adidas is resurrecting its legendary F50 range to celebrate the boot’s 20th anniversary. Like the German sportswear brand’s Predator range, the F50 has played an instrumental role in some of football’s most cherished memories over the past two decades — from Lionel Messi’s “boot kiss” celebration against Manchester United in the 2009 Champions League final to Melanie Leupolz’s reign of dominance in FC Bayern Women’s 2014/15 campaign.
Fast Reborn, as the campaign has been named, reintroduces an earlier F50 Messi donned during the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. The latest iteration of the boot stays faithful to the original purple upper of the ‘Chameleon’ pack, but crafted with lucid lemon and white detailing in an aerodynamic silhouette that reflects the speed that modern players, such as Rafael Leão, Son Heung-min and Trinity Rodman use to inflict fear into their opponents.
“The F50 is a defining boot for so many across the last two decades, and with nine years on ice, the time is right to reintroduce its game-defining speed. With modern-day football so dominated by tactics, statistics, and often rigid tactical structures – sometimes out-and-out speed is the only way of breaking the game,” said adidas’ SVP of Product and Design, Sam Handy, in a statement.
“The design of ‘Fast Reborn’ acknowledges F50’s place in football culture, and the respect it commands, while giving a glimpse into the future potential of the franchise. We’re excited to share more in the coming months as we enter a new F50 era and show our fans what is under the hood,” Handy added.
The Elite Laced ($293 USD) and Laceless ($282 USD) boots are available to purchase online and at select retailers.
