Adidas Lights the Way: Adizero 99g

Always at the forefront of cleat innovation, Adidas recently released the adizero 99g: the lightest boot ever made. The 99g concept was originally introduced at the Innovation Lab in 2013, with another year of rigorous testing until the revolutionary design was finally realized.

Lightweight, but Heavy Duty
In order to not compromise protection for weight, the adizero 99g was put through a series of rigorous play tests by amateur athletes, semi-pros, and professionals. The cleat holds up well against possible tears and abrasions, while simultaneously improving a player’s raw speed and agility. 

Breakthrough Technology
The 1 mm polyamide outsole reduces the typical weight of an outsole, but is rigid enough to perform under the stress of a player's sharp movements. The upper is built from a single layer of polyester mesh, which is also woven for added strength. A new stud layout allows for support and traction during quick changes of direction. The cleat is nearly half the weight of standard cleats, and doesn't retain water in wet conditions like both synthetic and leather uppers tend to do (adding to their weight).

The adizero 99g is the first release of Adidas's new "Limited Collection." Only 299 pairs of the 99g boot will be available globally. The "Limited Collection" will showcase Adidas's latest boot innovations and technology, and will only be released in super-limited quantities.

Images courtesy of Adidas. 

A Personal Flair: The Makings of a Soccer Player's Boot

When professional soccer players collaborate with big brands like Nike and Adidas to create their own signature boots, a lot more goes into the design than just choosing a pleasant color and pattern. Players try to make their cleats personal to their lives, as well as their careers.

Distinct Play and Design
Lionel Messi recently released the Pibe de Barr10 boot with Adidas. The design of the cleat aims to incorporate his childhood in the streets of Rosario, Argentina and his swift, unexpected playing style. In order to honor these two elements, Adidas and Messi called on a Rosario artist, Ignacio Valentini, to design the boot's detailed graphics. With the help of friends, they took pictures all around Rosario for inspiration, and Valentini gathered these aspects of the city to create a distinct design:

 “The neighbourhood was represented in the style of street art, reflected in every corner of the streets. The images were reworked with stencils, spray and roll in order to obtain a ‘street’ mood.”

Messi's playing style was represented by unexpected brush strokes, similar to his quick and fluid changes of direction on the pitch.

Perfect and Personal for Ronaldo
Ronaldo and Nike recently introduced the sparkling Superfly “Silverware” boot inspired by the silver trophies awarded to champions at season's end. While anyone can buy the CR7 Silverware Superfly, Ronaldo's personal boots have specific fit and design requirements. His Superfly is handcrafted in an exclusive boot factory in Montebelluna, Italy to ensure that the fit is as close to the natural shape of his foot as possible. It is also customized with a lower-cut collar and finished with a ‘Made in Italy’ red insole. 

In the Shop: Messi's Pibe de Barr10 boot is available in the shop in both adult & youth sizes. The CR7 Mercurial Vapor and Victory are available in adult & youth sizes. The shop does not carry the Mercurial Superfly pictured above.

Images courtesy of Adidas and SoccerBible.

Urban and Polished: Leo Messi & Adidas Release The Pibe De Barr10 Boot

Lionel Messi connected with his roots when developing the Pibe de Barr10 in collaboration with Adidas as a part of the #therewillbehaters series. Messi spent his childhood in the Barrio of Las Heras, Rosario learning the game on the streets and aspiring to be the best player in the world. Although he left Rosario in his youth, he still has a strong connection to the people, neighborhood, and spots where he first picked up the game of soccer. Messi wanted to incorporate his past influences into the design of the cleat with the help of Rosario-born artist Ignacio Valenti. The Pibe de Barr10’s graphics interweave urban brush strokes with the polish of Messi’s smooth playing style on the field.

Made for Control
While the graphics were inspired by Messi's past, Adidas has packed these boots with the industry's leading edge boot technology. The Pibe de Barr10 has a speed traxion stud alignment and an outsole modeled after a sprinter's spikes, giving players speed and agility on the pitch. The 360° DRIBBLETEX coating on the cleat gives total control on both wet and dry field conditions.  

Catch Messi and the Pibe de Barr10 in Action
Messi has had an outstanding season thus far. He has been  involved in 24 goals in La Liga this year alone, while other teams have yet to even score 21 goals. He will first show off his new boots on Wed. March 18th during the Champions League knockout stage.

In the Shop: Messi’s Pibe de Barr10 cleats are available in The Soccer Shop in both the 10.1 (previously labeled as the f50) and 10.3 (previously f10) tiers in adult sizing, and the 10.3 in youth sizes.

Images courtesy of Adidas except last image.

Adidas Welcomes Players to the Dark Side

As a part of the There Will Be Haters campaign, Adidas has introduced the Black Pack with new versions of the F50 Adizero, Predator, Nitrocharge, and 11Pro firm ground cleats. Each shoe has been given a dramatic re-design, while retaining the latest technological innovations of the “Haters” pack. These sharp blackout boots stand apart from the crowd with classic style and a bold appearance next to Nike’s recent neon colorways. 

Adizero F50
The Adizero F50’s are made for players who are obsessed with speed. The 3-D Dribbletex layer on the upper allows for better control of dribbling at speed on the field in wet or dry conditions, while the stud configuration, grip texture, and second level traction on the forefoot provide maximum maneuverability. This version of the f50 has been given the greatest re-design with a newly developed Hybridtouch material that fuses the best characteristics of leather and synthetic material, and the non-traditional 3-stripe branding placement on the heel. The combination of the French knight inspired “Fleur de Lisse” design and black-on-black colorway makes for a truly striking shoe. 

Predator Instinct
Players at the top of the food chain need precision in every move they make. The new design of the Predator Instinct features 3-D SL rubber strips for optimal grip on the ball, while the newly engineered gel pad allows for precision passing and maximum control. The blackout Predator features a Tudor Rose design on the heel inspired by British Knights.  

Nitrocharge 1.0
The Nitrocharge benefits all-action players by providing supreme energy output on firm surfaces through Adidas’s Energysling and Energypulse technology. The Energysling supports side cuts and quick turns with a highly elastic rubber sling circling the top and side of the foot. Energypulse technology is inspired by spring geometry with underfoot support that provides premium energy output during toe push off from the ground. The Black Pack Nitrocharge boot features intricate renaissance-inspired design elements woven throughout the black-on-black colorway.

11Pro
The 11Pro is the epitome of comfort with unrivaled fit and feel right out of the box. The skeleton in the heel and forefoot offers a premium fit and increased stability. The Comfort outsole has smaller and more numerous studs to penetrate the firm ground, in addition to the Comfort frame that better distributes pressure across the boot and foot. The Black Pack 11Pro features a design inspired by the Ottoman Janissary, the elite infantry units formed by the Ottoman Empire. 

With historically-inspired bold designs, and a classic blackout color scheme, the Adidas Black Pack is an impressive collection of sharp, striking firm ground cleats. The Soccer Shop is carrying the full Black Pack in the top tier of each silo in adult sizing. 

Images courtesy of Adidas except first image.