Adidas adiPURE III Review

A week before the end of 2009, there has been a new contender for soccer cleat of the year released: the Adidas adiPURE III. If you have spoke to me about soccer cleats in the last few months, I am sure to have told you about how much I love the adiPURE II, and how I deem it to be one of the best cleats on the market right now. Well Adidas has taken the initiative to update the boot to a version III that boasts some new features without losing out on performance. Over the past month, I have had the opportunity to test the adiPURE III in 3.5 games and dozens of training sessions and here are my thoughts. I was testing a men’s size 9US in Black/Royal White/ Gold.

What you need to know:

• Kangaroo leather upper
  Adidas has stuck to using a K-leather for the adiPURE III. People have been questioning why they transitioned to calf leather with the Predator X range, but with applause, I am happy to report that these cleats sport a super soft K-leather.
• New redesigned tongue
  Adidas has moved away from the wrap around tongue, and back to a more traditional loose tongue. On the adiPURE II, the tongue was attached to the cleat on the inside, while the outside was detached. The adiPURE III is detached on both sides.
• Off centered lacing
  Just like the adiPURE II, the adiPURE III sports asymmetrical lacing This results in a strike area with a larger sweet spot for clean strikes.
• Firmer Insole
  This version of the adiPURE boasts a firmer insole that is designed to cushion impact in a more dynamic way. The heel has extra cushioning to allow for softer landings.

First Thoughts
If you are a fan of flashy cleats that offer all the performance of a Formula One race car, then you are probably not going to want a pair of adiPURE III’s. But if you want a classic cleat, that offers the best performance and extreme durability at a reasonable cost, go buy a pair now! Straight out of the box, these cleats ooze class. The K-leather is super soft and extra shiny. They almost look like someone has covered them in dubbing (leather food).

Breaking In
Not the smartest thing in the world, but I took these cleats out of the box and straight to a match! After testing the adiPURE II, I had a feeling that these cleats would break in easily, and they did! Thankfully, the soft K-Leather moulds pretty easily to your foot, and the sole plate is flexible enough hat it didn’t cause any foot discomfort on day 1. After a month of testing, I encountered absolutely no blisters, and didn’t experience any areas where the cleat was tight. For this review I was wearing a size 9US, and the boots fit true to size. If you are normally a size 9, then these are the right fit. Another aspect that really helps, and is something that Adidas also deployed in the Predator X design, is a ridged area on the inner heel of the cleat. I think this is a genius move, as it allows the cleat to grip to your heel and not move, thus lowering the opportunity for blisters to occur (as long as the boot is not too tight!). You can see what I am referring to in the image.

Performance and Durability
I found these to perform really well. They break in easily, molding to your foot from day one, and they last because of this. I have had a pair of adiPURE II’s for the past 5-6 months, and they are my go-to boot when I need a trusted pair. Right now, they are still as good as new (except for some scuffs on the white area) and the leather is softer than you can imagine! Although I have only had the adiPURE III for about a month, I can tell they are going to offer the same lifespan. And that is a key attribute to any new cleat! I also like the new tongue, even though I had no problem with the tongue on the adiPURE III. The new tongue makes you feel like you are wearing Copa Mundial or older classic cleats!

Design
Adidas has altered the design of the cleat. Most notable is the addition of three white strips on the inside of the cleat. On the adiPURE II, there are no white strips on the inside. For me, this is an upgrade in terms of looks. The sole of the boot has also been changed, but the only players that will see this are the ones you leave eating your dust (if you are a goalkeeper I doubt anyone will see it!!) Other minor changes include the area around the cleat opening, where the color design has been changed and a new gold version of the adiPURE signature placed on a black background instead of white.

adiPURE II vs adiPURE III

Negatives
Again with the laces! In the past few weeks, I have reviewed cleats with laces that I deem to be too short, what is this all about? When I tie my laces, I need enough to wrap around the bottom of my cleat, it seems that this might be going out of fashion, although I have no idea why! One other thing is the insole. I was a huge fan of the adiPURE II insole that offered a much spongier feel, which I found to be extremely comfortable. In saying this, the firmer insole in the adiPURE III is very effective around the heel area. Maybe a blend of both in future releases?

Conclusion
My opinion of this cleat is pretty obvious; I like them a lot! But, case in point is your taste and what you are looking for in a cleat. The adiPURE III might be more appealing to the old pros than the younger generation who crave the lighter more colorful cleats on the market. Either way, the adiPURE III can not be beaten in terms of quality and value for money. Adidas have used this release as more of a design upgrade than performance upgrade, simply because they know that in the adiPURE III they have a cleat that already offers the best on the market! Expect to see the likes of Kaka and Frank Lampard taking to the field in these over the coming weeks.

(boots supplied for review by soccer.com)