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adidas Football Boots

Dean Ariola

adidas is one of the go-to brands for football boots, and it has superstars like Messi and Bellingham leading a great number of players in wearing them come match days. Click on the image below to go straight to the latest boots from adidas.

You have three adidas boot choices; iconic Predator, F50 for speed and the classic leather Copa. These adidas football boots break down in to the +, Elite, Pro, League & Club. Each succeeding tier drops in quality but also cost. We can help you make sense of all the ADIDAS options and get the right pair for you…

In this video we look at the history of adidas football boots:
What You’ll Find On This Page:
adidas Football Boots
A selection of adidas football boots over the years at Football Boots UK

What Football Boots Models are Under the adidas Brand?

At the moment, adidas produce the Predator, F50 and Copa.

The Predator continues to be a relevant football boot ever since its groundbreaking introduction in 1994. With speed becoming one, if not the main consideration for players today, adidas has the F50 to compete with its popular rival in Nike Mercurial. And the iconic Copa Mundial gets its current iteration with the modern Copa leather boots.

Predator

What makes the Predator standout is the elements added to the upper that provides assistance in a lot of ways!

F50

With all eleven players expected to be quick on the ball and fast all around the pitch, even defenders are checking out the lightweight and speedy F50 adidas boots.

Copa

Unlike the classic Copa Mundial that runs on full K-leather, the modern adidas Copa complements the said material with the greatest and latest technologies in the football boot world. adidas names today’s modern Copa as the Copa PURE.

Copa Mundial

If comfort is your priority, look no further than the adidas Copa Mundial that has been ongoing since 1979. It does look dated especially the outsole, but there’s a reason the brand keeps it in circulation for the retail market.

Which Stars wear adidas Boots?

adidas has a great number of professional-level athletes wearing its boots, but the most popular among them are:

Lionel Messi

Once had his own line of Messi adidas boots that evolved in to his own version of the Nemeziz, with specific changes to suit his game. Messi has had a lot of signature boots celebrating achievements and awards like the Balon D’Or. He currently wears the X speed boots (he used to be one of the marquee players for the iconic F50 adizero). Despite the heavy marketing for the laceless variants, Messi prefers to have the laced versions.

Jude Bellingham

It’s been all success for Jude Bellingham both on the pitch and brand sponsorship. He headlines the Predator range and has already worn bespoke colourways in a short span of time. He previously wore the Copa models before being tapped to be the face of the modern Predator.

Amongst those joining Messi and Bellingham in representing Team adidas are Trent Alexander-Arnold, Karim Benzema, Mohamed Salah, Heung-min Son, Toni Kroos and Paulo Dybala.

What Do the +, Elite, Pro, League and Club Attached to the Name of the Boots Mean?

When you buy a pair of adidas boots, you either get a ‘+‘ or an ‘Elite or League’ at the end of the name. It’s just natural to ask then, for example, how a Predator Elite differ from a Predator League,  or that of the F50+  to an F50 Elite?

The short and quick answer is that the and the Elite represent the most premium execution of the silo, with the former adding a unique feature. They are obviously the most expensive and are the actual ones used by the professionals you watch on TV.

If you consider yourself as a casual player, or someone who is just starting with their football journey, you may opt for the budget option League. The price and quality are obviously reduced but there is still at least something to differentiate the different silos at this level. More often than not, the League also has a choice between laceless and laced. The Club is the cheapest tier for the adidas football boots, but this level is simply a functional choice with no regard to individual silo features (experienced boot buyers usually get this type of adidas boots for their young ones).

Then there’s the Pro  that aims to strike a balance between the top-tier +/Elite and the budget-friendly League.

The difference between the flagship model and the takedown variants vary from one silo to the other, and there’s a case to be made that cheaper does not necessarily mean lesser quality. Things get more interesting when you also take a look at how the takedowns of other brands fare relative to their respective top options, not to mention even doing a direct, cross-brand comparison. That is why we are here to help you sort your way out of this wide array of choices, so that through our reviews and content you can find out what’s perfect and relevant to you regardless of your skill level…

Latest adidas Releases

*Triunfo Estelar is a signature Messi boot. For more about Triunfo Estelar, click here.

Vivid Horizon

When we look forward towards dawn, we look at that first light going up the horizon. And when we seek to move past our limitations, we aim to broaden up our horizon. So to begin the 2024/25 season, the Predator, F50 and Copa are grounded in this horizon-themed design of the adidas Vivid Horizon Pack. Now being a new-gen boot, the F50 is garnering much attention as it makes its return to a full-year of domestic football. It is a brand new start indeed for the adidas speed boot in almost a decade.

Let’s start then with the F50’s first player-wide release for league football since its discontinuation in 2015. The silo returns with a full-fledge red colourway that, depending on the lighting, has an orangy or pinkish bias. A gradient of black appears on the toe box, adding a speedy visual. Further black details include the Stripes and a few of the forefoot studs. Thanks to the Stripes on the heel, the boots also have a touch of silver accent.

