After all the new boot releases and new colourways we’ve seen over the past month or so, it’s time to take stock.
Indeed, more than that, the time has come to compare the two biggest hitters in our next Footy Boots debate.
So this weekend, we’re posing you this question: Which boot does it for you – the adidas F50i or the Nike Mercurial Vapor V?
In our last debate, nearly 4,000 of you voted before the Champions League final with Nike and Ronaldo narrowly coming out on top against adidas and Messi. As it turned out of course, Messi was to have the last laugh with the second of Barcelona’s 2 goals in their victory over Manchester United.
So, could that sway your decision? Or will the consistent delivery of the Vapor series win the day? It’s your call.
adidas F50i Plus Points
Revolutionary SprintSkin upper
Fifth generation F50
TUNiT system
Thermobonded lace cover
TRAXION technology
Nike Mercurial Vapor V Plus points
Flywire technology
Speed touch area
Teijin synthetic upper
Lightweight
Proven history
Vote below, add a comment to back up your thinking, and we’ll announce the winner in a week’s time. [poll=25]
imj really not shure both of them look good and they are both good to play in i like nike best but i dont like c.ronaldo so good i like messi much better probaly my favorite player but my favorite shoe is nike varpor or adidas F50i 🙂
nah mat its all about the f5oi.
vapors are the best!and I worn old F50…
I should won one of them
the tunits kill the vapors.
is it just me who’s realised the vapors look exactly like the old ones
i would have to agree with you…vapors give you too many blisters and the 50’s come in handy no matter the weather.
ehmm nope i think vapors have a better history and they kill tunits i mean tunits are heavy
f50i are much better all the vapours look the same and they give you blisters – in the pack the adidas f50i come in they come with a comfort pack or a performane pack so you can choose …… f50s for me 🙂
uhhh…. no vapors suck. they gave me a lot of blisters. i have tunits and they are light and very good.
Vapors=Uncomfortable
F50’s=Mild comfort.
I dont know why everyone is saying that Messi comes on top wearing F50’s when he always seems to rock F30’s. He wore F30’s in the Cup Final and even though he is the main face for F50, he still wears F30’s, same as Ashley Cole. The F50’s really cant be that great seeing as their a $190 boot VS F30 which is around $80-$90?
Anyway both of these boots dont even compare to the Adidas Predator, pure style, pure comfort, pure Originality.
I think you’re absolutely right but my favorite clears are the Nike air legends fg 2
ok,for the last time!!! Messi wears f50I upper with an f30i base!! adidas made them specially for him…we the public cant buy them.
Seeing as F50 are some of the heaviest boots around I dont really see how they are “speed” boots. I would actually say puma v1.08 but in this case nike vapors…even the the 5s are heavier then the 4s and the 4s are heavier then the 3s. 😛
actually the 4’s are heavier than the 5’s but yes the 3’s and 2’s are the lightest.
vapor 5 is lighter than vapor 4
the itunits are definitely way better looking and i believe they have more usefull technology in them, they will be the closest competition to vapors so far. But vapors are more reliable then any f50 model and are way lighter.
Peope Really need to stop saying that messi wears F30s. He doesnt. He wears F50s with a custom molded blade bottom. He would never wear an inferior product. might want to read up and look a little bit closer.
he wears f30s. the heel cup on his boots in the final was black (f30) as opposed to clear (f50). he also wore the f30.9 and the f30.8. u can tell because the AllsKlear technology does not extend all the way to the heel
arsenalfc86, trust me mate, Messi wears F30’s not F50’s, you are the only one on here thats in denial. He does not have any custom blades on the bottom, the blades on the bottom are the F30 blades. Even when the last F50’s were out, he still wore the F30’s, even when he had his own silver Messi F50’s he still chose to wear F30’s.
i wonder why he does that? i mean is there something in the F30’s that the F50 dont have? makes me wonder, i actually have F30 lime green but I played better in my vapors a year ago, ppl say its cause i have a narrow foot
From 2003 to 2008 the golden boot winner has worn Vapors. Just this year has it changed where Anelka nudged out Ronaldo and broke the streak, still not wearing F50’s though. Throughout each’s existence I’ve found the Vapors to be the more comfortable of the two and they have always been lighter. Definitely the king title belongs to the Vapor.
not you idiot what about kaka
the f50 is still too heavy.
