If any fans of soccer gear thought that 2016 would be devoid of action until we got close to the European Championships, January is quickly proving to be a hotbed of incredible releases and boot action. While Puma struck first with the newest evoPOWER, it is adidas that is taking the first big swing at the new year with one of the most intriguing releases of the last decade: the ACE 16+ PURECONTROL.
An updated ACE isn’t too surprising, but the PURECONTROL version is causing waves nonetheless.
Adidas has taken a major dive into the world of laceless boots with their newest toy, and the three stripes is even claiming that their creation will have zero break-in time and that new users will experience a perfect fit from the word “go.” Utilizing the adidas PrimeKnit technology throughout, we see some definite similarities with the PrimeKnit 2.0 that was extremely well-received, albeit with no collar and with laces, so this new boot is built on pieces that have already experienced success.
With the laceless build, adidas is also claiming the purest touch possible, which would be a fairly safe claim for a boot that seems to only have a thin layer of PrimeKnit between you and any portion of the boot you would use to corral the ball. NSG (Non-stop Grip) makes a return, but this tech’s application, at least on past boots that included NSG, won’t make a huge difference in terms of boot performance. We also see a slightly raised collar in comparison to previous adidas efforts, but the collar is still smaller than Nike’s collared boots (perhaps to meet the demand for shorter collars from amateurs to professionals alike).
If the removal of laces is to be challenged by anything on the ACE 16+ in terms of “major changes,” then it has to be the soleplate. While adidas is still claiming that the studs can function well on the newer versions of artificial grass, the removal of all the tiny nubs and studs that received high praise the world over is one of the first things that you notice. In their stead is 11 conical studs laid out in nearly identical fashion to the old SprintFrame outsole that the F50 series made famous (which makes it no surprise that adidas has labelled it a “SprintFrame” on the PURECONTROL).
While the PURECONTROL has certainly turned the world’s head and fired up the imagination of any boot nerd, it won’t be until this boot makes it way into the populace that the true judgement is made. Adidas might have just changed the future of boots, shoved their name right back into the thick with Nike, and solidified their choice to create and launch their revolution. On the flip side, adidas may have just created a boot that could hinder the evolution of the revolution. We will bring you our verdict as soon as we get done testing, and we look forward to seeing how the world receives the PURECONTROL once it hits player’s feet.
The ACE 16+ PURECONTROL is supposed to “Boss the Game”…but, will it?
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