Anyone know if there will be a Morelia Neo II MIJ in AG soleplate at all or is it just going to be a standard version?
Got my pair of origami Neo 2 MIJ today. They look great. I like them better than the pearl/black/red. The pearl color is the same across the forefoot of both colorways, but it's less pronounced on the origami version because the white across the synthetic part of the upper is a flat white, not pearl. The synthetic part is worth mentioning. On the origami colorway, it's noticeably stiffer. I think that's probably due to the paint -- the origami print, that is. Otherwise, the colorways seem identical to me. Also, worth mentioning: the yen is weak right now, so it's a good time to buy from Rakuten. I hadn't realized before, but the $213 charge on my credit card when I ordered the pearl/black/red pair from Ballclub two weeks ago was only pending. And for some reason, the final charge didn't post until two days ago. In the interim, the yen fell. So my final price: only $202!
Damn! Just tried on the pearl/black/red ones again, and they're noticeably more comfortable. More flexible throughout most of the upper. Gonna have to think hard about which pair to keep!
Quite abit of savings there, nice! Also, your mention of the synthetic part is interesting, might be confirmation bias, but there might be some truth in the whole sold in Japan, made in Japan Mizunos being superior to the sold in europe, Made in Japan products. I remember similar complaints about the Mizuno Morelia KR where apparently the leather wasn't the same quality as the ones you got on the Mizuno Morelia 2's. On a side note - just got my MiJ Morelia Neo 2's, the pearl ones. Never quite got the hype of Morelia Neos personally as I was never really a fan of lightweight boots, although i did get a pair of Estrela Neos and quite loved it. I was always a Morelia 2 guy though I've been breaking them in walking around the office with it, will only be able to test it out next week, but do feel free to ask any questions if you have them! the good: the Changes they've made all work, which is not something you get to say pretty often. 1) the wave lace hole style really works, bunching up is not a thing anymore 2) what really really got me is the lockdown. As you can see on my left foot, I've left out the final 2 loopholes and I still feel sufficiently locked down enough to go on a sprint. I didn't think it would be the case, but the new padding in the heel area really moulds and locks your feet down. 3) I'm not sure if its the same as in Morelia Neo 1's, but the synthetic material does feel decently leathery and the transition from the leather forefoot to the synthetic midfoot is not as drastic as the ones in the Estrela Neo 2's. the bad (mostly just nitpicks tbh): 1) but would have been nice to have just a teeny bit of padding on the tongue. 2) insoles - its workable, but would have been nice to have some cushioning inserts like they do on the Ignitus. For some reason though, the shoe feel anatomical, I've no idea why. 3) the studs, I'm not sure they're stronger that the previous ones, but i'm flagging it out as a possible. The Rooney: I'm going to have to eat my words a little here cause I remember giving tepy some grief previously regarding their criticism of Mizuno as a brand (I still stand by my comments on their criticism, although i accept that it might not have been presented the way they would like due to language barriers). But the Morelia Neo 2's seem a little... bland. Don't get me wrong, the changes are great, they work brilliantly, but there's nothing outstanding about it. Versus when i picked up a pair of Vapors the other day and was like woah, 'that's light'. In contrast when i unboxed the Neo 2's, that familiar leather smell greeted me.. but when i picked it up it was like.. meh. Before you guys kill me, I agree that weight isn't everything, and like I've said before, after a certain point, weight doesn't quite matter, but I've held the Estrela Neo 2's and it felt stunningly light (suspect the shaved weight comes from thinner synthetic sides), and when you wore it, the placebo effect of it being light made you feel faster. I'm not asking for a revolution, but these evolutionary changes could have taken place around the time For me, the only reason why this is problematic (Morelia Neo doesn't feel light enough), is because of how light the 2015 edition of the Morelia 2's are. The M2's feel nearly as light as the Neo 2's, and if that's the case, considering that there's more leather, and better comfort, the Neo 2's don't seem that attractive anymore, minus a slightly more barefoot touch. Just my 2 cents on this, would be great to hear your inputs on it all. For what its worth, I feel like after 4 years, the outsole could have been lighter though, or it a little more innovation, like maybe fibretech from the Basara's etc? tl;dr Neo 2's are great, lockdown is excellent, changes actually work. Not as light as it could be, weight feels similar to an M2, not sure what its strengths are anymore.
to me, it seems morelia II is too classic/retro looks modern players may prefer neo/neo2 nonetheless, it's always a personal thingy.....look at Thiago Motta (PSG, Italy) > MORELIA II (tho' he'd promoted the SSW1 back then - the red ones if not mistaken); but he always plays with the standard black-white morelia II or SI oldies like me looks better with the Morelia IIs...
