I was fortunate enough to be tipped off that there was something special about the box on these F50s. So, I left them under a bright light to “Charge it up” and I came back to the box and turned the lights off. The box glows as well! The boots glow well in the dark if they are under some light for a while, and then you turn the lights off. The boots only come with one extra and it’s a pair of comfort insoles that you can put in place of the lightweight ones that are already in the shoe. Very cool boots even after just unboxing them.

The Look

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The Hunting Series F50 adiZero features a yellow color on the back portion of the boot and it helps define where the 3 stripes are on the boot. The front portion of the boot has a very icy look to them, like a thin layer of ice over top of the white base. It looks very cool in person and even cooler when it glows. When in the dark the Hunt Pack glows, bringing back some nostalgia of being a kid and having some glow-in-the-dark shoes. There are 4 stripes on the back of the shoe that glow in a pattern that looks as if an animal has clawed the upper to reveal the glow-in-the-dark feature. The same can be said for the tongue of the boot. One of the things that caught me off-guard was that the studs on the Sprintframe also glow! Something to note is that the glow-in-the-dark feature is not as profound as the online photos make them look. Nevertheless, a very cool feature to have on the boot to make it different from any other boots on the market. Since this is a white boot, it will get dirty extremely fast.

The Touch

adidas F50 adiZero Hunt Pack

This F50 has some minor changes to make the glow appearance happen. The boot features a full hybridtouch synthetic upper found on the entire boot. The difference lies in the treatment used on the boot to make the glow-in-the-dark feature happen. The upper feels a bit cheap in my mind and does not have that adiZero feel I really love. Now the “cheap” feeling upper is actually a very well-constructed upper; I mean, this is a top model boot. It is hard to describe the feeling, but the upper is very thin and gives you a great feel for the ball…it just lacks that premium feel that you would want to find on a top model.

Playing in these boot feels very comfortable for a speed boot. The upper really molds to your feet after a few sessions and feels great for controlling the ball. The upper is very thin so if you get stepped on in a match, it will hurt.  Shooting with the ball feels great and you can really feel the ball fly off your foot, which is something I personally love in speed boots. The Sprintframe really gives you a solid soleplate to make quick turns and it allows you to dig in to the ground just enough to get a good push off when beginning to run. It is not the best soleplate when it comes to the type of studs, but it helps keep the boot extremely lightweight. The boot as a whole feels like you are hardly wearing them. It amazes me that adidas were able to make a Crazylight version of the F50 adiZero. The boot performed well in all conditions that I was able to test in. I have no complaints of comfort or about the performance. The upper is the only thing I could not get over. For a top model boot, it is not something I would pick up over a normal adiZero, but, overall, the performance was fine.

The Feel

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These boot fit very well on my feet. I have average to slightly wider than average width feet and I had no issues during testing. I actually find those boots extremely comfortable and was able to play without any issues. My foot felt extremely close to the ball and is extremely nice when running because it is so light. The feel for the ball in the F50 adiZero, in all aspects of the beautiful game, feels great.

Bang For Your Buck: Adidas have put a $225 dollar price tag on the Hunt Pack F50 Adizero. In my opinion, that is a bit too pricey for this boot. It seems more like a gimmick from Adidas rather than an innovation that will impact your performance.

Who’s Wearing Them: Our weekly boot spotter Jordon recently spotted Dax McCarty of the New York Red Bulls wearing the adidas Predator Instinct in the Hunting Series. It has been hard to find a professional sporting the new boots from adidas. With so many other options available from them, many professionals are choosing to wear other boots. Perhaps the odd upper scared them away!

The Verdict

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The Hunting Series F50 adiZero is a good boot, but not great and is not something I would choose over the standard F50. The boot is still very light and has a cool glow-in-the-dark feature, but it also feels cheap when you compare to the normal F50. Overall, it is a cool thought from Adidas that brought back some nostalgia, even if it doesn’t affect your play.

Sizing: Runs true to size.

4 / 5 stars     
 

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