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.
If you want to get your hands on a pair for $129.99, head over to Soccer.com.
| Adidas adiPURE III | Rating (out of 10) |
| Style |
9
|
| Performance |
10
|
| Comfort |
10
|
| Technology |
8
|
| Responsiveness |
10
|
| Durability |
10
|
| Accuracy |
8
|
| Innovation |
7
|
| Support |
10
|
| Value |
10
|
| Overall Score: |
92
(out of 100)
|
(Boots supplied for review by soccer.com)
Boots look good, but aesthetically the adiPure IIs without the stripes in the instep look better.
I wouldn’t say short laces are a negative cause I can’t see them affecting the overall performance of the boot. I used to wrap underneath the back heel studs but realized it had little to no performance as well as sometimes the laces would come “un-hooked”. If anything I think adidas lace lengths are consistently wrong. They’re much too long after tying them and you’re left with a lot of lace even after double knotting.
Eugene,
Maybe adidas were trying to rectify the problem of long laces by making them short…but they made them way to short lol. We should send Adidas a pic of your loong laces with my short ones and tell them we need some that are in between!
In my personal opinion, wrapping the laces around the boot pulls it closer to your foot, and that gives it a more snug fit. This gives me more confidence in my boot, and when you feel confident in a boot, you play better! There def is no ’scientific’ evidence to back this up, but soccer players since the 1900’s have been doing it in England, thus I want to at least have the option to wrap them around.
I felt that perhaps on older-style conventional laced boots that the whole underneath approach probably worked out better but the advent of internal lacing/loop as opposed to say an open Copa Mundial-style lacing made it unnecessary. The lock-down fit of boots such as the Predator X far exceeds anything the Copa could put down. But of course personal preference haha. The one style I never understood was when people laced around the ankles (effectively cutting into your achilles tendon).
Im trying to decide between these , the legends , or the specialis. What cleat would you suggest based on comfort and durability? Thanks.
P.S.- This is one awesome site!
Bryan,
Longtime copa wearer thinking of giving adipure’s a whirl, but skeptical about the low heel. Afraid that my heel will slip out, did you have any issues with this?
Hey Daniel,
I never encountered any issues with the heal, and they seem to be the same height as the Copa heal (I think the white color may make it look a little lower). I would recommend trying the adiPURE’s as I feel they offer just as much quality!
If you do get the adiPURE’s, let me know if you notice any difference to the Copa’s!
Hi Bryan, it looks like you are testing FG boots on AG. What are your thoughts on playing in FG boots on AG? I heard that if the AG surface is poor, performance for FG boots tends to suffer as you lose grip…
Thanks in advance.
Wei,
There are currently so many artificial fields in the US that it has become common place to wear FG boots on it. I would tend to agree with the fact that poor AG can damage the boots/cause scuffs etc, and to be honest it will increase the possibility of injuries. Luckily, around my area, most of the Artificial fields are new. Performance wise, I think they FG boots work great and in some case, I would much prefer to wear them than low profile or turf cleats!
Hey Bryan, I just Wanted to know if you prefer the adipure III or predator x’s?
Hey, i have copa mundials right now and they are amazing. I saw that these cleats are a lot like the copas, and i was wondering in case I wanted them in the future, how they compare to the copas. I think that i could just buy some longer laces if the laces bother me. Im mainly wondering if you noticed that these have better touch or anything else you noticed. Also, I play defender and i have to do some sharp turns when clearing it up field, so I was wondering if twisting with these blades could cause a twisted ankle. I’ve heard of things like that happening.
Just got Adipure III
they’re so comfy, i agree about the insole which seem quite plain and they don’t seem to have any cushioning apart from the heel.
The leather is fantastic! I was looking between these, the Legends and the older Predators, but these just did it for me. They were quite tight when I tried them on my left foot but seem to have stretched a little when I’ve been trying them around. I can’t really say how they feel on the ball yet, but by tomorrow I should know.
