If adidas have the modern Copa launching side-by-side with the OG Copa Mundial, Mizuno accompanies its timeless Morelia leather boot with the more progressive Morelia Neo line. From the term itself, you get a sense that this type Morelia is all about matching the speedy profile of the mainstream boots that are usually synthetic in nature.
What You’ll Find On This Page:
- Types of Morelia Neos
- Mizuno Morelia Neo Questions and Answers
- Football Boots UK Review of the Mizuno Morelia Neo Made in Japan
- Evolution of the Mizuno Morelia Neo
Types of Morelia Neos
If you notice that the picture above has two boots, that is because the Morelia Neo comes in two variants. See them here below:
We’ll deep dive into the differences in a minute. But safe to say that the difference between the two is that the former has a synthetic mesh midfoot whereas the latter opts for synthetic leather. Both have a ‘Barefoot Knit’ material along the edges of the opening, but this knit seamlessly extends to the tongue of the Beta version to create a one-piece upper. The soleplate is the same for either Morelia Neos as well as the stud configuration.
Mizuno Morelia Neo Questions and Answers:
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Which Morelia Neo is better?
It all boils down to personal preference. Both have their respective rationale on why they are build as such, hence all you have to do is check out the review further below and find out which boot aligns to your boot taste.
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How much does the Mizuno Morelia Neo 3 Beta weigh?
The Mizuno Morelia Neo 3, regardless if it’s the Beta or the standard one, weighs in-between 200 to 210 grams at a size 9.5 US. The difference between the two is very minimal, though the standard Neo comes in as the slightly lighter one.
Football Boots UK Review of the Mizuno Morelia Neo Made in Japan
Things You’ll Want to Know About The Morelia Neo:
- Morelia Neo was introduced in 2011, though the Beta began only in 2019 starting with the Morelia Neo 2
- Concept of K-leather forefoot with synthetic midfoot similar to the idea of adidas Fusionskin
- Beta version comes with a synthetic mesh and the regular with a ‘Barefoot Leather’ material for the midfoot
- A more techy interpretation of a K-leather football boot as opposed to the traditional Morelia
- The leather choice for a Mizuno speed boot opposite the synthetic Alpha
- The narrow option compared to the wider Alpha and Morelia
- Barefoot knit material on the opening extends to the tongue of the Beta for a one-piece upper construction; standard Neo has a the usual floating tongue construction (also in Barefoot Leather make)
Our Views on the Morelia Neo Football Boots
Nike Phantom GX
The Nike Phantom GX are made for you to stick out on pitch with Gripknit technology to give you precise ball control, they are grippy on the ball but not too sticky.
Product SKU: DC9968
Product Brand: Nike
4.8
✔️ Pros
- K-leather top-notch as expected from Mizuno
- A good way to introduce the brand as forward-looking, innovative football boot maker
- Especially with the Beta version, gives you the best of the Morelia and the Alpha; both Mesh and BF leather are flexible enough to provide comfort while remaining its structure for stability
- Synthetic midfoot gives the Neo more responsiveness than the Morelia
- Durable non-wearable studs; gives the Neo some room to operate in artificial grounds
❌ Cons
- Availability could be an issue for the BF Leather variant
- Beta might be a little difficult to put on because of the one-piece upper
- Not as aggressive as other speed boots in terms of traction
The way Mizuno secures the fit and feel of the Neo on both the Beta and regular models suggests that the brand might be doing an overall better job in modernising the Morelia line relative to adidas and its modern Copa vis-a-vis Copa Mundial.
Boot Rankings, Best For…
Josh of SR4U compares the two and said:
- Morelia Neo 3 significantly improves the fit and feel of the Neo 2; best synthetic leather material released in a while; thin but with a cushioned feel to emulate the feel of real leather
- Central laces and standard tongue construction gives the regular Neo an edge in comfort when compared to the Beta variant
- BF knit around the opening also a welcome change; removes the sharpness of the low-cut finish experienced in Neo 2 and Neo 1
- Surprised to learn that Neo 3 weighs even lighter than the Beta 3
- True-to-size for regular Neo; possibly half-a-size down for the Beta depending on preference
- You’ll have an amazing experience with the Beta if you prefer the more technical approach; personally prefers the additional comfort from the fit and feel of the regular Neo
Evolution of the Mizuno Morelia Neo
The speed incarnate of the Morelia is already more than a decade in its lifespan. It would be nice to go back in time and see how the Neo started and how that beginnings relate to the current form of the said modern Mizuno silo.
Morelia Neo I (2011)
As you can see, the streamlined boot shape has its roots with the 2011 OG setup of the Morelia Neo. In fact, that combination of a premium K-leather forefoot with a synthetic midfoot even preceded the trademark Fusionskin technology of the modern adidas Copa boots. Granted that those have knit and the Neo had synthetic, it’s still remarkable to note that Mizuno had an early hand in fusing K-leather with another material for that performance, responsive benefit, on top of having a snug, tight speed boot-like fit.
Morelia Neo II (2016)
Adjustments were made in 2016 to release the Morelia Neo II, which addressed the tightness of the first boot (which to some was quite restrictive). A boon for the Morelia Neo in its second generation was the signing of Fernando Torres and the release of his signature boots. It was also in the Neo II that we first got a feel for the Beta version of the Morelia Neo.
