ACE 16+ Primeknit cleats

With the world still holding their collective breath after the drop of the laceless PURECONTROL, we now wait for the masses to pass judgement on the flashiest member of the revolution. However, fresh in the wake of “no laces” comes an update to one of our favorite boots of 2015: the ACE+ PrimeKnit. Where the original ACE PrimeKnit was one of the first boots to truly let the intriguing adidas material show its full potential, the newest version now takes that style upper and blends it with all the updates and trappings that adidas is looking to push in 2016.

Unlike the laceless ACE, the 16+ PrimeKnit looks like a blend of many different parts instead of one seamless boot. The bulk of the boot’s upper is made of the same PrimeKnit look we see on the laceless and on the ACE 15+, but there is no soft PrimeKnit where the tongue and laces normally would be. For this boot, we get a tongue that is almost exactly like what we got on last year’s version in terms of style and how the laces loop through. However, where last year’s ACE+ used an inner lining connected to the tongue and the tongue itself to give a great fit, the newest version adds on a brand new toy in the form of a low-cut collar. Made with the increasingly versatile adidas knitted material, the three stripes has moved their collar upward a touch and combined one of the more positive aspects of the PrimeKnit X 15 to give us what we find on the ACE 16+.

Primeknit 16+ soleplate

While we applaud everything done with the upper on up on the boot and enjoy when a brand sticks with items that they have success with, the soleplate gets a makeover that we aren’t quite as giddy about. One of the biggest things that we loved on the first ACE was how the soleplate truly made the boot AG/FG compatible. We really enjoyed the traction on both surfaces, but adidas, while still claiming FG/AG functionality, has shifted back to an 11-stud design. This is also one of the biggest differences between the laceless offering and the laced PrimeKnit+. The PURECONTROL version is placed on a modified Sprintframe, while the PrimeKnit+ sits on a build similar to the 2015 ACE, but minus all the small nubs and other studs. We’re very anxious to see how the updated set-up performs, but we feel like so many positive items were carried over for the betterment of the 2016 boots…why change this item?

Solar Green ACE 16+ Primeknit

We can’t wait to see if this boot stands up next to the 2015 PrimeKnit ACE, so keep your eyes peeled for the review to go up on The Instep in the next few weeks. Is this another positive step for the revolution? Or is adidas starting to spread themselves too thin and falling back into old pitfalls? Time will tell…

 

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