Chelsea new boy Timo Werner has been put through his paces this week at Cobham, and at the same time the German International’s been putting the latest generation of X through its paces, as adidas gear up for an imminent release.

The X has been due an upgrade for a while now, but while the global pandemic may have messed up adidas’s schedule a bit on that front, we finally appear to be edging nearer to an official launch, something that was further hinted at by the absence of the silo in the new ‘Dark Motion’ pack. And while we’ve seen the typical blackout prototype on the feet of numerous pros including the likes of Gabriel Jesus and Mickael Cuisance over the last few months, several have now been spotted in what must be the launch colourway for the new X, and Timo Werner has given us our best look yet.

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Timo Werner has made the switch from RB Leipzig to Chelsea this summer, and in his first training session at Cobham he not only showed off his ability, but also the new X. The new launch look goes the complete opposite to the blackout prototypes, taking on a clean white base look. The Three Stripes appear on the outstep in a fading gold tinge, giving off an almost spectral feel to the boots. A reverse adidas logo appears the tongue area, harking back to old F50s as well as the later 99 gram boots released by the brand, possibly included as an homage to the X’s roots. 

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From a tech perspective, the boots look to have had a fairly hefty overhaul. There appears to be a new, reworked soleplate on the underside, while on the upper there looks to be a new stretch material through the tongue area, likely to improve fit and lockdown. The word ‘MIRAGESKIN’ appears down the medial side of the boot, suggesting that the upper has been reworked further than just in the collar/tongue area, and this will lend to the sleek, speed-inspired silhouette of the boot, while you can be sure that it will also improve ball feel and control.

With the appearance of new colourways of all of adidas’s prime players spotted on the feet of the pros this week, it’s probably not far from the mark to imagine that this next-gen X will launch as the headliner of a new pack in the not too distant future. 

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Watch this space…