Soccer Cleats 101 Soccer Cleats News and Reviews
If you’re an Adidas fan looking for five-a-side boots you haven’t really been spoiled for choice over the last little while. The three stripes haven’t really paid the short sided game much attention. In fact outside the futsal specific Freefootball Top Sala, and Adidas’ legendary Mundial Team Turf, the most readily available indoor and turf boots have been takedown versions of takedown models.
However, it seems things are on the change at Adidas HQ. The Freefootball division is being given more prominence this season, with the introduction of the Freefootball Crazyquick in Wild Camo as Adidas’ brand new small sided turf boot. It’s a boot which I’ve been putting through its paces for the last little while.
Initial Reaction
Small sided football is the future! And Adidas have seen the future and decided that it’s grey? In a world of high definition technicolour Adidas have rolled on the grey as their main release colour, and it results in the Switzerland of indoor boots, a very neutral looking boot, which when you consider how much colour most indoor and turf boots have it definitely makes them stand out, in the most innocuous way possible.
Helping the boot stand out is the sole of the Crazyquick, which combines purple, yellow, black and grey turf studs in an almost camouflage pattern. However, it’s not just the sole’s colour scheme which is different, the Crazyquick’s sole also features studs of different heights, which gives it a different look when compared to most turf boots.
Tech Specs
With an old Adidas turf release this section would normally say, “move along, nothing to see here”. However, that’s a bit different where the Crazyquick is concerned as there’s quite a bit to see and highlight. First there’s the traction system in play, traditional turf boots feature nubby studs, and the Crazyquick is no different until you notice that the studs are all different heights. Adidas have done this to allow the boot to adapt to the different types of astro-pitches, so that the wearer gets the best grip on the surface.
The synthetic upper is made from the same Zerotex material which was used in Adidas’ adizero 99g prototype, and helps keep the weight of the upper down. This is teamed up with the 3D finishing you see on the boot to enhance ball control.
Fit/Break In
So the Crazyquick sent out for review were a size 10 US which caused a bit of a dilemma as I usually wear boots in either a size 9 or 9.5. The good news, however, is that the Crazyquick do fit a wee bit smaller than their indicated size. Is it enough to recommend going up a half size, I don’t think so. While a 9.5 would have fit perfectly, I just ended up doubling up on my socks, and hoped that this with the combination of a thinner upper would result in my touch on the ball being unaffected.
If there is one thing I love about wearing turf boots it’s the break in period. You can pretty much set your watch to the fact that you can take a new pair of turf boots from the box to the turf and play for a good couple hours without a worry of any sort (midcut collar on the Elastico Superfly excepted). This is due to the fact that the soles of turf boots are much more forgiving than your FG or even AG soleplate. The Crazyquick was no difference to any other turf boot I’ve worn in that they were very comfortable from the off.
Are They Built for Speed?
With a name like Crazyquick you might think that we’re dealing with a “super leggera” (to quote famed auto columnist Jeremy Clarkson) turf release. However, the Crazyquick tips the scales at 10.8oz, with pretty much all of the weight being in the sole of the boot. While 10.8oz isn’t particularly beefy when turf boots are concerned, it’s also not in the same ballpark of what Nike have been able to offer with the soon to be Mercurial X line. As this is Adidas’ first proper go at creating a proper top end small sided turf boot, it’ll be interesting to see where the evolution goes from here weight wise.
In Game Performance
On the ball the Crazyquick is a solid performing boot. The Zerotex upper offers a close touch on the ball, double sock and all. The 3D finishing on the upper helped with keeping the ball closer on the dribble and controlling passes, which is something you look for on the small surfaces where occasionally a couple of inches can feel like a mile. There was also an unexpected bonus on the 3D finish when shooting was concerned. Usually boots featuring a thin synthetic upper aren’t striking friendly for me. This was definitely not the case with the Crazyquick, the 3D definition enabled me to really ping in some shots as it seemed to soak up the impact where other lightweight synthetics seemingly have amplified the impact.
Where traction is concerned it’s a bit of a mixed bag for me. I can see what Adidas are going for with the varying stud heights. On artificial grass there were no problems, but it just seemed that on old school astro-turf the Crazyquick just rode just a bit too high.
Durability wise the Crazyquick is solid which you’d expect from a turf offering. I feel comfortable in saying that you’ll get a decent life span out of them playing several times a week. In the time I’ve had them in testing playing anywhere from 1 to 3 times a week the only marking on the upper has come from striking the ball on artificial grass surfaces.
Conclusion
It’s an interest concept from Adidas, and it has some potential. Is the Crazyquick a serious competitor to the Elastico/Mercurial X? Maybe not at the top tier right now, I mean Nike have just been at the small sided game longer. However, this is a strong opener from Adidas and hopefully going forward we’ll be able to see just how Adidas refine Crazyquick to take a run at challenging Nike for the top turf boot on the market.
Would I Buy?
At $79.99 I could see myself picking up a pair, simply because they’re Adidas’ first proper go at a small sided turf boot. Add in the fact that they’re a solid performer on the ball and they’re worth the outlay, even knowing that you’re probably not going to be able to wear them on raggyier astro-pitches just because they sit a bit high.
You can pick up a pair of the Adidas Crazyquick over at soccer.com. Have an opinion or question? Drop a comment down below and I’ll be happy to answer.