Vapor is the thing for speed
Guys, for real? Adidas doesnt make speed boots. I cant understand how they call f50s or f30s speed boots when they weigh an average of 150% more then the other speed boots. In fact, they almost weigh as much as world cups. Not only that, the vapor isnt shaped like a brick and has cleats put in ideal spots for acceleration as the f50 has cleats that fall out 90% of the time (my bro has owned them, I have puma v1.08s right now as they are lighter then vapors and I dont like the hype) and are just conicle and put where ever. They are not speed boots. Oh, and to the guy who said predators win? Almost as far away from a speed boot as f50.
I never said that Adidas Predators were speed boots mate, I was commenting as far as comfort goes then Predators have them all beat. You can tell me otherwise as I have a pair of Vapors and a pair of the new F50’S. I am very disappointed about my new F50’s as they are heavier than I thought.
I have the f50.8 and there awsome but mildly comfterable then I bought the f30i tunits and they are the same as the f50 but u cant change the studs so i use the f30 but if its raining or it is wet out i use the f50 sg studs.
i figured out a way for messi to wear f50 with bladed studs
Vapors by far. I’ve owned the F50+ (probably the best boot known to man kind in looks, fit and performance) I tried the F50.6, which were horrible because of the bubble shape at the front, and the touch was horrible cause of the thick upper. I skipped the f50.7, and tried the f50.8. The touch is still horrible, the shoes fit insanely tight, they squeeze every part of your foot,but they still have a horrible touch. Not to mention they squeak every step, you have to tighten the horrible studs before every use, and they look rediculous.
The vapors are quite the opposite. They provide amazing fit and lightness. But thats not even the best part. They feel like you’re playing barefoot in them. The Vapor is the king of every boot.
its the f50i we talkin bout its much more improved n better
the new f50 have the upper hand in any weather congition and the lace cover is better than the vapor and for me weight doesnt really matter what matters is how you play I play with style and the how you cover the ball and put your experience to work.
I think they invert their weights into the heritage boots nike has heavy heritage boots the air legends and the R10 on the other hand adidas makes theirs light like the adi pure and adipure 2.
Firstly, Messi doesn’t wear F50’s and he does wear F30’s. Look at him kissing the boot in the champions league final, it is very obvious that it is an F30i. Secondly, Vapors are a lot lighter and I think you will find that the Vapor V’s are a lot lighter than the Vapo IV’s!!!
In the end, speed boots is just an advertising claim, you might feel faster for wearing them but really that 3 ounces less then a normal “touch” boot such as an air legend. If you really want to get down the pitch faster cut a pound off, there’s 16 less ounces to carry.
Matt
Yeah no actually. Ive had every thing from total 90s to preds, to vapors, to puma v1.08s and the lighter boots make a huge difference. First of all the weight on your foot determines how fast you can move it and speed is stride speed and stride length. Since its lighter you can also change direction quicker without it dragging you down. Second, if your running for 80 or 90 minutes, a few ounces over running 2-5 miles makes a huge difference.
Really the f50 isnt even a speed boot. The adiPure II’s weigh much less than them and are a better boot all around. Still I say the vapors have been the best boot for the past couple years.
F50s are better, but the weight of your boots hardly matters. I dont really care about this as predators and adipures rule
i definitely like the design of the f50s a lot more. also nike did almost nothing to change the appearance of the 4s to the 5s. unlike f50 that change the design every time. but i must admit that i have worn both and i find the vapors to be more comfortable and SIGNIFICANTLY lighter than the f50s. so ill have to say vapors. also as other people said before pumas are the best speed boots! i hav the v1.06
f50s are not light at all they weigh about the same as preds even the clima cools are heavy vapors are by far better no comparison at all between the two
Though, I’ve never had a pair of vapors, I do own a pair of F50.6s. I know they’re outdated but the studs have fallen out and I’ve even lost one. They also hurt my feet after just half an hour of playing (in their “comfort” chassis). While the player who wears them is better (Messi), the F50s are inferior to the Vapors.
adidas F50i Plus Points
TUNiT system
how exactly is the tunit system a plus point.
