After making a debut on full display during the 2018 World Cup in Russia we’re slipping on the next generation Nemeziz 18+ to see where adidas have taken the silo. Another laceless boot. We seriously need to start thinking about re-naming this series…
The Nemeziz landed on the scene as one of the most intriguing releases that we’ve seen from adidas for some time. A mishmash of medical bandages wrapped around Primeknit and a collar that looked like nothing we had seen before… it split opinion. Now, we get the second iteration of the Nemeziz, with a revamped collar, a few tweaks to the upper, and perhaps more of an idea on what purpose it serves on the market.
First impressions
The Nemeziz is loud and isn’t shy about being one of the most unique boots on the market. The back and forth arrow design will be fun to see moving forward, and the two tone colour combo is strong. However, until you hit the heel and forefoot, we could totally believe that this was just a colour update of the 2017 Nemeziz. At a glance, not much has changed.
The medial section of the boot is still covered in the stretch Agility Bandages, but now adidas has heightened the collar and stepped away from the bumpy AgilityKnit on the forefoot to the smoother feel of AgilityWeave. The most noticeable difference is the Dual Lock collar that, while it starts of with the deep v-shaped cut of the original Nemeziz, now has a raised portion on the instep side of the boot.
On feet
One of the impressive aspects of all of the adidas laceless boots is that, despite needing a boot tailored to a perfect fit without laces, they’ve been able to consistently deliver comfort. The Nemeziz 18+ is no different.
The comfort for the Nemeziz 18+ is taken straight from the soft nature of the materials used to craft the boot. The Agility Bandages that make up most of the upper are incredibly soft, and they couple together with a comfortable padding for an immediate harnessed feel when you slip them on.
The area under the tongue is a stretchy material that helps the boot keep its shape and allows you to get your foot into the boot, but it’s still soft. Every other part of the boot is lined with an incredibly plush liner… very similar to what we’ve seen adidas use on the original X PureSpeed and the first Nemeziz (albeit, a bit thicker this time around). Add in a soft liner in the heel, and you’ve got a boot that’s ready for takeoff as soon as you take it out of the box.
Somehow, the Nemeziz 18+ is able to provide an immediate fit and a comfort that most boots don’t possess until they’ve been broken in for quite some time. The best part is that the forefoot of the boot will only soften up as the outer synthetic softens. Out of all of the adidas boots on the market (that aren’t made of kangaroo leather), the Nemeziz currently sets the bar for comfort… whether you’re looking for boots with laces or boots without.
The original Nemeziz was an impressive marvel that caught us off guard with an intriguing concept. The idea of wrapping bandages made sense, but the execution spelled it out. However, we would have loved a better construction around the connection of the bandage strips and some better lockdown…
So, is the new generation Nemeziz an upgrade?
The beauty of the Nemeziz has always been time on the ball. While the forefoot is a little bit stiff on the ball at first, it softens up, factors in with the padding and Agility Bandages to provide an incredible feel on the ball. Something that adidas has done with their laceless boots is found a way to give an incredibly soft touch with materials that, in order to keep your foot in place without laces, should be rigid and thick.
The Nemeziz 18+ continues that, and it shows while you’re running at pace or trying to skip between defenders. The ball never feels dampened against your foot, and there’s always a great feel on the ball. Don’t come swimming in the Nemeziz waters if you’re looking for an extremely thin and barefoot feel. The AgilityWeave on the forefoot and the Agility Bandages on both sides flow seamlessly in terms of feel, and while the Agilityweave is a bit thicker than the PrimeKnit used on the last Nemeziz, it’s so small of a change that it doesn’t make the feel on the ball any less impressive.
The area where the tongue would sit on a typical boot feels fantastic when you strike through a shot or cross-field ball. Despite the nice bit of padding that’s present throughout the boot, you still get the nice warm sensation that every player craves when they put their foot through a proper strike. You’re going to feel this whenever you receive a pass, make a pass, or address the ball in any way across the entirety of the boot.
One of the biggest issues that all of the laceless adidas boots face is lockdown. Being secure when you plant and attempt to make quick turns, which always feels like something that a boot without laces can’t achieve. The newest Nemeziz faces the same struggle, and, while it’s the best attempt we’ve seen at solving this issue from adidas, it still doesn’t give the amount of response and lockdown you get from a well-laced boot.
Perhaps there will be a moment when we finally see a laceless boot that can truly compete against laced options in this regard, but only the X 18+ has come close to this so far. Don’t expect to come out of your boot when executing a quick pivot or rolling your ankle every time that you cut, but there’s still a bit of ever-so-slight movement that keeps the Nemeziz 18+ from being perfect.
What’s happening underfoot?
The stud pattern and build under the Nemeziz remains unchanged from the last model. Crescent shaped studs help allow you to cut into the ground quickly and push off without feeling stuck down in the muck. While adidas aren’t formally calling this an AG/FG set-up, the length and shape of the studs left us enjoying the traction whether we were playing on firm ground pitches or delving into a surface that was of a high standard of artificial.
Verdict
To be totally honest, there isn’t much difference between the Nemeziz 18 and Nemeziz 17. There still isn’t a perfect solution for ultimate lockdown on the Nemeziz when you’ve tossed the laces to the side. The collar is also going to divide opinion, but we rather enjoyed the unique feel that this boot provides. We’re not giving our pair away anytime soon, but we’d be lying if we didn’t say that this boot still has a bit of room to improve before perfection.
There’s also still a bit of confusion around who this boot suits. We’d answer that by saying it’s a more comfortable, more agile alternative to the X series. Still fast, but with a leather interior rather than the racing seats. The upper does provide a better feel on the ball than the previous generation, the boot has improved its lockdown, but they’re all minor upgrades that are barely noticeable. Still, improvement sip progression.
Pick up the adidas Nemeziz 18+ football boots from prodirectsoccer.com
