HOW the new adidas F50 Hyperfast was made (proper nerd talk)

Added: 2026-05-09

[00:00:26]But the thing is, Jack, that this is not just, you know, a refreshed F50 Elite like a facelift one. You built this from the ground up, right? Talk to me about how that process started and how you ended up with the F50 Hyperfast Elite, the laceless one, but also the Evo.

[00:00:42]>> It's been quite a journey to be honest.

[00:00:44]We even started this effectively then prior to relaunching the first F50 that came out in 24. Right. So, it's something we've really believed in for a long time. That length of time allowed us to build in pro player insights, consumer insights, etc., and really bake something that was really really well thought through.

[00:01:02]>> And and that's the thing that you might have three products, they're all called Hyperfast, but they're very different when you actually pick them up, you look at it, and especially, of course, you might have seen that in the reviews, especially on feet. They feel like, yes, they have some of the same DNA, but they feel very, very different.

[00:01:18]>> One thing that really happened over the course of the process, we didn't start off with the idea of doing three boots.

[00:01:23]We started off with the idea of making the best boot for the pro alete. And what came out of that process was three boots. And the last one to fall was this baby here, the Evo. So that kind of came off the back of this and said, "Hey, we've built something that's even beyond what we believed was capable, you know, to build something that's so highly durable and so high performance. It's such a lightweight. We have a tooling that's been stripped down even further in terms of weight. You see it in very soft, supple differences between the shoes when you would have them in hand.

[00:01:52]Obviously hard sometimes for people to notice, but the rounded edges, the slightly smaller heel counter, the studs, everything has been to strip down that tiny final element of weight on the tooling.

[00:02:04]>> Yeah. And I think if you take one of the prototype tooling, you really see how it's just it's super minimal. It's see-through and it's just like it still has the snap to it, which is it's it's wild to think that obviously the tooling makes up a lot of the boot's weight, right? So to shave off so much weight and and still have it perform like uh you would expect an elite boot to perform is is really interesting to see.

[00:02:27]How do you go about yeah like thinking okay let's make it lighter. Let's make it more extreme but avoid falling into the hyper light 99 g boot trap of having something that yeah is light. It ticks off that box but it it doesn't really feel and perform like an elite boot.

[00:02:45]>> Too compromised boot, right? making a boot that yeah, from an innovation point of view, we've done it. We've ticked that box, but the it compromised too much that ultimately we didn't commercialize that in a big way, right?

[00:02:57]>> Because we've seen boots like that before, 99 grand boot, other boots that have gone ridiculously lightweight, but they just didn't work. It was cool story, but that was about it, right? How do you find that the balance?

[00:03:06]>> Yeah. And as you say, there was one missing element, which is we want to make things that people can wear, people can enjoy and experience. And the beautiful thing about this is this is a boot that's available in so many sizes that everyone can experience. We also wanted to look at what's the right level of midfoot stiffness. So part of this three four year exercise that we did was what's the optimal midfoot stiffness that we wanted to deliver on a high performance speed tooling and we did a lot of exercise on this as well as on the traction plate. So overall we optimized it for exactly the level of tuned stiffness we wanted in the midfoot. And I think what you'll experience across the entirety of the franchise is still a very good mid midfoot stiffness, right? We wanted to make sure we didn't compromise that, but still then having the right level of softness and snappiness, right? And that's a very hard combination to find.

[00:03:54]Um, that makes it still feel like an F50, still very fast, still very responsive, but you also have that barefoot feeling that everyone is looking for, right? In comfort and fit.

[00:04:04]you when you have that hyper responsive, you don't get that ultimate level of comfort. And that was really important for us on this F50 that when pro players are stepping into it the first time, they're like, damn, I want to wear that.

[00:04:16]And you're seeing that even today when we're recording this interview, there are pro players currently on the field wearing boots that are triple white that we're kind of hiding because they just want to wear it and we can't stop them.

[00:04:28]>> I experienced the same thing when when testing them for the review is that they were plugandplay and they felt great.

[00:04:34]And another one of the reasons that they feel great is the upper uh both on the regular 50 Elite but also on the Evo where you you you somehow manage to get the feeling of having a very very thin upper. It feels razor sharp on the ball, but there's still something a little more there. It's not just like paper thin. There's a bit of structure. It's not the most locked in thing in the world. Okay, that's on on the regular F50, but there's a little bit of there's a bit more body to it. So it's actually still also comfortable and secureish to wear. How did you go about that?