Unless you like water getting into your boots i really don’t think that there is any benefit from having it there
The tunits are for people who have stopped growing and want a boot last forever. If your studs wear out but your upper and chassis are fine just change em. Plus if you wanted you could change the uppers as the new ones came out. They are compatible. Which I have done before. You get more out of the tunit than you get out of vapors in terms of price and value
both look beautiful and i like both boots, i think the mercurial haver better fit, and almost 11 year of history.
what i dont like of the tunits is too many generation in only
3 years.
well i had the f50.8 and they were terible they were uncomfotable as hell and after i got rid of them i got lasers they were great but to heavy so i got v1.08 and they are the best boots ive ever owned i even use them to play rugby the only problem with them is the upper is a bit thin but apart from that they are great oh and the f50i looks better but i have to vote for the better boot
Vapors are way better than the TUNITs, touch, speed, everything is better. Not to mention the Vapors are basically waterproof while the TUNITs let in tons of water through the stud holes.
Also, just to settle this, Messi wears the F30’s customized for him by adidas with the microfiber of the F50’s, he would never wear a less than top of the line shoe.
i wear the puma v1.06 . killer boots..
whats the weight of both shoes? anyone?
Puma V1.08 is were its at
but the f50 are more resistant than the vapors you pay 200-300 dollars for your boots and with one slide tackle they rip horribly. The f50s are way better in quality cost less.
messi wears f50 upper with a customized bladed f30 sole.
Unlike him I have bladed studs on my f50 adidas can’t make but adidas #1.
Vapors are the best !!!!!
i vote for Vapors
I’ve seen a pair of messi’s match worn boots in the museum at camp nou and they are regular f30s. I’ve always worn the vapors, from the first ones until the fourth, but as i see very little difference between the fours and the fives ( and can’t afford to shell out on the superflys ). I’ll be getting the f50i’s . not sure how they’ll work out though.
are u all mad vapors are so so overated f50s are miles better , f30s are f50 except without the tunit system so they are the same. vapors r uncomfy f50s are quite comfy with the insoles , f50i’s are very light now , the new spritskin is better than the material on vapors.the f50s are way more flashy and cool.
well In my opinion I think the Vapor V’s are lighter and comfortable than the f.50’s and the f.50i. I have the vapor v and they do feel better but c’mon don’t exxagerate the cleats don’t make u run faster, I mean i own some air legends too and I run to the same freakin speed that I do with the vapors. The speed it’s in the person who’s running not in the person who’s wearing the cleats!!
my bro got f50i and i got vapors and we just weighed them f50i weigh 267 grams vapors 189 grams weigh em and erm vapors rule adiddas suk 🙂
in my case i would go for the vapors, i’ve worn different f-50s nd they are just not as comfotable as they say but the vapors keep gettin heavier as years go by…im happy i kept my orange vapor 2 in shape =]
Idk y all of u r comparing older cleats nd all of this stuff. Its a competition of a better boot for speed. All in all, the vapor is on another level then the f50i’s.
Don’t get me wrong the f50i’s seem like a good boot, but if I had the choice id prefer the vapors. I dnt see the point about debating what boots messi wears. Jzt ask footy boots “ask geeks.”
marcello is right about messi the vapors are a lot better than the f50i I’ve had f50.6, .7, .8 and the 4th vapor the vapor was way better i kept trying the f50 series but they sucked so i went to vapor series I’m waiting for the superfly to come out though but vapors all the way
In terms of look the f50i is ugly, the .7s looked much better. However as far as I know, f50 have leather options while vapors dont
Leather beats some cheap 2nd rate fabric anyday
i agree with the excellent lookin of the f50.7
Excuse me f50.7 but have you actually had a pair of leather f50s? They are exactly the same as the vapor upper so i really dont see your argument. Both the boots class their uppers as leather but they are actually synthetic leather which we all know isnt quite the same. Vapor released a Euro 2008 model with the blue sole, which were in fact real leather and not the synthetic leather. So from the latest models released by both companies, nike are the only ones to release a proper leather upper. F50 need to go back to the drawing board and begin to make their real leather models again. If this isnt the case, then they need to figure out a way to change the f50i sole plates. I believe the interchangeable plate is a clever idea but the durability of the studs arent good enough. They need to adapt the moulded version of the changeable stud so that it feels like a mould.