While I'm thinking about it: Derbyyank13, thanks for suggesting I go through Rakuten. I saved a good deal of money and probably ended up with altogether better shoes! I think you're right about a difference between MIJ/sold in(from) Japan and MIJ/sold in Europe/US. I suspect the synthetic portion of the origami upper will always be stiffer, owing to the paint that the other colorways lack. But I wore both pairs for an hour last night, and the difference was noticeable. The origami pair, which I ordered from Soccer.com (i.e., a US retailer) actually left my feet sore. It felt like they were built on a different last with the outsides of the forefeet (the part that lies on top of, or against, the little toe) tapering offer more sharply towards the soleplate. I'm gonna have to send them back and stick with the pearl/black/red pair I got from Rakuten. Obviously, there's some differences in the packaging too. The boxes are a little different: the box I got from soccer.com (the origami pair) are embossed with a big "Made in Japan" in gold lettering; whereas the box I got straight from Japan via Rakuten and Ballclub says "Morelia Station" across the top. Also, the box I got from Soccer.com came with the pouch of leather conditioner; whereas the box I got from Japan didn't. So if they're packaged differently, are they possibly coming out of difference facilities with different grades of leather or slightly different manufacturing processes? I can't be 100% sure either, but I do feel like the synthetic material is improved from the original Neo MIJs. It feels stretchier and more comfortable, as a result. Agree re the insoles. The velcro-like texture provides great grip. But, otherwise, they're very simple. And they have almost no arch. I might be swapping them out for a pair from other shoes. I can see what you and Tepy are saying about the Neo 2 (i.e., no substantial advances), but I'll take it. So few manufacturers make these sort of marginal refinements to long-existing products anymore. The only places we really see that is (1) in the running shoe space, by dedicated running shoe companies (e.g., New Balance, ASICS, Mizuno) and (2) occasionally in some Nike boots, but only for the 2-3 years that a given model is around. For example, Nike added its ACC coating to the Tiempo Legend IV midway through that boot's run. And they've made other tweaks to various boots' uppers as they roll out new colorways. --But then they completely kill a model and roll-out a new generation that is, essentially, a totally new boot on a different last, continuing only the silo focus. Which is fun, of course. And surely helps sell more units. But with every new release now, the major manufacturers -- Nike, adidas, Puma -- are throwing so many crap features against the wall to see what sticks. And while some new features might be worthwhile, starting over, completely fresh, resets all the refinement that could have gradually accrued to make a truly great boot. That's why I'm happy to see a company stick with the same basic shoe over several years as long as they're willing to make small refinements. --Kaizen and all.
One thing I want to correct is that the yen isn't weak right now, it's very strong against the USD, compared to last year or even 4 months ago. I was buying MIJ neo's from Rakuten for $160 USD and with Shipping $175. But its' still better than soccer.com prices.
Those prices would have been nice. I only meant the yen was relatively low against the dollar the past couple of weeks, like 5-7 %, I think. Nothing historic.
No problem! As to the point earlier about the differences between getting a Neo and regular Morelias I think that the soleplate with and external heel counter is a big part of that. Kaizen (improvement) is a huge part of Japanese manufacturing and I feel that with the Neo 2s many concerns were addressed such as the bunching problem the toebox had. Also with the double-resin heel it feels more supportive. I also agree that drastic change would hurt the boot. I mean customers at my work complain a lot about the shoes keep changing constantly and models are not similar in the slightest. It's hard for people to constantly "get used to" a new model and then next the next model is coming along right after that. I stand by my words I had with the guy from Tepy. Companies are throwing everything out to see what sticks and it is nice to see a company who understands their customer base. Although to be fair nike understands that their customers are after anything with a collar and a swoosh. As long as it is hyped up enough.
I just bought a pair of the green/orange Neos on eBay. I have a Neo problem. This will be my 5th pair of Neos I think. I have the original green colorway, the black/white/green, yellow/blue, yellow/black MIJ, and now I ordered these. Throw in the pair of Basaras I bought and then realized I can't wear on turf... Send help.
I know that feel bro. It's why I got a pair of Nike tiempo ligera 3 for like $60 at the time off rakuten because they hold up better on turf
I just had my origami arrive today, they are so nice to not keep, swapped in some black/silver laces now look even better!!
Guys, I hate to ask but I will only because I searched almost all day yesterday: Can someone direct me to the post or photobucket for the member who added studs to his Ignitus II's? Or any Ignitus model, but I'm pretty sure I saw the red/white IIs.
anyone had the morelia neo PS (prime skins)? http://www.prodirectsoccer.com/prod...ts-Soft-Ground-Black-Chinese-Red-122942.aspx? any comments?
is there an English translation of the Morelia Easy Order options? Who have you guys used for those who've gotten Easy Order Morelias? Spolan or ____? I'm definitely going to grab some this week saw those on dosoccer too wish they were SI