 or 87%