[00:05:05]>> So with the Evo and the Elite, this is where really under the hood we start to get the technological differences, right? There are some in the tooling.

[00:05:11]There's also a lot in the upper. So there is a new foam that we've developed that then is act as a lining behind this very translucent mesh that you see here.

[00:05:19]And then that as a combination has allowed us to create this experience where it's not like those previous lightweight boots you've had from before. There is some softness and structure to it. When you press it in and you do all your close-ups, you really see that coming in, right? That's something that when you first get told how light this product is, you're like, okay, cannot have this softness coming into it. But in the zones where we want it and where we want to engineer that, we have exactly that experience coming from this really, really innovative foam that we've created. So the foam is the reason that it has that little bit of you know hint of softness to it as well because that that's just it's not just a thin liner.

[00:05:56]>> Correct.

[00:05:57]>> There is a little bit of >> gives a proper strap and that that foam then we've gone through various different iterations of that and this product here shows you where that is and where you see all that experience especially then here this skeleton cage.

[00:06:09]So that's where it's really deconstructed to the max, right? Or to the min in the case deconstructed, right? Um to really give it where you want it. So you have a little bit here in the tongue, but then you have a lot coming around through the vamp, through the eye stay because it also acts as a reinforcement layer. And you see some of these like very very small reinforcement details are in there. That's really to make sure that whilst it's incredibly thin, it still has the durability and goes through all the standards that we want to test by.

[00:06:37]Was a specific weight ever the target?

[00:06:40]So, did you always work towards 125 g and and did your best to get there and and you know turn corners and all that stuff to to go there or was it just what you ended up on making it as light as possible while still functional?

[00:06:53]>> It's a great question. Um, we really approached it more from the idea of wanting to go as light as possible and the ultimate outcome of the moonshot was always grounded in the fact that it needs to go on pitch. needs to be pro player centric and it needs to be something that everyone can buy and it never turned into some limited run almost no one can have it and you know it's eye candy but not for the feet.

[00:07:14]>> Yeah. So rather rather you know 10 20 g more >> but actually make it functional.

[00:07:20]>> Correct.

[00:07:20]>> Not everything is possible. You must have encountered some if not a lot of challenges on maybe especially the Evo.

[00:07:28]What were some of the biggest speed bumps that that you encountered that you had to like solve? The biggest one that comes to mind is for certain durability.

[00:07:36]Oh yeah. Right. When you're going and you're stripping things down really to the max. Yeah.

[00:07:41]>> The aspect of durability of course becomes the first thing that you're stressing in your testing. It was definitely quite a journey and you know tens of iterations of boots went into this to get that right level of reinforcement. You see it here, right?

[00:07:55]There's there's clear reasons why all of these little details are there on the product. when you have these little lines here, the reinforcement, the details there. That's iterations and iterations worth of development. Um, and durability was for sure one of the very important factors we wanted to bring.

[00:08:12]>> Yeah.

[00:08:12]>> On this.

[00:08:13]>> That that makes sense. So, it actually lasts and is made to be played with.

[00:08:16]>> It's made to work.

[00:08:17]>> It's made to work for more than 10 matches. Going to cut that out.

[00:08:20]>> You don't have to.

[00:08:22]>> We don't have a sticker on this boot.

[00:08:23]>> Oh, that's good. That's good. But anyways, that's that's the evil, which is kind of like the wow boot. But but I'll also be honest, you know, I saw this boot first and my wow reaction came here because yeah, the F50 Elite from 24 and 25 was a solid boot. There there wasn't much wrong with it, but it also felt like it didn't really hit the heights wow factor- wise for me that we got from the 2014 F50, which for me is still like the north star. And then I tried this and that was actually really interesting which I think was the first time since 2014 where I had like this complete feeling of of stepping in. It's light, it's comfortable. The heel is amazing. The plate is responsive and it's sleek, streamlined. It gives you, you know, it it encapsulates everything that I want a speed boot to be. Plus, it just feels absolutely wonderful on foot.

[00:09:17]Talk to me about that because yeah, this is like the crazy, wild, outrageous, I want to try something, you know, extra version of the F50 league, but I should say most players will go into this.

[00:09:29]>> That's kind of what I want to hear about.

[00:09:30]>> You've given the best advocacy for it already. Maybe I don't need to go into it.

[00:09:34]>> Just buy it. Buy your news. See you later.

[00:09:36]>> Job done.

