adidas skips the laces with next ACE16+ purecontrol football cleat

adidas skips the laces with next ACE16+ purecontrol football cleat
all images courtesy of adidas

in 2015 adidas stunned the football world by revealing that laceless cleats would be hitting the field in 2016. the laces on the ‘ace 16+ purecontrol’ have been replaced with three key points of stability to lock the foot into the boot. a TPU cage locks over the three stripes to secure the mid foot and is further anchored by a knitted upper and an internal knitted ‘techfit’ locking system. the upper is an evolution of adidas’ ‘primeknit’ technology, combining tight and loose premium knits across the boot for optimum fit. the result is a glove like fit, and the cleanest possible strike using a larger surface area to generate more power and accuracy. 

‘my whole career I have tried to minimize the impact of laces on my strike and ball control,’ describes football player mesut ozil. ‘I revealed to adidas in 2014 that in the changing room I knot the laces over and over again and then tuck in the ends, that way they do not interfere with my touch. when they came to me last year with the laceless boots, it was like they have created my dream product. I cannot wait to wear them on the pitch.’

the result of the design is a glove like fit

the cleat has been rigorously tested at every level, from grassroots leagues in sweden to cutting edge robotics in the adidas laboratory. ‘the ace 16+ purecontrol is already set to become one of our most iconic releases ever,’ explains adidas soccer vice president of design sam hand. ‘we’ve taken away something that has been present in every pair of football boots adidas has released – the laces. the result is a really pure silhouette and a beautiful shape. that shape not only makes it visually stunning, but most importantly gives our players an unparalleled feeling of control.’  

the upper is an evolution of adidas’ ‘primeknit’ technology

‘we worked with some of the best designers in the business to produce a boot that is innovative and game-changing,’ resumes hand. ‘laceless is the future of football and a hallmark of adidas as a brand – leaders in innovation and design. most importantly, it will allow our players to control the game better than ever before.’