How Does The Ace16+ PURECONTROL Fit? (And Other Questions Answered)

A new wave of boot technology has arrived – both as a market release and also in our door earlier today! There is a lot of talk about what the Adidas Ace16+ PURECONTROL has on offer and if they are a fad or something can maintain a place on the market.

With the boots in hand, I figured now would be an excellent opportunity to offer feedback and answer some of the more pressing questions. If you follow us on Instagram, you probably spotted our request for questions you want answered about the boots today. Well, below is a line-up of questions and my initial take!

The first thing that needs to be covered, and I was surprised not to receive any questions surrounding this, is:

How easy are they to put on?

They are actually pretty tough to get your feet into, something that is intended in order to create optimal fit and something adidas took into consideration. In order to help you out, there are two pull tabs around the ankle opening. One sits on the heel, the other sits right at the top on the front of your leg. You are going to use both in order to get your foot in – trust me! After some wiggle and angled foot movements, I managed to get my feet in. If those tabs ever rip or tear off, I’ve no idea how I’ll get my feet back in again.

How easy are they to take off?

Adidas again helps out here. Included in the box is a little gadget that you use to help wedge your foot out of the boot. You basically slip it in around your ankle and lift your heel out from behind. it works real well, but again without it you will look like a little worm wriggling around on the ground after the first rain of the season!

rhan_ron Are they true to size?

Yes, they are very much true-to-size in length. I’m wearing a size 9US (my regular size) and they fit very comfortably. I’d recommend sticking with regular size.

luke.rodriguez Do you recommend going a half size down?

No, I don’t see that proving beneficial. If anything, some players might need to go a half size up to get an optimal fit.

Fran Are they as narrow as they look?

They are actually a lot more accommodating than you’d expect. I wouldn’t label them as a wide fitting boot, but they do have plenty of room through the forefoot to give them a medium/wide fit. And thanks to the materials used through the forefoot, they have a stretch feel to accommodate a wide variety of shapes.

ethanhaworth00 How’s the support?

There is two layers to the boot; an internal knit cage that locks your foot down, and a stiffer outer shell upper that gives the boot its shape. On their own, these layers wouldn’t work. But together, they create solid support without any type of flimsy feel.

duhbige How is the support when cutting?

I’ll need to wear them in games to really answer this, but from general movement, they seem just as secure as you’d expect a standard boot. If anything, the higher ankle cut will provide an extra level of strength as you cut and turn.

rubmontero Do they feel loose?

Through the forefoot they are firmly held down in place thanks to the knit support cage. Around the heel, you are also held tighly in place, but in a slightly different fashion. Basically, the style of cut on the collar locks down on your foot as your heel move upwards. The heel counter also features an angled cut that contours very effectively down your Achilles to underfoot.

ctg.luke Any heel slippage?

As per above. But let me elaborate just a little. While sitting down, I can wiggle my ankle up and down. But when I stand up and jump up/down, the structure around the heel seems to grasp and tighten around my ankle. It is a unique sensation but one that reduces any opportunity for heel movement.

aeseldin Do they stretch enough to accommodate a high arch/high instep?

The region around the tongue is knit, so there is an opportunity for stretch through wear, or at least they will accommodate a wider variety of sizes. But, the material around the arch is like a more dense microfiber, so it won’t change over time. However, due to the nature of the boot and what adidas are looking to achieve, they had to make the cut a little higher to sit tight through the instep.

jareknalewak What do they look like inside it ?

Image below – best I could do, with one image inside the left and one inside the right.

sigfus.7 When you’re making cuts and changes in direction while running is there a lot of roll over?

This seems to be a common question, but it is one that I’ve no concerns over. The material through the upper is strong enough that I don’t see much opportunity for rollover at any point through wear!

carterparks20 Which fits better Magista or PURECONTROL?

This is a great question. The Magista is a lot softer through the upper, don’t expect the PURECONTROL to feel as soft or pliable, the upper feels a lot more like a microfiber! A better question is which boot provides more comfort? That I’ll answer once I get to test these out!

adampaziuk Where can I buy these?

There is only one place where you can order and have them shipped today – that would be from soccer.com. They have an EXCLUSIVE on this release, which allows them to ship pairs without pre-order. Every other retailer has to wait until January 28th before they can ship them!

Find your pair and get them shipped today -> PURECONTROL at soccer.com.

Again, thanks to all of you who provided questions and got involved on Instagram and Twitter. If you have anymore pressing questions you would like my take on, please feel free to share them in the comments below!

*Please keep in mind I’ve only had these today, so there are certain areas (like in game performance) where I can’t provide valid feedback!