[00:09:37]>> Yeah.

[00:09:37]>> So, yeah. I mean, there's there's so much that's gone into it. I mean, how we went about it. I mean, one thing that's really important is we really wanted to make sure that even though we're building a speed boot, that that vamp experience and that overall soft suppleness that you get out of it is not a compromise.

[00:09:53]>> And it's something that obviously on the Evo, it's stripped back. It's super lightweight, but then when we get to the Elite, it's really supposed to be something that's your your evergreen.

[00:10:02]You can always be in it. You always feel comfortable, and it's something you really can know and trust permanently.

[00:10:07]And that's exactly what this material delivers, the halo skin material that's there, right? And you have it all the way through the ramp also coming from the ice day. So you have a really uniform soft supple experience. It's then reinforced and supported with the sprint web technology that we've brought in very iconic to the F50 franchise. Uh and then we come back into where we really made sure we stripped out the weight. And what's been really important is this translucent cage that you see in the quarter. That's really something where it's minimalistic. It's lightweight and it's been through various iterations to get there. You know, we've gone through various versions. This is one of the earlier prototypes. Particularly here on the medial side, it highlights the structure that the cage brings. So, whilst the material in the quarter is very lightweight and replicates what you see on the Evo, you then have this cage that's also on the Evo, but you then have this cage here on the Elite that then gives you that midfoot stability and structure that you would otherwise be missing. that which kind of means that to you guys out there, if you don't know, when you pull the laces tight, basically you wrap that cage around your foot. It's a it's a slightly more structured material. So, it gives you basically the support you need to to prevent your foot from sliding too much side to side and also back and forth within the boot. So, it kind of just, you know, gently squeezes your foot down onto the plate, right? So, you can save some weight there, but still get the lock down that that you need. Tell me a little bit more about the upper here, the Halo skin. It's one of those things that yeah, cool, weight, responsiveness, all that stuff, but if the boot isn't comfortable, especially right out of the box, then why why should we wear it?

[00:11:42]There's tons of other good options out there, right? How did you pull this off?

[00:11:45]You know, getting it so soft, have that perfect amount of thickness and like slightly it's not foamy, but it just has that little bit of softness. One thing that we set out to do at the beginning is say, how can we make the best one we've ever done? We found the combination of what's the right softness, but also what's the right lightweight aspect that we wanted to bring. Right. Of course, you can find stuff that's incredibly soft, but also then brings a bit too much weight. So, we found really this perfect combination of it's one of the best softnesses we've ever brought, but in a really lightweight package.

[00:12:14]>> There's also another thing you actually brought with you from from the previous generation is the it's called something else, but you have the halo belt on the inside. This kind of tongue that wraps around your foot. Uh I I always thought of it as a seat belt, you know. Why did you take that particular feature with you? I think one of the only features from the previous generation, right?

[00:12:34]>> So Halo belt of course was born out of some insights that we had from F50 and wanting to deliver that really that seat belt lock down like mentality. I think that's a great segue into the overall closure type conversation that we've brought into the franchise. Right. When you talk about our real focus on the lace model within the Elite, we have this halo baked belt technology that has like tunnel tongue that runs down into the sock liner and into the into the tooling that when you put it on, you lace it up. Not only are your laces delivering you lock down, but the tongue is also delivering you that kind of like Zach, you know, together feeling that really feels like you're at one with the product. That's then something different to whether what we've delivered on the EVO which is this really lightweight stripped down normal youth rope construction to really remove that weight as much as possible. And then even when we move on to the technology here what we have with lasers which is now we see a growing and growing choice from pro players and consumers. You have something for everyone and a real reason to to be convinced into F50.

[00:13:35]>> Mhm. One thing I had been really hoping you would change from the previous F50 was the heel. And yes, the heel constructions are different from the Elite to the Evo, but they have a similar vibe of actually pinching the part around the Achilles very, very well and being incredibly comfortable at the same time. And you look at it and it doesn't it doesn't look like, you know, the classic stitch and turn. I'm a big fan of that, but this actually delivers a very similar feeling to that. talk to me about the the the conversations the the thoughts you had on the heel and why you ended up doing this.

[00:14:08]>> Yes, the heel as as you highlight is actually something very consistent through the products. You know, one thing that we see again through working with a lot of our pro players, it's the most different part of the product and you've worked enough in the industry now that it's the most different part of uh a human anatomy when we talk about the foot. And so it's really important for us to say how how can we optimize the heel to make it work for everyone and how can it be that more universal experience. It's not something to polarize on.