The Predator Vivid Horizon can be thought of as the sunniest of them all. With a predominantly metallic upper, the Predator somehow reflects a horizon that has fully transitioned to morning. Navy blue though fangs in prominently on the boot because of the adidas Stripes and the tongue. Besides navy, hot pink is also quite a presence. This can be gleaned through the soleplate and the minor brandings.

Lastly, we have the Copa Vivid Horizon that exhibits a mostly black colourway. The thing with the black shade used is that it somehow has a purplish or bluish tint, kind of like that phase of the horizon when dawn is just about to start. Copa Vivid Horizon is like the reverse image of the Predator above as it then utilises the metallic as the accent for the stripes and outsole. Other secondary colours include pink and silver, shown through the Stripes lining and the heel extension piece, respectively. Overall, the Vivid Horizon Copa is very similar to the Own Your Football Pack.

Frequently Asked Questions about adidas Boots

Is adidas or Nike Better?

Not to play safe, but the fact that each brand comprised the apparent duopoly with regard to the football boots of elite players mean that it is very difficult to generalise which one is better. It is possible that your boot-of-choice or brand-of-choice today may not be the same tomorrow given that Nike and adidas constantly updates their boot offerings (sometimes to their own detriment when they do so to popular ones).

How do I choose Adidas football boots?

Simple: read and view our content and reviews about each one of them! It’s always good to carry a bit of info before going to the actual store and trying them out yourself. But all the more you have to do your own research if you plan to buy online, as it can be disappointing to order a boot that does not fit well or match your preferences in the first place.

Football Boots UK Reviews of adidas Boots

As we work our way through the adidas boot lineup, we get the chance to create reviews on all their new models and as such we present to you our expert reviews, if you have more questions make sure to get in touch and check out our Boot Secrets guide, where we help you choose your next pair!

adidas Football Boots for Kids

adidas has made all of their football boot styles available for kids; including the top-end laceless models. When shopping for children and their growing feet you may decide to go with a cheaper boot like a League that also comes as laceless or with laces (no laces can be popular with the kids). Just keep in mind that laceless does lock their foot into the boot less well, unless their foot shape offers a very snug fit. All the adidas laced Elite versions can be in child’s sizes which is great for an adjustable fit.

Only the leather Copa for Kids misses a laceless version (for the Copa, Fusionskin is still applied, though a more solid synthetic is used rather than the textile in the adult boots), while the Predator and F50 have the laced and the laceless models. Tech-wise, the kids boots represent the distinct features of their respective mother silos with slight adjustments to make them better suited for our young wearers. For example, adidas opts for the F50 to carry a simpler flexible outsole rather than that of the Elite, whose energy-return feature might be physically too much for kids.

More often than not, adidas Kids football boots would have the +, Elite and League but would skip the Pro and Club entirely.

Retired adidas Boots

If there is a hall of fame in the football boot industry, no doubt adidas would have a lot of entries on the list, below are some of their iconic boot they don’t make any more.

Laceless Ace 16

Ace 16+ Purecontrol

The first adidas laceless boot, the ACE 16+ Purecontrol had a successful launch headlined by Mesut Ozil in 2016 and started the recent craze of laceless football boots. It featured a compression knit to deliver the boot’s lockdown on your foot and a supportive internal knit cage on the top of the midfoot to act as a reinforcement.

F50 adizero

F50 adiZero

No one can also forget about the F50 speed boots that came after the customizable Tunit boots. The F50 line of football boots set records as its models became lighter and lighter over time, the F50 adiZero IV was one of the most successful F50s and was made of Hybrid Touch-Speedfoil combination for its upper.

11pro adipure

adipure 11pro

The 11Pro was a variation of the classic adiPure line and was known for its use of calf Taurus leather upper mixed with synthetics to make it the lightest adiPure ever. Very popular with professionals, Toni Kroos continued to wear them years after they finished.

Nitrocharge

Nitrocharge 1.0

In 2013, adidas added fourth silo with its short lived Nitrocharge model, whereas other boots were focused on speed or power, the Nitrocharge paid attention to energy return and player stamina with a rubber zone called ‘Energysling.’

About adidas Football Boots

Founded in Germany in 1948, adidas have grown to be the largest sportswear manufacturer in Europe. Adolf “Adi” Dassler created the company recognised by the three parallel bars, known as the Three Stripes. Dominating World Cup final boot lineups and the Copa Mundial brought adidas to global football prominence.

Groundbreaking laceless cleats, pleasing to the eye designs or a shock to see like the Glitch with exchangable uppers, adidas keep pushing boundaries for boots whilst trying to maintain comfort and performance on pitch. Which pair is right for you, we can help you make that choice or find a limited release, we are here to help you.

Author

Dean Ariola

Dean has worked as Chief writer for FootballBoots since 2020, he has an in depth knowledge of all the soccer shoes from the big brands, you have him to thank for all the updates to our Boot Secrets guide and he is first on the scene with all the new releases for you!

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