Blog: Adidas AdiPure SL Review

Adidas truly revolutionized the boot market with the release of the Adipure SL. Being able to combine together the two of greatest components of the modern game; speed and touch. This boot is all class; ever since they were released I was on a search to get them for a reasonable price. After months of waiting I got these cleats for a steal. I paid $120 USD thanks to the help of wegotsoccer.com. When they arrived at my doorsteps I could not wait to try them on; I ordered a size 10US in the Black/White/Metallic Gold color way and here is how they tested.

By: Andres Saldana

Appearance

The adiPure is an extremely classy boot. The first word I think whenever I see these cleat is “elegance”, pure elegance and class. Its design is very humble, and simple, but it still looks good. Black leather, white stripes, and gold lining, doesn’t it remind you of the original soccer cleats? A heritage boot at its finest; Adidas did it again with a design like this. Personally my favorite addition to this already sleek boot is the gold lining. Gold lining just like that adds the final touches to make it look well. The look of the adiPure and the weight of the adiZero make it the ideal dream boot.

Sizing

Maybe one of the few cons with this boot is the sizing. If you have worn adiPures before then you have no problem, but if you haven’t worn adiPures before then finding the right size may be difficult. Normally, I wear a size 10.5 US in boots like the Adidas Predators, Nike CTR360, and the Nike T90, but it seems as if the AdiPure SL run a half size smaller. My suggestion is maybe going to an outlet store and trying on a pair of AdiPure’s or adiPure SL’s. Originally ordering a size 10.5, I found that the size 10 fit me better. In all honestly if I wanted more of a snug fit I could have fit a 9.5, but that’s my personal feeling. Again, I suggest trying them on in a store first before ordering if you want to avoid resending the cleats for a smaller size and wasting shipping money.

Breaking in

Having used the Nike CTR360 family for the past season, I knew the break in period time for the adiPure’s would not be the same. It took about three training sessions to break them in. Initially I thought the comfort wouldn’t be so great since I felt a little bit of discomfort after running in them, but after being broken in, they turned out to be extremely comfortable; the shoe molds to your feet. The SprintFrame soleplate, which is similar to the AdiZero, is a tad different; it is stiffer and it takes a decent amount of time to break in. Generally speaking, yes it does take a good amount of time, but I wouldn’t want this to be a reason not to buy it. Once broken into, be ready for a quality boot.

Comfort

After the break-in period, these boots end up being one of the most comfortable you will wear. The leather is very soft and truly does mold to the shape of your feet. Originally the soleplate was stiff, but after being broken in, you will note the difference. The leather does stretch, and if you have a wider foot than these boots will be fine for you! I can honestly compare these boots to my Nike CTR360 Maestris. People say the CTR’s are the most comfortable boot out there, but the AdiPure IV SL’s give them a run for their money. If I had to give my answer on which boot is superior in comfort, I’d give the slight edge victory to the CTR boot. Although they may not surpass the comfort of the CTR, they do have some special additions that Nike did not include to the CTR. Additions such as the tongue and the lining around the ankle including additional padding making it a beneficial add on. Personally I found it helpful, especially when it comes to receiving and shooting the ball. The ball just falls to your feet and you get a terrific feel of the ball when it lands.  When you shoot with this boot you get a true feeling of where the ball is going. Overall Adidas found the perfect combination of having lightweight boots with an upper of Kangaroo Leather.

Technology

The adiPure IV SL is simply designed for being lightweight. The cleat has a kangaroo leather upper and gives comfortable feel to the top. On top of the quality leather, the bottom has the sprint frame which is similar to the Adidas adiZero, offering the perfect combination. The stud design offers better traction and stability. Combining the Sprint Frame bottom with the K-leather leaves you with a light boot. In addition to the lightness, a light soft padded collar which was added to not only give you increased comfort, but it helps give a better fit. Also added was a sock liner near the heel, again added for more comfort. Lightness, quality, and comfort give you simply one of the best boots around.

Performance

And last but not least, the performance of the adiPure SL. I have used many cleats before, notably the ones mentioned before in this article, I find myself comparing these boots with the Nike CTR360 many times. Adidas outdid themselves with this boot though with the weight of the adiZero and the quality of the adiPures. After being broken in, these cleats are the ideal boot a player would love to have. If you play on turf this boot won’t be a problem, they are very responsive and offer great traction. Adidas put the adiZero bottom sprint frame to these boots, so if you have worn adiZeros before than you know what to expect.  If you haven’t, however, well you can expect a slight change from normal studs. The main difference is the lightness of the boot and the facility it is to make cuts. Certainly these are not the lightest boots on the market, but that’s fine, the quality is much better than most boots out there. The soft K-leather gives you an excellent feel on the ball for better control on the pitch and a true strike on the ball. Having used a variety of boots, these boots increment your touch; that is a great plus if you want to control the game. Back to striking with this cleat, when you hit the feel in simple terms, it just feels good. After you take a shot, you get a good feeling of where it’s going to go. Sure, it isn’t going to give you the Nike Total90 help, but the leather helps absorb some shock when you shoot so it doesn’t hurt when you kick. Notably one of the most impressive things on this boot is the tongue. Having a snug fit is very nice to have with cleat, sometimes the fit is too snug and it hurts along your toe. Adidas however added some supplementary protection in the toe. It’s difficult to describe but this adds a lot to the comfort and shot. It feels great, and it works, you can’t ask for more. Great on the field and the ideal dream boot for some 

players.

Negatives

There isn’t much bad to say about the boots other than the break in period.  That is one of the few negatives alongside with sizing problems and maybe color way problems. Don’t get me wrong these cleats are extremely classy but maybe there should be a variety of more colors to choose from. Personally, I love the red adiPures and it’d be fantastic to buy the SL version of those. Finally, maybe the pricing, certainly $250USD is a lot but they are worth the money. Other than these minor negatives, I can’t find anything to complain about. Simply this is a phenomenal boot to be using.

Overall

This boot is tied with my favorite cleats of all time. Simply revolutionizing by Adidas, couldn’t get much better. The combination of lightweight, class, and high quality makes this boot just simply remarkable. The fact that they are limited edition makes them even more desirable, and expensive. I would highly recommend this boot if you are looking for cleats to buy. Along with the boot, you get a few add-ons; leather food, a sweet box, a boot bag and a cleaning cloth. On a last note these are the dream boots.

Tips

Taking care of your cleats is important, especially with this boot. I suggest going out and buying more leather food for your cleats. One should apply the leather food to the boot at least once a week if you want to preserve them for as long as possible. Avoid leaving them out in the sun, especially if you used them in mud; don’t let the mud dry out on it. The boot will lose its softness. A suggestion is keep some newspaper in the boot so it does not lose it shape and so it can absorb some of the water. Taking care of your boot is a very important thing to do. I suggest doing these things to your boot.

Rating of the Cleats (Out of 10)

Performance—10

Comfort—9.5

Style—10

Technology—9.5

Durability—9

Accuracy—9.5

Value—10

Overall score (averaged together)—9.6 / 10