[00:14:37]>> We have made a much more uniform heel package when you consider there's less poding. It does still have that wrap and structure within the last that we've created F50. And it sounds super simple like just look at a foot shape build the last around that have the foam pots where you need it to pinch and you know in the story right but as you say not two heels are the same.

[00:14:58]>> So so to have that and and obviously I like it and hopefully a lot of other players like it right but but it's just it's good to see that instead of the rather flat heel construction that you had on the previous F50 Elite this feels a lot more sculpted and you know built for a heel >> rather than just you know being there.

[00:15:13]Okay, let's not make it squeeze your foot being uncomfortable.

[00:15:16]>> Good, good to hear that you like it. I mean, it's really important that as we build through, we see what about previous generations do we want to evolve and move on? And it's not just that, you know, heel foam padding that we've done, as you mentioned, even the suede lining that we have there on the edge. It's soft. We went through versions where it's, you know, too stiff and there various versions of thicknesses that you can imagine. So, we really optimize this. Now, Jack, one one last thing I want to touch on uh techwise at least is the new outsole, the speed system, right?

[00:15:46]>> Which has seen a big change from the previous 50 Elite, which and you know, if you've seen my videos, I've let's just be honest, I've been complaining about it. For me, it wasn't responsive enough. I thought it was a little bit too mellow. I wanted it to be fast. I wanted to feel responsive, dig in, cl you know, all that stuff. 2014 F50 was a great example because it had the balance of traction in in every direction without being too much. Now we're back.

[00:16:12]It's a different configuration in the back in 2014, but it still has, you know, big bladed studs, few edges on there. Talk to me about that because I can imagine there's gone a lot of, you know, tech data analysis into these.

[00:16:25]>> Absolutely. It was a very very clear intent from the very beginning that we wanted to bring a more aggressive higher traction stud pattern overall and that aspect is something that we're very confident we've delivered here. We've worked with our innovation team. We've worked also with traction analysis both through using data but also real world examples of this to make sure that not only does it work in a lab but it also works on pitch. What has been like the thing where if you and I we sat down after this, we just talk and you would tell me, Jay, oh my god, this was like the maybe not exactly the answer you're expecting or looking for, but um you can only launch three or four of these colors that we've done.

[00:17:07]>> So your your answer is that you're you're too good.

[00:17:10]>> Maybe maybe that's like the bad way of answering, right? like proper headache.

[00:17:14]But you know that that is exactly that is a headache because in the end you as we go through the process we're showing partners you know pro aletes etc. what journey we're going on. You ultimately have to make a choice and you disappoint people during that process you know you upset people you frustrate people but we have to make those choices of you know this is what we believe in and this is how we want to launch the franchise. The one that creates the most sleepless nights. to answer your question would be you can only launch six or seven of those colors a year.

[00:17:45]>> What are you most proud of? One thing and no no marketing shoe.

[00:17:49]>> Yeah. And I don't want the marketing answer. I want the what are you Jack and the team most proud of on this one.

[00:17:55]>> There are some unbelievable takedown shoes as well that we've built, right?

[00:17:58]And I'm sure you will go into that or have gone into that and that is something that we are really looking to change the industry on that topic and give compelling products at price points that people believed prior weren't imaginable. So when you start to see what we're building there, there's of course great reasons to buy the best shoes, but there's also great reasons to buy some of the other range. And we've shown the love, care, and attention that often get shown to the elite products to the entire collection. And we could talk for absolute hours on that.

[00:18:29]>> Yeah.

[00:18:29]>> Yeah.

[00:18:30]>> We might just do that. And that's maybe a great way to end, guys. Do you actually want us to also dive deeper into the takedowns now that they're getting better and better? I I know. I would love to hear that. I love, you know, democratizing all the good stuff that goes into this and also letting it trickle down. Um getting getting people who can't pay or won't pay. Let's say it's it's a high price for the elite boots. It is what it is. but also let let them in on the party, right? Let us know in the comment section right down below. Of course, if you have any questions, any comments, leave them right down there. I know we've talked for ages, but if you're still with us, thank you so much. Thank you, Jack, as always for pleasure taking the time. And uh and of course, if you just want to try the boots, hit the link to Newport right over there by Jack's face. If you haven't subscribed to the channel with the notifications on yet, go and do that. And with those words, we'll be signing off. material.