Adidas F50 adiZero Samba – Boot Review

The Adidas F50 adiZero is one of the most sought after football boots on the market with some of the world’s best players like Messi and Suarez wearing them, when Adidas released the Samba pack they also updated the adiZero with a few significant modifications including a new stud pattern, the use of Hybridtouch and also SpeedFoil.

I have always been a fan of heritage boots and valued protection and comfort over what speed boots had to offer, so I was definitely interested as to why the F50 are so popular and was excited to get them into testing.

First Impressions

I received the Adidas adiZero F50 in the Samba pack Blue colour and I like the look of them. They have a very streamlined look that is perfect for a speed boot. The orange laces and detailing along with the Samba pattern on the tongue and inner lining I think all makes for a great looking pair of football boots.

The first thing you notice when you take them out the box is how light these are, they really are ridiculously light for a pair of football boots. The hybrid touch upper feels thin and flexible, and the SpeedFoil used on the rear of the boot was something I’ve never seen or experienced before so my first impressions were positive and I was definitely interested to put these into testing.

Fit, comfort and Break In

The fit of the new adiZero fit true to size length wise, in regards to width these fit tight to say the least, there really isn’t much width in them and considering I have wide feet I was just able to fit in them, keep in mind I have very wide feet and this won’t be a problem for people with average width feet.

The break in wasn’t as smooth as I would have liked but I’m not used to wearing thin, synthetic and light boots so this was a new experience for me, my feet were cramping during the first use which I had them on for around 30 minutes and caused me to change my boots and the same again for the second use where I managed about 45 minutes. The next use they felt broken in and caused no cramping or discomfort, the hybrid touch stretches ever so slightly which helped matters whilst still hugging your foot and keeping a nice snug fit.

The overall comfort once broken in is actually much better than I anticipated, I used the comfort insoles as I value comfort over weight and to my surprise I was quite impressed with the overall comfort the F50 had to offer. They are by no means one of the most comfortable boots I’ve worn but when you take in to account how light these are and that the materials are so thin then Adidas should be applauded for making these a comfortable pair of boots.

Touch and Striking

The thin layer of Hybridtouch makes for a very good feel on the ball, I found controlling the ball and making short passes were excellent due to the softness and thinness of the material. The Dribbletex (textured coating on parts of the boot) didn’t offer anything for me, I barely noticed it was there.

Striking the ball has a very natural feel, almost too natural at times for my liking as you feel every bit of the ball on your foot. Curling the ball and placing the ball with the instep was very good but when “Putting your laces through the ball” I found could be slightly uncomfortable to start until I got used to it.

Traction

Adidas have changed things up with the soleplate and I feel this is a huge improvement. There are 4 triangular shaped studs at the rear with 7 studs at the front which are quite wide which makes for excellent weight distribution.

I found on the previous model there was some slight stud pressure on the inside stud near the front of the boot and that it was a little bulky and long but the shape and pattern this time around is much more comfortable and also offers great traction.

Durability, Protection and Maintenance

The biggest negative with the Adidas F50 adiZero is the lack of protection that they offer, it’s a compromise for having such a lightweight boot which a lot of players don’t mind but for me (Defensive midfielder) protection is essential.

Adidas seemed to have produced a very durable boot, I’ve worn them on AG, dry grass and wet grass for many hours of use and haven’t seen any signs of them having durability problems which is pretty impressive given how light they are.

Maintenance is a breeze, a full synthetic boot so just a wipe down with a wet cloth and job done.

Find your pair at soccer.com >> Adidas F50 adiZero Samba

Would I buy them?

I’ve always been a fan of leather heritage boots and that will never change, so I personally would not buy the Adidas F50 adiZero but that doesn’t mean they aren’t a great football boot.

If you are in the market for a light boot with a very natural feeling on the ball you will not be disappointed and I recommend having a look at these especially for wingers and forwards where your game is all about pace.