Having your own banded boots doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re an absolute world-beater in the footballing world. No disrespect to the Portuguese defender, but Pepe has personalised boots… Pepe. In Lionel Messi’s case though, he is more than worth a personalised edition of the Adidas Nemeziz boots.
So after a stupid amount of goals, trophies and awards (we would list exact figures and accolades but we don’t want the word count to surpass the 10,000 mark), it is about time we reviewed the latest boots in his personalised collection.
Are Adidas’ Nemeziz Messi 18.1 football boots worth buying?
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Look – 9/10
Adidas Nemeziz Messi 18.1 football boots – side view
We love the look of these. The Adidas Nemeziz boots are clearly targeted at attackers and therefore it was crucial that the German producers designed them with a bit of ‘swaz.’ Damn right have they succeeded. An obvious comparison to these is with their older brother the Adidas Ace Purecontrols.
The two are the spitting image with the same green exteriors with the black stripes. One difference is the Messi print on the back side of the Nemeziz boots, but apart from that, they are two very good looking peas from the same pod.
We just felt that the light green colour was a couple of shades away from being a repulsive vomit colour, which is why we didn’t give these a five for looks. Were they to be in the regular orange colour that the standard Nemeziz boots come in it would be a much different story.
Style – 8/10
Adidas Nemeziz Messi 18.1 football boots – top view
The Nemeziz Messi 18.1s have style in abundance. Gone are the days where boots had regular collars. These have not gone down the popular path of having the ankle sock attached to the collar, but have instead got a right angle-shaped collar that still offers protection but with just a bit more subtlety.
As well as not following the crowd with the ankle collar, the Nemeziz boots have also ‘gone laceless,’ because nobody has time to tie laces anymore.
The interwoven pattern on the boot’s exterior shoots off in all different angles, much like the Argentinian himself. Is this to mimic his chaotic and unpredictable style of play or to simply add a bit of waviness to the boots? Either way it makes you want to grab a pair and kick a ball about even more.
Features – 7/10
Adidas Nemeziz Messi 18.1 football boots – bottom view
Here is where we feel the boot gets let down a bit. In terms of features, Adidas have put much emphasis on the fact that this boot offers good protection as well as comprehensive support to the foot. It does this through the Agility Bandage exterior. This is a truly unique construction that tapes over the foot. Adidas have been keen to note that players can still expect complete flexibility despite the added stability. From its attributes though, it seems like these Nemeziz boots should be more tailored towards defenders or more robust players.
This misconception that the boots are tailored towards defenders is only enhanced by the dual lock collar that provides additional ankle support. We are not knocking the Nemeziz Messis validity, it just seems like they should contain features more suited to enhancing dribbling, shooting or first touch as opposed to primarily marketing them as an attacker’s boot – that’s primary features would simply benefit defenders more.
Not content with just naming the boot after the great Barca man, Adidas have named the outsole the Messi Gambetrax 2.0, said to be in the shape of Messi’s footprint. The stud configuration is also something to note, with a variation in the type and size (two small circular studs at each end with seven longer, blade-like studs around the middle). This positively impacts upon agility and gives that extra bit of stability that could be crucial when going on mazey runs and quickly changing direction.
Value for money – 9/10
Like any brand, you stick a big name on something and it sells for ten times more than any non-branded product. In footballing terms, Messi’s name is just about the biggest brand you can get, and yet you can get the Messi editions for the same price as the standard ones.
Considering, though, what else is on the market, its revolutionary style for an attacker’s football boot and of course the cool homages to perhaps the best player on the planet (perhaps), these Adidas Nemeziz boots are far from extortionate.
Pro advocates – 8/10
Saying Messi is an advocate of his own boots is a bit like saying Richard Branson flies on Virgin planes when he goes abroad, so we won’t insult your intelligence.
Other players who wear the standard versions of the Adidas Nemeziz 18.1 boots are one of England’s World Cup prodigies Jesse Lingard, should-have-been Germany’s World Cup star Timo Werner and a man whose teeth are brighter than my future, Roberto Firmino.
Final verdict on the Adidas Nemeziz Messi 18.1 football boots
These Nemeziz 18.1 Messi boots have clearly be made with agility and comfort in mind. If you are a tricky winger like the man himself, lesser boots can often succumb to the constant change of direction and lead to blistering. That threat is nullified with these.
Adidas have got the look on point. This is very important as if you’re creating a boot for a player that is one of the most stylish in the game, you just have to create a good-looking boot that reflects this. They have resisted the temptation to give these personalised Nemeziz boots Argentinian-themed colour which I admire. When personalising a boot for a specific player, it does look cool to drape them in the colours of their nationality, but Adidas have stuck to their guns.
They have made an exceptional boot that is not tailored towards attackers in the traditional sense, but are well worth a purchase if you do want to take parts of your game that you never really think of up a level or two.
Click here to check the current low price on Amazon.co.uk