Using shoelaces on the best football boots is a thing of the past. The Adidas X Ghosted, the new football boots worn by top players such as Salah and Benzema, uses a unique vacuum technology that seal around the feet. The new Adidas X Ghosted also looks pretty wild thanks to the translucent upper and the visible carbon plates at the front of the sole.
• Pre-order your new Adidas X Ghosted at Adidas, prices from £179.95, available from 1 September
As Adidas puts it, many of the new features of the X Ghosted came from the track, such as the construction of the spikes "allowing on demand lineal bursts but also providing the support for explosive, football specific agile movement." What this means is that unlike track runners, football players need to move in other direction than just forward and in theory, the X Ghosted will enable players to do just that.
- Trent Alexander-Arnold's Under Armour Clone Magnetico Pro football boots will provide unmatched agility on the pitch
Adidas X Ghosted: carbon plate incoming
Inserting a carbon plate in the sole somewhere for better propulsion is all the rage in running shoe circles and many of the best running shoes have them, such as the Nike ZoomX Vaporfly NEXT%, the Hoka One One Carbon X, ASICS Metaracer, Saucony Endorphin Pro and the list goes on.
In order for it to be suitable for football players, Adidas had to adapt its Carbitex carbon plate for the field. The result is the CARBITEX SPEEDFRAME, a dynamic carbon plate that consist of multiple smaller plates placed close to each other, as opposed to having one larger plate, which would only be beneficial to generate forward momentum.
Adidas X Ghosted: see through design
As well as the multi-directional Sprint Construct and the Caritex plate, another very noticeable piece of innovation involved in the Adidas X Ghosted is the so-called Translucent Mirageskin. This single layer of "high-performance" material is layered over a wire framework to create an upper that provides "lightweight stability and support".
As well as that, the three-stripe placement is apparently inspired by the wings of the peregrine falcon – the fastest creature on earth. Because it's all about being and feeling fast, as you might have noticed, especially in the case of new Adidas shoes.
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And to make sure your feet stay locked in the shoes, the Adidas X Ghosted will literally vacuum the air out from around your feet. In a first of its kind, a Vacuum Fit Experience lets "players feel the air sucked rapidly out of the boot when worn, creating a super snug fit that supports explosive moves thanks to its proximity to the contours of the foot."
Adidas X Ghosted: price, release date
The Adidas X Ghosted will be available from 1 September worldwide at Adidas. Pre-orders will begin from 5 August.
The RRP of the Adidas X Ghosted is £229.95/€280.
Adidas X Ghosted: image gallery
Matt Kollat is a journalist and content creator who works for T3.com and its magazine counterpart as an Active Editor. His areas of expertise include wearables, drones, fitness equipment, nutrition and outdoor gear. He joined T3 in 2019. His byline appears in several publications, including Techradar and Fit&Well, and more. Matt also collaborated with other content creators (e.g. Garage Gym Reviews) and judged many awards, such as the European Specialist Sports Nutrition Alliance's ESSNawards. When he isn't working out, running or cycling, you'll find him roaming the countryside and trying out new podcasting and content creation equipment.