When it comes to small-sided football shoes, adidas have had more re-brandings than Prince. XvsX, adi5 and so on. But whatever they’ve been called, that has never stopped adidas from creating top-quality shoes, and now they’re all united under the adidas FreeFootball banner – we explore the range.
adidas FreeFootball SpeedTrick
Aimed at players who demand lightweight control whether playing indoors or on the street, the adidas FreeFootball SpeedTrick combines bright colours and an adiZero-inspired design with lightweight control.
The lightweight, perforated microfibre upper is breathable as well as flexible, offering a good touch and feel for the ball indoors and out, whilst the rubberised element on the toes adds to the ‘control’ aspect of the shoe.
Similar to the Nike Elastico, the sole of the adidas FreeFootball SpeedTrick runs into the instep, allowing a great sense of direction on a pass with that area of the foot, whilst still keeping the foot low to the floor.
adidas FreeFootball X-ite
A renaming of the adidas adi5 X-ite that came out earlier this year, the FreeFootball X-ite is still the same shoe you know and love from it’s previous incarnation.
The upper is a combination of breathable synthetic mesh for a sock-like feel on the ball, whilst a synthetic microfibre provides support and structure to keep the shoe flush-fitting.
Across the toe is a unique grip compound designed to enhance the mesh’s tactility on the ball, whilst the low-profile outsole keeps your feet low to the floor for tricks and turns.
adidas FreeFootball TopSala
The adidas Sala name has been in the small-sided game for as long as we can remember, but the new FreeFootball TopSala brings a few new tricks to the table.
Using the same HybridTouch leather as the Predator LZ, the TopSala offers a great touch and feel from the front of the ball, whilst the rest of the boot uses a combination of breathable mesh and synthetic microfibre to keep weight down.
adidas have offered a couple of luxurious to make your life on the court easier, including a super-soft sockliner and a layer of their running-shoe-standard adiPrene into the outsole, to help take the impact off your feet and knees.
Which of the adidas Freefootball range would suit your game best?
Let us know in the comments!
i have the XvsX (now x-ite) and i used them for street soccer and jogging even though they never felt rly comfortable and thought they were supposed to be for turf. i finally stopped using them after my big toenail cracked, bled and fell off. it could also be that they fit me a bit tight, but also it seems that the ministuds arent supposed to be there. oh, and the mesh isnt waterproof. in summary, i miss my samba, which i stopped using oly after there were holes in the sole (i guess theyre supposed to be indoors only).
oh, and the topsala and speedtrick look great, but i’d still stick with the samba. i have to ask though, are these optimal for street or indoor? bc the samba i had i used casually at first, and then i started using them for street and the sole only lasted some months…
Which of these do you think would be best for Powerleague-style artificial grass pitches? They’re like astroturf but a bit longer…