Are Speed Boots Fading or Growing Stronger?

In the second SR Podcast, we started to discuss the death of the speed boot and whether one of the most popular types of boots in the world is starting to falter. There are some that think the boot is still going strong, but there are just as many that believe that the speed boot is slowly dying. Where do you fall on this boot debate?

With the sea of concerns that the boot world has started to heap on the next generation of the F50 adiZero, it leaves the Speed Boot silo open to debate. The Mercurial Vapor VIII has been massively successful, and has even been one of those boot releases that seems to have “stolen” many players from other boots. The F50 changed the game by starting a lightweight race that has seen nearly every major boot shedding every excess ounce that they can, and it started a boot that has been so successful for Adidas that they have changed very little from generation to generation of the adiZero.

The current climate in the boot-world has become massively competitive. It has seen experienced boot buyers start becoming massively educated and making extremely educated decisions when buying their next pair of match-day boots. This has caused many to turn away from the ultra-lightweight boots and seek boots that, although not “heavy,” are superior in comfort. Players and fans alike have mostly decided that one/two ounces is not going to make any difference in your speed on the pitch, and we have all started looking for boots that boot that provide something else for our game instead of a non-existent speed boost.

The flip-side is a group in the market that will buy whatever Messi/Ronaldo is wearing on game-day. Although they are typically younger buyers, there are also massive loyalists that only want to purchase a boot that they see on their favorite players when they turn on the TV. This group has helped the speed boot stay as a very popular boot and they will not be swayed by negative reviews or bad designs as long as their hero keeps wearing them on the pitch. No matter if Adidas keeps from changing the F50 for years and years and years, they will still buy the “updated” version.

In the podcast we dug down to the root of what we want to occur (or, continue occurring) in the Speed Boot market. We want updates- we want new- we want progress. The reason the Vapor VIII has been so successful is because it captured the imagination of the world. It was a huge change from the previous Vapor and it presented us with a boot that, despite durability issues, we were all curious to try. We wanted to feel the “peach-fuzz” and we wanted to see what the stud configuration did…and we remained as interested despite the boot changing upper multiple times. We can only hope that the upcoming Vapor IX continues to impress in the way that the VIII did.

Also look at what Puma has done with EvoSpeed. A new soleplate, a new upper, and the only remaining “big brand” that still caters to our love of Kangaroo Leather. Once again, a boot that has received an update that the world has seen as a positive move. A move that seems to have been made with massive consideration given to the input that fans and boot reviewers alike imparted when they talked about Puma’s V-series. We hated the weird fit, we did not like the “lace-cover” (if you can call it that), we even pointed out the lack of professional player uptake. So, Puma signed big names (Aguero, Toure…), they made it fit like a NORMAL boot, and they removed any semblance of a lace-cover. Now, the EvoSpeed stands as a serious option to anyone shopping for a new pair of boots.

We also saw a brand create something new in the speed boot market that has also intrigued its way into the fray. Pele-Sports introduced the Trinity and showed that, even if you have not produced a speed boot before, if you give the world something new and innovative, we will try it. A brand-new upper, a crazy looking stud configuration, and a new Kangaroo Leather option that has seen Pele Sports becoming a massive favorite among boot enthusiasts. The most impressive part may be that the Trinity has garnered this respect with relatively little player uptake (although, having Pele himself as a spokesperson almost negates that negative). If brands, and even new brands, produce something that slips into our imagination, it is almost guaranteed to be successful.

The speed boot will probably never die. We may complain about it or hate on it, but it has taken the type of hold that causes most of the SR staff to think that it would take something truly insane to kill the speed boot. However, with the boot market seeming to become less and less tolerable of mediocrity (look at the 11Pro), all companies should be on high-alert that no-change or small-changes is flirting with disaster. We all hope that companies continue to test the boundaries of what these boots are capable of and step away from making a boot simply because they want to make a new generation so that they will sell a few more pairs.

Where do you think the Speed Boot is heading? Have you fallen in love with a speed boot? Out of love with a speed boot? Should boot companies stick with a proven formula, or take risks in the effort to provide us with something new? Leave your comments in the section below.