What's Up with the Upper of the Adidas Ace 17+ PureControl?
Nov 28, 2016, by Pat
It's time to speak more about the confusion that is the Adidas Ace 17+ PureControl and its different uppers.
As you might have noticed over the last few days and perhaps already before the official launch, not just Paul Pogba, but ALL professionals are wearing a sort of prototype / sample of the Adidas Ace 17+ PureControl - one that's almost nothing like the one that hit retail and was dubbed a "16.5" by some.
An interesting perspective on the whole situation is offered by Unisport's JayMike who recently said that he hopes that the Ace 17+ PureControl will get updated before its eventually replaced by the Ace 18+. Now, this could just be his inner boot nerd speaking, but it would be extremely naive to assume that a person in his position would voice something along those lines without knowing at least something.
Another point in favor of an update of the Ace 17+ PureControl upper at one point is the fact that all leaked colorways feature the second upper. If Adidas had settled on reverting to the 16+ upper for whatever reason, one would assume that later samples, for example for the Fall / Winter 2017 period, would be based on the definitive upper by now.
All in all, we are fairly certain that we'll see the Ace 17+ PureControl's real look instore sooner than later. Possibly already with January's Checkered Black edition. If you cannot wait to try out what the pros are wearing, you should probably give the 'Tango' rendition of the Ace 17+ PureControl, available with turf and indoor outsoles, a try. By the looks of it, its upper is identical to the earlier leaks of the cleated edition, i.e. what the professionals are wearing.
So why is so important for Adidas to update the upper? First, it's kind of odd to release a boot that's virtually unchanged and branding it as a whole new edition - or at least that's what people could feel in this situation. Additionally, we believe it's important that players are not advertising boots that have almost nothing in common with what they are wearing on the field, as e.g. Paul Pogba is doing currently. We feel that this could hurt Adidas reputation with time.
There are also a number of more practical reasons to update the upper. For one, there where a few critics of the initial laceless PureControl boots voiced concerns about the fit being too loose in general - an update could help resolve this. Also, the 16+ PureControl's upper construction, while getting rid of laces, added a second compression techfit layer. It looks like the 'real' Ace 17+ PureControl upper is just one layer, which could offer a better connection with and improved feel for the ball.
What do you think? Share your thoughts on the Ace 17+ PureControl upper controversy in the comments below.
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Serie A (Juventus): Won Scudetto in 17-18, wore the champions patch in 18-19.
Premier League (Manchester City): Gold champions badge worn in 18-19, 20-21, & 21-22; won the title from 20-21 to 22-23.
Bundesliga (Bayern Munich): Champions patch worn in 21-22, won the title in 22-23.
LaLiga (Barcelona): Gold badge worn in 22-23, 24-25, & 25-26, won LaLiga in 25-26.
Ligue 1 is the only top-five European league where the Portuguese full-back has not played, leaving him just one league away from completing the full set of top 5 European league titles and sleeve patches.
Big thanks to @jerseystory_vn for the information and graphic.
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This follows Vietnam Professional Football (VPF) new brand identity across all three of the country's professional competitions: V.League 1, V.League 2, and the National Cup.
The newly introduced patch marks a major visual departure from previous designs, completely dropping the split dual-layout format (competition logo on one side, title sponsor logo on the other) used since 2018. The overall silhouette has also received a full overhaul, transitioning away from the hexagonal shape seen over the past six years to a sleek, rounded oval design.
Big thanks to @jerseystory_vn for the detailed information.
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The new design takes a smart approach on the traditional blue and red stripes by using a Capo Colonna graphic in between the stripes, paying tribute to the famous ancient temple. While the collar is ver simple, the sleeve cuffs uses an interesting combination of red base and yellow cultural pattern.
What do you think of the new Eye Sport Crotone 26-27 home kit? Let us know in the comments below.
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The commemorative patch features the message “6 per sempre” (“No. 6 forever”), referencing Baresi's iconic shirt number, which was permanently retired by the Rossoneri. Each character was selected from thousands of handwritten messages left by supporters following his passing.
Worn on the left sleeve, the patch will feature on the shirts of Milan's men's team, women's team and youth teams throughout the 2026/27 season. A beautiful and deeply personal tribute to one of the greatest figures in the club's history.
Big thanks to @jerseystory_vn for the collage.
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The Buriram United 2026-27 away shirt introduces a fresh colorway, featuring a vibrant pink base paired with light blue details. It incorporates a smart mandarin-style collar with a buttoned placket and a subtle all-over pattern of small crosses across the fabric. The monochrome club crest, Yamaha chest branding, and the central Chang sponsor logo are all applied in contrasting light blue.
The new away strip joins the previously launched navy blue and red home kit for the 2026-27 domestic campaign. While Buriram United create their league kits in-house, the Thai giants traditionally partner with technical suppliers for their continental cup competitions.