Adidas continue to pave the way forward for women’s football, launching the new F50 Sparkfusion crafted specifically to support the performance requirements of female athletes. With a clean aesthetic and even better performance attributes, this boot arrives as the next step in the inevitable growth of the women’s game.
Always forwarding innovation, adidas return with a brand-new launch designed to spark the future of the women’s game. Whether you are on board or not, women’s football is growing and it’s not stopping anytime soon. With the Euros fast approaching, adidas are having their say in the tournament already, providing the best of the best for their athletes this summer. The F50 Sparkfusion is everything female athletes need and have been waiting for in previous years.
Designed using adidas’ biggest ever study into the boot requirements of women in football, this latest drop supports the specific performance needs of the female body in order to unlock the full potential of female ballers. With the speed demands of the modern women’s game, specific female apparel is no longer an option but a requirement, and the Three Stripes are showing their support in the strongest way possible. The adidas Innovation team have used decade’s worth of data from football players of varying levels, alongside detailed feedback and years of testing from elite players to bring the F50 Sparkfusion launch to the market. The likes of Trinity Rodman, Vicky Lopez and the Arsenal Women’s team were all involved during the process, testing each prototype and bringing real-life feedback back to adi HQ.
Trinity Rodman, attacker and adidas athlete, said: “Developing tailored products for the women’s game is a huge win and I have found it so valuable to be a part of the design and research journey with adidas for F50 SPARKFUSION. I love how the boot is built to support quick changes in direction – a trait that is a huge part of my craft – so I can’t wait to get out onto the pitch with them on and for everyone to feel the benefits.”
Linda Caicedo, winger and adidas athlete, said: “Working closely with the adidas team and being a part of the process from the early stages for this boot was a really special experience – it provided a platform for me to share important feedback and ultimately meant I have been able to play a part in creating a better future for all athletes.”
Over the years, match insights have proved that the elite women’s game is increasing in speed and is characterised by change of direction – all the details that were factored into the study as to complete an overview of the unique requirements of the female baller. This analysis helped craft the blueprint for the bespoke creation of the new F50 Sparkfusion. Delving into the adaptations made, adidas have introduced a bespoke Fusionlast fit in the heel, midfoot and forefoot area – acknowledging that female feet typically have a narrower heel, higher arches and more volume around the midfoot area. Therefore, producing increased comfort and quicker change of direction amid the chaos of the game. The introduction of the Fusionsole Sockliner further provides arch support and increased comfort, whilst an updated heel structure and external heel counter maximise lockdown in the rearfoot in order to accommodate to the narrower heel. In short – it's fast, comfy and maximises performance.
One of the highlight features of this boot is the Sprintframe Fusion outsole – a brand-new soleplate crafted to facilitate change of direction and push-off support. The soleplate incorporates semi-conical studs to aid rotation within an adjusted stud configuration based on foot pressure point data. An additional Pivot Stud has been added to the middle of the stud column, whilst an additional fourth stud has been added to the lateral side of the boot to more evenly distribute the pressure load and allow for both natural grass and artificial grass compatibility.
When speaking about the design process of the F50 Sparkfusion with Mahsa Aryan, Category Designer at adidas, she said: "Performance really needs to come from the at the core of good fit. We were inspired by the fact that we want to spark the future of her game by merging the best that we know in terms of of best materials, in terms of the best outsoles, and merge the world of the best of creation with insights and data points that come from a female player. So we scanned the feet of pro players over a 10 year time frame and with those foot scans we basically created what we believe is the average female foot shape."
"As far as the outsole technology though, we noticed from analysing several years of game data that yes, of course upper speed is increasingly important, but at the same time her game is actually evolving and as a result she needs agility, she needs rotation, which is where we created this stud configuration that you see. And actually we did agility centric drills with some of our best athletes and we noted a performance increase in the F50 Spark Fusion versus our unisex offer."
With all the technology out the way, let’s delve into aesthetics. It’s clear adidas put in just as much thought into this as the rest of the boot, cooking up a striking pastel purple colour palette which brings a futuristic and bold visual identity to a performance driven boot. Lavender shades are contradicted with fluorescent lime green accents amongst the upper and soleplate – adding a high energy vibe, perfect for a speed boot. The upper models a jaggered graphic, again feeding into the dynamic look of the boot, whilst the infamous three stripes featured on both the lateral and medial sides fade into a gradient pattern. Pops of vibrancy continue onto the heel, where a bespoke Sparkfusion adidas logo appears. Completing the look is a chrome-finished soleplate, which is further elevated with a hurricane-style design wrapped around the additional Pivot Stud – a signature design element of the new F50.
In recent weeks, I was lucky enough to get a chance to try the F50 Sparkfusion first-hand at the adidas HQ with Pro:Direct Soccer ahead of the official launch. As a woman who has played football since a young age, I was fascinated to finally try a boot which met more requirements to my own foot than a usual unisex pair, and it did not disappoint. During agility drills, small-sided games and shooting practise I maintained ultimate lockdown in the rearfoot. No blisters, no discomfort – which you know can be rare for the first outing of new boots. The extra cushioning of the heel was probably a highlight for me, maximising comfort and allowing full focus to be on the game and performance. The F50 is already known for its lightweight and speed attributes, and this boot is no different. The added Pivot Stuf provided peace of mind for me; after previously experiencing an ACL injury myself I felt comfortable in change of direction without any problems. Adidas have ticked all the boxes with this one, leading the way forward into the future of ‘Her Game’.
Available now at prodirectsport.com/soccer
