In-Depth Analysis | Next-Gen Adidas Messi 2016 Boots
Sep 22, 2015, by Chris
As things came extremely thick and fast yesterday, we decided to take a closer look at the next-generation Adidas Messi 2016 Soccer Cleats, worn by Messi in yesterday's training session. We'll analyze each part of the all-new Adidas Messi 16.1 Prototype Boots individually.
The next-generation Adidas Messi 2016 Boots introduce a never-seen-before design for football boots with almost no tongue and extremely short laces creating a futuristic look. So let's get into the details of the Adidas Messi 16.1 Prototype Boots.
Next-Gen Adidas Messi 16.1 Boots - Upper, Sock-Like Collar + Laces, Sole Plate, Name, Price, Release Date
Close-up picture of the next-generation Adidas Messi 2016 Boots.
Upper: The upper of the blackout Adidas Messi 16.1 Prototype Boots is made from a single piece of a ultra-thin synthetic material. The one-piece synthetic material is expected to be extremely soft, light and flexible.
The forefoot area of the second generation Adidas Messi Cleats features a honeycomb upper structure, which is almost identical to the Adidas Messi 15.1 boots. Made for better ball control in the touch area, it all indicates that Adidas keeps this feature of the first generation.
Techfit collar / Tongue? / Laces: The sock-like design of the Adidas Messi 2016 Prototype Boots is made for a perfect fit with no distractions. In fact, the collar used for the Adidas Messi 2016 Prototype Soccer Boots is almost identical to the collar of the leaked next-gen Adidas X 2016 Prototype Boots.
Adidas combines the collar without a traditional tongue but with extremely short laces. The all-new design creates an extremely big kicking surface without any disruptive elements. It's the first-ever football boot to feature such short laces, even though there already were boots without laces in the past.
It's actually wrong to distinguish between the upper and the sock-like collar as both parts of the boots flow seamlessly into each other. It's engineered together to be the perfect hybrid design.
Sole Plate: The Adidas Messi 2016 Boots feature no external heel counter, while there are is no information about the stud configuration or the material of the sole plate yet.
Name: It's very likely that the second generation of the Adidas Messi Boots will be called Adidas Messi 16.1, similar to the Adidas Ace 16.1 and Adidas X 16.1 Boots.
Price: Featuring a revolutionary design, the Adidas Messi 16.1 Soccer Boots will will more expensive than the Adidas Messi 15.1 Boots. We expect that the Adidas Messi 16.1 Boots retail at approximately 220 Euro (220 USD, 180 GBP).
Release Date: The Adidas Messi 16.1 Boots won't be released before June 2016. It's likely that Adidas will launch the second generation of the Adidas Messi Cleats in Summer 2016, while a later release date would be anything but expected.
Any questions left? Let us know in the comments below, and feel free to post suggestions or further info.
Al Sadd SC 26-27 Away Kit Released
Al Sadd SC and New Balance have officially unveiled the club's new away kit for the 2026-27 season. Following the launch of their traditional white home strip earlier this month, the Qatari powerhouse turns to a black and gold look for their away matches in domestic and continental competitions.
The New Balance Al Sadd 26-27 away shirt combines a black base with striking diagonal and curved gold linework across the front. The metallic gold treatment extends to the New Balance logo, the Qatar Airways front-of-shirt sponsor, and the monochrome club crest topped by two stars. As a bespoke detail, a golden wolf motif is placed on the upper back below the collar.
Black shorts and black socks complete the full New Balance Al Sadd 2026-27 away uniform.
Newcastle United Deny Adidas Stadium Sponsorship Rumors
Speculation surfaced online suggesting that Newcastle United were in discussions with kit supplier Adidas regarding a potential stadium sponsorship deal for St James' Park. The German sportswear brand already has a major presence across the stadium following the launch of their lucrative kit partnership, featuring branding across the stands and stadium facilities.
However, reports linking Adidas to an official stadium sponsorship deal have been swiftly shot down. According to Telegraph journalist Luke Edwards, Newcastle United are not in talks with the three stripes brand over stadium naming or presenting rights, with club sources strongly denying any Adidas involvement in such negotiations.
While Adidas is ruled out, Newcastle are actively in preliminary talks with other international commercial partners for a stadium sponsorship agreement. The club's commercial leadership aims to drive substantial revenue growth in the coming years while maintaining the historic St James' Park name alongside any prospective sponsor.
No More Warrix: Hummel Uthai Thani 26-27 Home, Away & Third Kits Released
Danish sportswear brand Hummel has officially revealed the new 2026-27 kit collection for Thai League side Uthai Thani FC. The launch marks a new kit partnership for the Thai club, with Hummel continuing to expand its presence across Thai football for the 26-27 campaign.
The Uthai Thani 26-27 home kit features a bold red base combined with contrasting black raglan shoulder panels and white sleeve sections, accented by the classic Hummel chevrons. The away jersey takes on a rich blue look covered in an intricate all-over graphic pattern and paired with white-and-blue striped trim on the collar and cuffs. Rounding out the outfield options, the third shirt showcases a soft light blue to pale yellow vertical gradient on the body, framed by black and yellow shoulder detailing.
Hummel also presented three distinct goalkeeper strips for the season in lime green, dark charcoal with orange accents, and a sandy tan colorway with light blue trim. All shirts in the collection proudly feature Uthai Thani FC's elephant crest on the chest alongside Chang and GRC sponsorship branding.
Ajax Player' Goalkeeper Kit Was Manually Created by the Club
A curious detail has emerged regarding AFC Ajax's kit specifications for the 26-27 season. While Ajax outfield players take the pitch wearing standard replica-spec shirts with embroidered crests and fan-grade fabric, goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen has been spotted wearing a genuine player-issue authentic Adidas shirt.
The difference comes down to how Adidas structures its team tiers and produces goalkeeper templates. Since Ajax is not currently classified as an Adidas Elite partner, the three stripes brand does not manufacture dedicated authentic player-spec versions for their outfield kits. However, Adidas makes authentic base goalkeeper shirts available to its clubs, complete with lightweight Climacool+ performance fabric, printed Adidas branding, and the official authentic hem jocktag.
To prepare the shirt for matchday, Ajax manually customized the blank authentic goalkeeper template in-house by heat-applying the club's three-starred crest and sponsor graphics. This process allows ter Stegen to wear a true high-performance shirt on the pitch, even as the rest of the squad continues to play in standard replica shirts.
