The adidas Top Sala futsal shoes may well have been one of those shoes that have always held a special place in the hearts of futsal players. It’s true that it has plenty of very worthy competitors, but perhaps none as high-profile as its eternal American rival. The Nike Lunar Gato is back, and this may well have prompted adidas to bring its magnificent futsal shoe back into the fray.
adidas Top Sala 2019
Just as with its eternal rival – to put it briefly and concisely – the improvements it offers over the original 2014 adidas Top Sala model are: NONE. But this isn’t a bad thing; in fact, we think it’s quite the opposite. All of us familiar with the world of futsal shoes know that it is a world with very few innovations and a rather traditional one. Generally speaking, if something works, you leave it alone – and we can see this very clearly with the legendary brands and their flagship models: the Munich Continental, the Joma Top Flex and the Kelme Precision; ranges that have remained unchanged over time, a sign that they work.
In addition to what we’ve seen – namely, the three-stripe brand’s commitment to bringing out its heavy artillery – adidas’s trend for releasing remakes is now very much in evidence. In an earlier post about the boot remakes we’d love to own, we completely overlooked the 40x20 range, but if there had been an article dedicated to it, this adidas Top Sala would undoubtedly have featured.
Here at Fútbol Emotion, we’re delighted that this model is back in stock and that you can finally enjoy this superb shoe once again. Naturally, we want to analyse the adidas Top Sala in detail and see why this shoe marked a turning point for the German brand in futsal.
Technical features: adidas Top Sala
As always, let’s start with the upper. The upper is made from an extremely soft and flexible synthetic leather, which provides perfect contact with the ball, whether you’re ready to shoot or to keep the ball close to your foot. One of the features that ensures durability is the reinforced area with traditional stitching running along the upper, as well as a small section of synthetic material bonded to the leather via heat-sealing at the toe area.
The sides of these adidas Top Sala futsal shoes feature mesh panels, making them lighter and more breathable. They are reinforced with side panels made from the same material, which provide rigidity and are capable of withstanding all the lateral movements that are so common in futsal. All this without forgetting that this design was, in its day, significantly lighter than its predecessor.
Let’s move on to the outsole of this adidas futsal shoe. It features one of the most comprehensive outsole designs we can recall in a futsal shoe. This area is divided into two distinct sections, each specifically designed to meet the demands of different movements. In the forefoot, there’s a material called Gel Grip, engineered to handle the most abrupt stops, combined with a traditional pivot point. And in the heel, the star of the show is the checkered pattern, designed to withstand the abrasion typical of futsal.
We’ve saved the most distinctive feature for last: in our view, it’s the midsole that really brings the adidas Top Sala to life. Two materials – EVA foam and adiPrene – combine to provide the right level of cushioning for the game. This midsole has a distinct character compared to the rest, as behind this dual-density layer lies the shock-absorbing element found in the outsole. This hole creates a void that ensures our heel experiences absolutely no impact; what’s more, as a result, all the impacts we receive on the court are distributed evenly across the entire sole, so that our heels and forefoot – the areas that usually suffer the most – are subjected to much less stress.
Regardless of whether you like the German brand in the world of futsal or not, I’m sure you’ll agree with us that this launch will be very positive for other brands and the general public. The rivalry currently unfolding between the two biggest brands is a real boon for all of us involved in futsal. What do you think of adidas’ decision to reintroduce the legendary adidas Top Sala? Let us know in the comments section or via our various social media channels.