Style wise I love them – simple, classy but not in a way that boasts or brags
and yes, the laces are wayyyy too short. I can barely do a double knot for once
im gonna buy another pair when they get cheaper, cos my mum thought i was crazy spent this much on a pair of boots. i hope these last for me
Troxell,
I preferred the adiPURE’s. Main reason being they offer superb quality at a great price! The leather is also genuine K-leather compared to the Calf leather on the Predators!
Tres,
The adiPURE’s are basically an updated version of the nearly perfect Copa’s! Once you break these in, they feel very similar. In terms of the blades, they are like any other cleat, you run the risk with any pair…no scientific research to prove the adiPURE’s are worse than other cleats, so you are pretty safe wearing them!
George,
Glad to hear you got a pair and like them. Make sure to leave an update in a few weeks to let others know how they perform in games etc! Hope they do last for you!
Just got Adipure III and it feels incredible. I have usually toenail issues with Adidas because of their almost perfectly tight design (not adidas fault), different from Nike’s… Anyhow, with this leather I’m pretty sure there will be no problems.
All feets perfectly and you can see easily that these are high quality boots. Since the first minute. And I also love the design.
Don’t buy flashy coloured crap. I have nothing to do in front of a good pair of k-leather boots, and it causes a lot of skin problems. I got my feet completely blistered one time in some total 90.
Did you like the adipure II or III better? Was the weight difference noticible? Like if you were to put the II on one foot and the III on the other would you be able to notice? Also i have a narrow foot and the II was made more on the narrow side so it fit perfectly is the fit the same on the III?
There is not much of a difference between the adiPURE II and III. They are very similar weight wise, and to be honest the only difference is aesthetically (how they look)!
how does the heel grip compared to the adipure 2? I have problems with the loosness around the heel . Also, is it easier to tighten the laces than the 2?
DID U GET THE FG OR SG ADIPURES GEORGE I REALLY DONT KNOW WHICH 1S 2 GET
was just wondering if the adipures stretch a little i just brought a size 8 there a little tight but the size 9 were to big around the toe area thanx
I honestly think that these are the ugliest cleats in the adipure series…
I had a pair of II’s which i am sure are as good if not better as far as performance goes to the III’s but waaayyyy sleeker…
anyone agree?
ayeee i finally have them
thanks Bryan and George 
this one is super super comfortable!!! no breaking in period and blisters!! true to size and the traction are great (although i prefer lotto zhero leggenda n mitto bladed studs, they really have something to accelerate your run).. the outsole are wider than adipure 2 so i can have stability and the perfect snug fit
haven’t make a goal yet but i did deliver more passing with these
I bought Lotto Leggenda 1 and zhero mitto (bladed studs) too coz they were in sale. the performance were great and sooo light! but the touch is better with adipure 3. wonder why the new lotto have no bladed studs.
anyway this is great site !! looking forward to other cleats reviews
Hi Bryan
I am really considering purchasing these boots as they are stylish in my opinion and not so cheap looking like so called ‘fashion boots’ but more importantly I want know how the fit is for other people, I read somewhere that the toe is supposed to be closer to the tip on these boots rather than leaving any room.
Thanks
Will a lighter cleat really make you that much faster? Is it still ok for a fast player to wear a heavier cleat?
So the fitting is the same as the adipure iis? Narrow middle and wide front?
Any idea if adidas is going to release these for indoor/turf?
Hey Marcus,
These fit true to size, so if you normally wear a size 9, then you should order a size 9 in these.
The indoor and turf versions are available but are called the ‘Adicore III’
Wow that was quick.
Adicore III instead of adipure? Tricky!
[...] pretty impressive 9.8oz. In fact, design wise there are a lot of similarities between these and the adidas adiPURE III, it will be interesting to see how they compare to one of the leading cleats on the [...]
Got them in the mail the other day…Pretty solid boot…Like bryan says they are well worth the money for what you get out of them. Nice boot for us oldschool guys. I recommend these for sure.