F50 vs. Vapor graphic

Read Round One here.

As we prepare ourselves for the second round between the two biggest names in “speed” on the market today, neither boot has been able to take a clear advantage.  In round one, neither boot could be separated based on price or first impressions of the boot.  Impressively, this will be the first bout where a winner has not already started to pull away from its competitor in the first round.  Will either boot be able to pull away at this point in the testing or will they both be preparing for round three with everything still on the line?  Considering how popular both of these boots are and how many people have these two boots as the top two on their wish-list, we are very interested to see which boot can take the title of the king of “speed!”  Let’s get ready for round two!

Round Two

Adidas Rio

Sizing

Although we including this aspect of the bout mostly for our Premier vs Copa comparison because of how weird the sizing is for those boots, we will still include it here but put a little bit less emphasis on it.  For this comparison, this part will mostly inform.

With speed boots it is immensely important that you are able to find the right size.  Although this may be true with any boot you need, a speed boot’s performance is directly attributed to how closely the boot can mimic a barefoot feel.  Because of that, the F50 and Vapor will fit oddly and it will hurt how the boot performs if you do not order the right size for your foot.

For the Vapor, the boot runs tight from the midfoot to the toe-box.  Players with a wide foot should either stay away or try this boot out in person before snagging one.  For the F50, the fit is still tight but there is definitely a little more space involved with the adiZero.  While I still would not suggest it readily to a wide-footed player, the odds are a little bit better for this boot fitting someone with a wide foot.  With the Vapor, true-to-size is definitely going to be the best (and possibly only) option for you as the long/narrow profile of the boot would become awkward if you get a size that is too big.  With the F50, the shape and build of the boot makes it where people going for a less “tight” fit could get away with going a half-size up, although true-to-size is still DEFINITELY the best option.

As mentioned earlier, despite this factoring into our Copa/Premier comparison, this section for this comparison is merely meant to inform and has no decision on the comparison’s final decision.

Break-in

HO13_FB_4Silo_Mercurial1 edited

Both boots also have a surprising amount of comfort straight out of the box considering how tight the fit has been made to be with a speed boot.  The Vapor does present a slight problem for my typical break-in process as the two back studs make wearing the boot around the house slightly difficult…for your safety, save these boots for the pitch unless you like wobbling around the floor and constantly feeling insecure.  Despite this, both boots have moved on from the typical discomfort associated with the break-in of earlier incarnations and seem ready to go after only one or two run-outs.  Although both have impressive break-in times, the adiZero does seem to take the shape of your foot a bit quicker than the Vapor.  Perhaps it is the fact that the HybridTouch is a bit more pliable than the Teijin synthetic and that the F50 soleplate is a little thinner, but both boots have definitely impressed in this category.  Where the pain associated with older F50’s scared me away, this time it is actually one of the biggest attributes to the boot.  Kudos to both companies for fixing something that had become a stereotype to the speed boot…

Ahmed Elmohamady Crystal Palace Vapor IX edited

After a tight first round and the hope that a second round would provide an emerging victor, the boots both return to their corner with no true advantage heading into the final round.  If a victor is to be crowned, then the “king” will certainly have to make a move in the final leg of the bout.

Despite the comparison/fight series being relatively young, we have never gotten to this point without having one boot leading by a small margin (at least).  Once again, two of the biggest boots from the two biggest brands in the game have impressed and will be looking to continue their form into the final round.  Which boot will take home the title?  Come back to the Instep for the final round!

 

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