Speed football boots are the light, thin-skinned models from Nike, adidas, Puma and Mizuno, and they almost always come up narrow. With a wide foot, go for one of the more forgiving speed models or a boot on a wider last.
Softer upper and deeper lacing than the Elite, so the boot opens up a bit more for wider feet.
Lots of room in the forefoot with a high toe box and an upper that stretches. The fit is medium to wide.
Speed football boots are the light, thin-skinned models such as the Nike Mercurial, adidas F50 and Puma Ultra. They are built for a close fit and a direct feel on the ball, which is exactly why they come up narrow. If you have a wide foot, there are more forgiving speed models and a few alternatives with extra room.
Grip is a separate question, because the word covers two different things. Below we set out what we can and cannot say about it, without pretending to have measurements we do not have.
The best-known speed lines are the Nike Mercurial (the Vapor and Superfly), the adidas F50 Hyperfast, the Puma Ultra, and from Mizuno the Morelia Neo and the Alpha. New Balance has the Furon. All of them are light, with a thin upper that is often mesh or knit.
Lightweight football boots come in plenty of weight classes. For the adidas F50 EVO our sources quote about 130 grams, the lowest figure we came across. That comes from manufacturers and retailers, and we have not weighed anything ourselves.
Grip underfoot comes mainly from having the right soleplate for your surface: FG, AG, MG or TF. A speed boot on the wrong soleplate gives you less hold than an ordinary boot on the right one. In a lab study on natural grass, FG studs produced a higher traction demand than AG and TF, so more grip is not always better.
Grip on the ball comes from the upper. The F50 has a grip coating, and Puma and adidas add grip elements to some uppers. We found no independent measurement that ranks models on grip, so we cannot name the grippiest model. For choosing a soleplate, see our guide to which soleplate to choose.
Speed models are deliberately built on a narrow, low-volume last with a pointed toe box. The Nike Mercurial Superfly has a stiff collar that does not give, and the Vapor sits on Nike’s narrowest last. The Puma Ultra has a firm heel that can dig in below the Achilles tendon, and the F50 has a tapered midfoot that is the most restrictive of the lot.
The laceless version of any speed model is the worst choice for a wide foot or a high instep. If your feet are narrow, on the other hand, these models suit you well, see football boots for narrow feet.
If you want speed but have a wider foot, these are the more forgiving options from our assessments. The adidas F50 Hyperfast EVO has a softer upper and deeper lacing, and the F50 Messi Elite has the most midfoot room of the F50 family. The Mizuno Alpha III is roomier in the forefoot than you would expect from a speed boot, although it still fits close. The New Balance Furon is the widest speed boot in its class, but not one for genuinely wide feet.
If you want to keep the light feel without sacrificing comfort, look at a wider last. The Puma Future 9 has plenty of forefoot width and some stretch, and the Nike Phantom 6 has a wider toe box and heel than any Mercurial. Strictly speaking they are not speed boots, but they are nimble. Our main page on the best football boots for wide feet gives you the full picture.
Always try a speed model on in your match socks, and go up onto your toes to feel whether your heel stays put. Do not go up a size to make up for the narrow last. That adds length, not width.
If you are torn between these models, let the football boot adviser put together a shortlist from your foot measurements. Our size converter shows UK, EU and US sizes side by side. If you have pain in the forefoot or toes, see a podiatrist, and read what to do when football boots feel too tight.
Speed models come from Nike (Mercurial), adidas (F50), Puma (Ultra), Mizuno (Morelia Neo and Alpha) and New Balance (Furon). Grip underfoot comes mainly from the right soleplate for your surface, grip on the ball from the upper.
We found no independent measurement that ranks models on grip. Pick the soleplate that matches your pitch, and check the upper for a grip coating or grip elements. On natural grass, a lab study found FG studs gave more traction demand than AG and TF.
Speed models with a thin upper and very little material, such as the Mercurial, F50 and Ultra. They fit narrow. According to our sources the adidas F50 EVO, at about 130 grams, is the lightest we came across.
The adidas F50 EVO and the F50 Messi Elite are more forgiving, and the Mizuno Alpha III is roomier in the forefoot than you would expect from a speed boot. For genuine width, look at the Puma Future 9 or the Nike Phantom 6.
Speed models are deliberately built on a narrow, low-volume last with a pointed toe box. That gives you a close fit and a direct feel on the ball.