Bayern Munich defender Juan Bernat spotted with these– a modified X 17.1 with the elastic cut (?), a different lacing system, and what looks to be a higher toebox. I did notice a lot of X 17 players have a toebox in their boots that are higher than the retail version. Considering the X 16.1 literally killed my big toes because of the hard upper and the low toebox area...
Edit: upon closer inspection it looks to be an X 17+ Purespeed with the lace cover AND part of the Techfit elastic cut. Horrible.
I imagine the support comes more from the foot muscles than the shoe. Pros might have bigger, more muscular toes that require their boots to have higher toe boxes.
I don't think @derbyyank13 was talking about the toebox with regards to lockdown?? More the fact that a boot like that relies on the elastic material for the lockdown, and it has all been cut away in that photo. Sorry for going off on a rant but...................there seems to me to be a move towards using elasticated material to provide lockdown + a snug fit in some boots. An extreme example of this is the compression tongue in the Copa 17.1. This means the boot doesn't have to have the same solid structure that it otherwise would have. Personally I hate this. I've briefly mentioned this before but for me the compression tongue in the Copa 17.1 restricts circulation in a subtle way which becomes more obvious the more you wear it. I was having weird moments in them where I couldn't move freely. I also felt a couple of mild ligament twinges when changing direction. It also stops the boot molding to your foot shape in the same way that a leather boot normally would, because it is the elasticated fabric that is wrapped round your foot rather than the leather. I've completely stopped wearing mine and won't be buying anything similar again. @derbyyank13 sorry if I've misunderstood you.
Exactly. The X 16 and 17 series already has below-average lockdown to start with. I gave the X 16.1 a chance for sometime last winter and everything about it was on the cheap side. Recently had the X 16+, it has a significantly better upper but horrible lockdown. I can’t win with adidas.
I don’t think toes can be any more ‘muscular.’ Most (if not all) muscles that control the toes are far back in the foot. It’s just skin, bone, ligaments, blood vessels I reckon. But a lot of pros do have a higher than usual toebox. Especially with adidas. Horrible toebox height + laceless boots = toenails as black as my soul.
A lot of the lockdown in boots (as far as the foot itself staying inside the boot is concerned) comes from the top three laceholes. The top two especially are positioned differently from boot to boot. The X16 and X17s have lower lace holes which is somewhat common in speed boots because it allows for a lower profile look. I wasn't referring to the lockdown through the middle of the foot specifically (apologies I should've been more specific) but again rather the heel area that actually stops the back of your foot from sliding out and keeps your foot in the shoe. I agree with @gusgorman though about the movement towards elasticated material to provide lockdown being a poor choice. This is one of my biggest issues with nike boots too. No matter how tight you make the elastic or whatever "flywire" crap you throw on the side, it will breakdown quicker and easier than a leather - which again is why a lot of these elasticated boots are overly tight. Also I get blacked toenails no matter what - but that's a consequence of me getting my leather boots to fit so tight.
Madrid defender Raphaël Varane spotted with a Legend VII with a subtle color change on the flywire cables and flyknit tongue. Looks better IMO.
I don't know if you guys talked about this or not but to me Toni kroos seems to not be wearing shinguards I've noticed this a long time ago and still don't know how he gets away with it.
I wondered that too for too long then realized he is wearing one of those ultra-thin carbon fiber ones. It is underneath the RMCF branding on his socks and is taped directly to his skin. I think I saw him once being subbed in earlier than anticipated with someone helping him tape the shinguards.
Oh yeah I can just about make out some tape - they must be super thin though. But I guess the laws of the game are just that you wear some. The don't specify size or thickness. Jack Grealish is another one : I can't see any sort of pad but if I remember rightly he just has some that look like a small ruler. If he had a bigger pair he might not have got injured! he also plays with his socks around his ankles. appleCORR
True. You’d think they’d be stricter especially at the top level. Have a look at Paulo Dybala, Kelley O’Hara (USA womens/Sky Blue FC), and Marek Hamsik to name a few with their socks that low. I tried that once and boy was it a pain. Doesn’t even look cool on me since i’m not tall and my legs are a little chunky like Xherdan Shaqiri’s.
I think it used to look cool back in the day - but I'm with you I'd find it annoying. You think there would be some rule making them pull thump considering the socks are designed to be worn that way. I have to admit I wear small pads I don't see how people can wear the ones with the ankle protectors attached to them. I like to be able to feel the ball. But you think that there would be some level of safety to the pads pros are asked to wear. appleCORR
So what do you guys think about Mats Hummels cutting holes in his leather cleats because of injury? I first thought he got stepped on and they got ripped but then noticed that it was both cleats had a hole in them. He said he did because of his injured toes. I know he was trying to give his toes extra space and to relieve some of the pressure but he is exposing them to further injury with less protection.
Can't believe they made him play like with an injury even though most players rarely play store a [emoji817]% , but still if the pain was so great that he had to cut off his boots just to play that says a lot about the manager or whomever is responsible for that.
I do - best feeling ever! As for all this cutting holes in your boots it's madness. I could sort of see cutting a hole for a blister at the back of your foot to stop the rubbing but I agree if your toes are so bashed that you have to cut a massive hole in the front of your boots then you shouldn't be on the pitch. The only thing I can think of is that his toes were wrapped up and the dressing with too big for the boot maybe? Like people have said it would just expose his nails more with the hole and be more painful. appleCORR
Watched the whole game. Neymar got a yellow because the Video Assistant Replay caught him slapping Sakai. Japan didn't play that great but were good in that last 20 mins.
We watched live too..started 4 am on the west coast They will need a leader and the young guys will need to step up. Brazil looked very good as well.