Id like to reiterate matt’s point about a boot not making a difference to how a player runs but in a different detail. Every player needs power to run fast. The equation for this is speed x strength. A boot does not apply any of these, only your body can provide these assets.
Ive seen the majority of the worlds top players choosing nike as their ideal option of boot. In more detail, i see alot of players at the highest level wearing vapors.
I have tried the majority of each model released by both the f50 and the vapor. For me the latest vapor just edges the f50i due to durability and performance of the boot, something i feel needs to be formed in all models of football boots.
Please get back to me and let me know what you think. I dont want arguments, just want other viewpoints on the points i have made.
Will
Vapor V FTW.
None of these boots are comfortable at all! trust me, i’ve tried them both. AdiPure 2 is the best boot there is!! 😀
original f50s through the 3rd gen can only be labeled as “speed boots”….the tunit system destroyed this boots status imo
More on topic, as to which boot is faster, the easy answer is the vapor, I have owned the a few in the f50 series and the conical studs (don’t get as much grip on grass as bladed) along with the instant flooding of the shoe in wet conditions (you can never screw that stud tight enough) make the vapor seem so much greater. However I would not recommend either because they will both be replaced in their line within a month, they cost alot compared to other boots, and you can’t beat Kangaroo leather.
Matt
first of all the easy answer is the nike vapor v. we are talking speed not performance, so nike wins.- if we are talking performance then the adidas predator would win but that is another topic
second of all the lightest soccer boot is the puma v1.06 at 6.2 oz- not the mercurial vapor v
third of all messi wears CUSTOMIZED F50’s So it is a f50 with molded bladed studs -so no water gets let in and no screw ins either- almost like a f30
also it was said that a 7 oz cleat is better than a 11 oz cleat- not neccessarily, if you have more weight in the shot it will be a faster shot too. also those extra oz that they cut off affects quality too so the material might not be as strong as other heavier maerials(like leather).
the cleats do Not affect your speed either. soccer is a stop and go game , how often do you sprint the whole length of the pitch? if you are that focused on speed then get in shape and lose pounds not oz off your entire body- then you will have the right to say that the weight of the shoe affects your game.
-Greg
ps if you disagree with my opion write me a comment here or email me at [email protected]
just write what you disagree with and why, we all love the same sport so be civil about it.
Well I have the pleasure of owning a pair of F50.9 and Vapor V. I give a thumbs up to Adidas for making the TUNiT technology so when im playing on wet surfaces i can change the studs. But the down side to these are turf will destroy them, i wore them and the studs riped off and wrecked the chassie. Now for the Vapors, i love how they are so light and fit like a glove, i feel like i have so much more control with them. The down side of the boots is the lace cover, the material that covers the laces rips. I was playing a game and i was stepped on and i looked down at my boots and it had a rip in it and also the studs aswell. A buddy of mine was playing and he made a quick cut and the plate ripped right off. So my final choice would be the Vapors.
Given a month or so, the adidas would have more percentage of the votes because they haven’t been out for that long. The vapors, on the other hand, have been released for a few months and people are more familiar with them.
I personally like the black/gold, lace-cover-less, leather F50i.
im planning to buy a new one
now im using a SG predator
im satisfied with its strength but not it’s speed .
im picking one out of the two either m v 5 or f50i
i think f50i is for a skilled player likemessi or ronaldinho but m v 5 but m v 5 is for fags like ronaldo who sprints so fast and jump into pernalty area asking for pernalty kicks. his playing style is unacceptable and ridiculous so pick one that fit your style then.
Be a skilled player or a sly player up to you
f50i own vapors are ugly
nike na veia sz
all of you who say the tunits are the king of speed are dumb because tunits weigh 11.2 oz and can be lowered to 10.2 with the yellow sockliner and the white chassis while mercurials weigh 7.2 so you tell me which is more lighter, and gives you more speed
can anyone confirm that the blue F5i Tunits will come in blue leather as the black version of them? because I have only found a place to pre order black F50i tunits with leather and not blue ones with leather, have only found blue ones with sprint skin.
dude its common sense vapors are way better because they are much lighter and the f50s are toooooooooo heavy for that boot to be made for speed and vapors are just the right weight to help u increase ur speed
i agree with u, f50 is wearing two bricks in your poor feet. but! MERCURIAL is like wearing two lions and wings on your feet!!! LOL
THE BEST? MERCURIAL!!!
