Tiempo vs. AdiPure

In the battle of the world’s two biggest football gear brands, one of the most interesting skirmishes always occurs between the two brands’ heritage boots. With early incarnations, Nike’s Tiempo and adidas’ adiPure seemed fairly evenly matched while still maintaining a vast array of actual differences. However, since the original 11Pro, the Tiempo has created a fairly significant gulf between itself and the adidas model simply by sticking closer to the heritage mindset. But now, with the newest 11Pro and new Tiempo V out there on the market, the competition is certainly at its fiercest.

1st – Look/First Impressions

Tiempo 2 edited

samba_11pro_purple_wg_02

With both of these boots, they ooze classic looks. Both boots are obviously made with nods to the past in mind, and it feels like adidas really heard the issues that most users felt about the original 11Pro. The only issue now is that the 11Pro has an odd sheen about it that does make it look a bit closer to a plastic while the Tiempo would never be confused for anything other than top quality leather. The colorways of the 11Pro have also been slightly pedestrian with the Tiempo taking full advantage of the block colorways that the boot design has lent itself to. While looks may not make the boot, the Tiempo definitely looks the better of the two.

The Nike boot does jump out a bit in front by simply including a string bag when it comes to the first impression of each boot. I also felt that the leather and feel in hand of the 11Pro, oddly, was superior…perhaps derived straight from the memory foam inserts on the leather of the 11Pro.

2nd – Sizing/Break-in

Luke Brattan Brisbane Roar Tiempo V edited

Harry Kewell Melbourne Heart adiPure 11Pro edited

With the 11Pro, the boot definitely fits true-to-size. That snug fit that you always look for right out of the box was definitely there and the stretch of the leather only increased the greatness of the fit. With the 11Pro, it felt completely broken in after only two or three run-outs in the boots. The 11Pro definitely has one of the more forgiving fits on the market and it is certainly a boot that will suit many different types of feet. After those practices, the boots felt like they had completely formed to my foot and it was a smooth ride from then on.

With the Tiempo, you MUST go a half-size down. The initial fit is really tight and this is the first Tiempo that I had where there has been any break-in pain associated with the boot. Although the Tiempo has switched to the HyperVenom last, the stitching around the edge of the boot is meant to keep the leather from overstretching and it will take some break-in time before the Tiempo gets to its supple best. For me, it took several break-in sessions before I finally got to that fit, but it now fits like a dream. The k-leather will form to your foot and provide the comfort that the Tiempo has become synonymous with. However, this new Tiempo is not built for the wider foot types…especially if you find your foot especially wide towards the edge of the toe-box.

Surprisingly, the 11Pro would be my preference merely from the sizing and break-in time, but both have a fantastic level of comfort once you have broken them in.

samba_11pro_purple_wg_05

Stay tuned for the second part of our comparison as we take a long look at touch/shooting and stud configuration of both of these boots. We will also issue a verdict on which boot we prefer and settle this skirmish once and for all!…or, at least until the next version of these boots hit the market. One thing is certain, adidas and Nike have provided us with two fantastic boot options here and we have thoroughly enjoyed them both!

Update: Check out Round 2 here

 

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