The revolutionary new boot, whose features rely on various types of polyurethane, weighs only 165 grams – “the lightest and fastest Adidas football boot ever made”, according to Herzogenaurach, Germany-based Adidas.
Messi, an Argentinian who plays for Barcelona, will be the first player to wear the F50 in distinctive purple and white during the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
“I am amazed at how light the new F50 is; I can barely feel them on my feet. Speed on the pitch is a really important part of my game and wearing the world’s lightest boot will hopefully make me faster and enhance my performance during the most important games of the year,” Messi said in the Adidas news release.
How it works:
The F50 adiZero has been revolutionized, incorporating the industry’s lightest fabrics and leading technologies to reach the ultimate weight of 5.8 ounces*. To achieve the target weight, the boot has been developed on a lightweight last which offers a wider footbed and heel to distribute forces optimally throughout the boot – which is critical in a lightweight product.
The sleek new SprintSkin upper has been created using an innovative single layer microfiber Polyurethane (PU) synthetic to reduce the overall weight and to ensure the shoe fits like a second skin increasing the comfort of the boot. The F50 adiZero uses asymmetric parallel lacing which creates a large, clean kicking surface for optimal ball contact while a perforated Ultra Light insole has been developed to reduce weight and increase speed.
The innovative new last is complemented by a new exclusive Sprint Frame outsole which is crafted using three-dimensional bridges to create stability and support in the midfoot. Taking inspiration from a running sprint spike, the outsole features a new revolutionary triangular stud configuration which provides maximum acceleration and optimum support for the critical lateral and medial movements. Football is not only about straight-line speed.
To add stability and to support the player, the upper features an internal network of Thermo Polyurethane (TPU) bands, as well as a single TPU bottom frame on the boot which offers stability and support in the lateral and medial movements and protects the upper against abrasion providing a sleek, stylish, iconic look.. “Football is not only about straight-line speed,” Adidas noted.