Vapors all day i have all the color ways for the iv’s n v’s they don’t give any blisters . if you think your gonna get blisters wrap your foot with a cloth. Vapors are lighter then F50’s and they look way better
well, i’d say adidas f50i’s are way better than vapors.
nike vapors didn’t have the lace cover in the past editions,
as for the f50’s have always had
the lace cover.
so nike copied the f50’s lace cover style.
even though f50’s are a little heavier they offer you a lot more. for example, the different stud configuration,hg,sg or fg. so you can adapt your cleats according to the weather.
i’ve been wearing f50’s since the f50’7’s came out
an truly they are a lot more comfortable than vapors.
altough i truly think it comes down to your foot’s shape and your style of play.
f 50,s are better than mercurial vapors. i’ve been wearing the f50’s since the .7’s came out and they are better than vapors.
no way f50 stink,becouse all the soccer players dont wear that crap. lets say messi, he wears 30.7 becouse f50 are crap! mercurial is way better then some crappy adidas cleats!!!
mercurial or f50? i think we all know the answer in which is the best! its mercurial!!! f50 are a piece of crap becouse messi dosent even wear 50.7 just ones when he was playing with argentina. he always wears 30.7.mercurial is the best cleats in the world!!!!!!!!!!!!!
F50 is better but not by load there both good for spinting but f50 I would say just beats the Nike vapour.
uhh… no! Tunits are way better becasue they are light and good for any condition of weather. vapors gave me blisters on my heels and my toes. vapors are heavy.
ok, my son has a pair of Adidas f50.i in apple green, he also has VaporIV. He loves the Nike the best but the superfly is a complete rip off in price!! although he believes its the best boot going around and the Black with yellow tick are awesome!!!! sinister!! But they also give him plenty of blisters which really suck. The adidas feel great look great better price. Great feel and touch. Killer looks. But he still prefers vapor if he had the money.
ok, my dad just said hal;f the truth. He made it sound like that adidas are better, look better, feel and all that stuff.
Well, nike superfly’s, even 4’s and 3’s have killer looks. Kind of fearsome in a way. And i keep reading this from u people, messi is #1 player in the world, wat a load of crap!!!!!
If you all had half a brain u would know that Cristiano Ronaldo is, and has been for ages. Anyway vapors are better! big time
well ive got the addais f50i and the orange merchail well i think the addais is better so the votes not fair but every one got diffent oppinion
thee f50z REEE WELLL NICEE MAUAAHH
I got em Both And I think the adidas Is Much better.. u see Vapor sure is lighter but like 5.oz dosent even matter when u run.. and lets face it .. adidas Got much better feeling and so on 🙂 So Clearly Adidas is better 🙂
adidas f50 and nike vapor
you have to make speed by yourself, a boot don’t makes speed, whit Vapors, i run at the same speed as with notmal all stars :G
mercs are better by 10%
I got the adidas both and i think the adidas both is better!
f50 it is incrivel
I have both the mercurials and f50 i love them both. The mercurials are lighter but have hardly any protection. The f50 look nicer and feel good and give protection. Out of 10 for speed on the f50 is 8/10 and the mercurials 9/10. But in the end the boots are not really going to make much difference.
For speed mercurial but for everything else f50.
Thanks x
both of Mercurial vapor 5 and adidas f50i …
but,, the money for buy i don’t have ..
i think f50 is more usefull to play in different areas
first of all the boot doesnt make u run faster becuz i can run the same speed in tiempo and vapors and secondly f50’s are an overall better boot end of story
right im a vapor fan to be honest but these two boots are super sexyily awesome but if im being honest the f50i are the better boots. the are the comfiest boots i have ever worn and they feel lighter than the mercs by miles but i would still go for the mercs because the f50i only fit if you have an extremely narrow and long foot. im a 10 and my feet were bursting out of the side of the boot and in the mv5 also in 10 my feet felt fine there. and i have never had blisters with mercs. but if i had to choose between these i wouldnt have either. i would buy a pair of nike mercurial vapor iii(3) as these are extremely light weight (under 200g) without all the fancy technology and im sure if you looked around(ebay) you can find a real pair new for half the price and compared to the new mv5’s lighter too. its the superflys that are 185g and the normal vapors are 210g so mv3 are lighter better looking easily( especially in red with white heel)
but out of these 2 easily the f50i’s are better
It doesnt matter what brand of cleats that you are wearing,it’s all on the player.
