Product Review: Adidas F30.8 TRX TF Shoe

I was recently approached by the chaps at SoccerPro to review a pair of shoes and grabbed the opportunity, especially considering the pair I was using was wearing out. Perfect timing here. For those of you who don't know, SoccerPro is growing soccer apparel company that sells...you guessed it, soccer boots and related equipment like jerseys, balls and guards.

The great thing with the offer was that I was given free rein to choose any pair within a set budget. Since I almost solely play on an artificial pitch nowadays, I chose a pair of Adidas F30.8 TRX TF.

The shoe was shipped on time via UPS, nicely packaged in a box. No hassle, no fuss. Here's where the real review starts. Quite frankly I don't know where exactly to start so I'll just do it in point form and start with the cons.

Cons
- This has got to be one of the most uncomfortable pair of shoes I've ever worn. After the first couple of sessions, my feet were filled with cuts and blisters. Even though I purposely got a size larger (to accommodate socks, ankle guard, taping, etc.), it's too narrow for my hobbit feet. After consulting my teammates, I realise that it's a generic problem with Adidas shoes. It's too narrow in the front for East Asian feet. I had the exact same problem with my last pair of Predators, which explains why I've not worn a pair for Adidas for years. Unfortunately I got overly excited this time round and forgot my past experience.

- The heel is also abit too high and hard, thus cutting into the achilles. Very painful. At least this problem would go away as the boots gets more seasoned.

Pro
- I'm a sucker for aesthetists, and this definitely a beautiful work of art. From the colour to the fold-over tongue, it just looks good. If not for the fact I'm lazy as hell to wear shoes in our hot and humid climate, I would gladly exchange it with my sandals when going out. Good fashion accessory.

- I don't know what leather it uses, but it provides plenty of cushioning to control the ball under your feet. Compared to the other boots I own, the FX 30.8 tops them all in terms of control. For a good two sessions or so, I actually felt I played on a different level. It's hard to explain the feeling. You got to try it to understand.

- Another plus point here is that it packs a punch. My strikes just seem more powerful with less effort put into the backswing.

Things that leave me scratching my heard
- I suppose I understand the whole concept of having a fold-over tongue. It's supposed to give you a larger smoother surface area to control the ball, but let's face it, if you have to use that particular area of the shoe, then you're really not much of a soccer player. ;o) That said, every bit helps I suppose.

- Another thing I don't understand is why is there a see-thru window on the outside of the boot? The last thing I need is for the whole world to see all the holes in my socks....and I do have loads of them. Embarassing is an understatement.

Conclusion
There are alot of good things about the Adidas FX 30.8 which should help you improve your game. But Adidas needs to take into consideration the Asian market when designing shoes. If it doesn't fit, it doesn't sell.

Lastly, I would like to extend my thanks to the chaps at SoccerPro for the opportunity to do this review.