f50i is betteru can c messi is faster th ronlda nike is only good in style adidas is thee best at everything
i think that nike vap 4s are the best they 214g fro a size 6, the new vap 5 looks exactly the same as the vap 4 and vap 4 is like 80$ cheaper than 5, nike claims that this flywire is “leading tenology” when really its just a peice of wire inside ur boot, adidas f50i looks like a buissnes mans shoe exept blue, too chunky but still is a legend boot, i have vap 4 citron/charchaol SL and they are really really good
there vurtually call the same buy the one that appeals to ur eye!!
i have the vapor 4 nd i hav 2 say dat it is the worst boot i have ever worn so uncomfortable
there is a spedd boost but nat 2 much
overall i am buying the new itunit bcuz i want comfort andd a good quality boot
every player who used vapours like pato and ibra changed to nike tiempo because vapours are made of plastic so they rip off quikly and they are uncomfortable f50i are way better
the f50i are way better ive got both boots and to me the murcurial vapour v are the biggest piece of sheizer you could ever buy trust me its a waste of money they look good but there really uncomfortable…
listen to wats aaaaaaaaa & callum they no wat there talking about
hey!!! enyone who has wasted there money on the vapours on the f50i’s are quite frankly stupid. yeah!!! the vapours and f50’s are good boots but does it ever make you wonder what all the hype is about.
everone is trying to use all these new man made materials but the true boot is a typical leather one leather has been around 4 100’s and 100’s of years of course there not as light weight but theres no problem with a slightly heavier boot. leather is comfertable, slick, strong, flexible not to mention they last longer also people pay a hundred odd quid for a pair of boots and you can get leather boots forr 15 quid!!! and they have better results
Mercurial vapors are really really unreliable. I have a pair of mv 4 citron/charcoal and they are ripping in a million different places on both boots. I will never buy another pair of mercurials at that price to last me 6 months. It’s brutal.
F50I ALL THE WAY VAPOURS GIVE U BLSITER THEY SUCK 120 QUID 4 BLISTERS SICKNING. ANYWAY MY F50S HAVE BEEN WORTH EVERY PENNY COMFORTABLE LIGHT AND STRONG.
ANY1 WHO IS LOOKING 2 GET BOOTS GET F5OS
i have the newer vapours aka nike supperfly and the f50i personally i think they are almost the same by quality but the biggest problem with yhe supperflys is that you can only wear them wen the mud is soft but not to soft were as the f50i has choice of studs hard ground firm ground ans soft ground so they are wearable all year round which makes sense but for speed the supperly is better but for touch and control also shooting the f50i merks the supperfly also its so much more comfort
If you want spped then the vapors are for you but if you want controll then the f50i is for you. I like the f50i
F50i all day now in leather. the Nike’s are plastic & look cheap, which they are not.
i have the f50i leather they are amazin but everyone says messi wheres f30s when he doesnt it is f50s with an f30 chassis.
I live in england and i have the f50i’s but beacuse of the changing wether in england i thought buy a boot with interchangable studs. Great. But when ever a put the metal studs in, mud always seems to get through in between the stud and the boot making the chassis get muddy. Is this normal or is it a fault? Please help.
I admit that vapors are great speed boots, I own the F50i Tunits right now and I also own the Vapors right now and i agree that vapors are speed boots, but aren’t too comfortable, F50i’s are great boots and are comfortable and good for touches on the ball, but they do squeek sometimes which sucks, but the vapors are much lighter, i still choose F50i’s over vapors though
I vote f50. I think nike are too obsessed with weight of the vapor and less about quality of the boot. Adidas make reasonably light boots but overall better quality. And by the way the new f50 adizero coming out for the world cup weighs just 165 grams; a whole ounce lighter than the superflys. Now thats a speed boot!!
i have the nike spuerfly black and volt and the new blue ones but i still wear the f50i red and silver on soft ground but my old vapour the lace cover get bursting open but the tunit’s see thru plasitc snaps :S lol but i prefer my copa’s for training in lol i like both boots tho nikes do look remakably like the vapour IV lol
hate the lacecover !! and nike vapor s always makes you get blisters!!