Mizuno Rebula 2 V1 Made in Japan Review - Class and fine tuning

What has Mizuno achieved since abandoning the praised Wave Ignitus power boot series in favor of a lighter control category boot Rebula? First of all, in early 2019, Rebula is in its second iteration. This version includes some fine tuning elements even though the overall design and spirit had remained from the first version which came in 2016/17 season.

The heel is lined outside with synthetic mesh and inside with suede.

Second generation Rebula

So what has changed. I was eager to find out how the main design with control frame allowed the leather to stay malleable yet prevented extra stretching. This time around instead of a net-like design, the internal control frame included separate elements which made the boot a less restrictive than the previous model. To compensate the lack of locking webbed structure, the brand decided to replace the short tongue with an elasticated band that locks the ankle and gives additional support. Control frame has different design this time. Some of the pieces of foam underneath the leather are thicker as one can see in the picture below. Quite noticeable are the bigger stripes of memory foam laid under the inside of the foot. It is not still like the Mukaiten pad of past Wave Ignitus but still helps to dampen the touch. It can still vividly remember the Nike Maestri 360 Control boots with rubber pad located inside the instep.

The tongue is replaced with a band that wraps one's foot in place

All in all, this design change made the boot somewhat more accessible and provided roomier fit, even though the latter is negotiable and relies on one's foots' shape. For me, by chance, I was able to secure a pair of size 9 US, which is usually the size I wear the Morelias (9.5 for Morelia Neo bc they're narrow), the size was very low volume and demanded a rigorous break-in period before I felt comfortable wearing the boot in training. After some stretching and moulding into my feet, the boot provides a one-on-one glove like fit. Compared to the previous Indonesia made Mizuno Rebula, which I wear in size 9.5 US, Rebula 2 offers a very responsive touch and very limited space. Length-wise the boot fits perfect, but otherwise my foot felt very restricted. Moving half size up, the feel of the boot changes and one can enjoy the support of the control frame. Altogether, the mid section of the boot and heel feel a lot more forgiving and don't need as long a breaking time as the smaller size. The leather in made in Japan version is very durable and will in time adopt to your foot's curves. This should be the experience as well with any other made in Japan Mizuno cleats.

What then remains are the exquisite built quality and comfort of the Mizuno brand. The outsole hasn't changed either for better or for worse. It is a solid outsole, nice flexibility, support and reliable stud pattern for modern AG surfaces and firm grass fields. The takedown made in Indonesia models should come pretty close to competing brands such as Nike's Tiempo and Adidas's Copa silos.

Overall, the Rebula 2 V1 is a low-cut high quality scotchguarded leather firm ground football boot with nice innovation, outstanding built quality and ample comfort. However due to the lack of high profile players wearing Mizuno in the top European leagues, fewer people have the opportunity to encounter any of the brands product in local retailers (exactly the case in my native Finland). In my opinion, it equally rivals Tiempo and Copa silos. One big negative aspect of the boot is the high price tag where one is usually able to buy a MiJ version Mizuno cleat somewhere between 200–300 euros. It is one brand which I recommend buying solely on reduced price, but it is good to know that you really pay for quality and support local in Japan made craftsmanship. As for other brands, one cannot really know about the factory conditions in remote locations in the Far-East.

Similar designs

Compared to the other leather models in the market, what really sets Rebula aside from the rest. I think the closest rival from style and tech points of view is Nike Tiempo Legend 7 Elite. Tiempos run a half size smaller. In general, Nike sizes 9.5 US equals 43 in EU, whereas Mizuno 9 US is 42 EU. Therefore Rebula 2 V1 size 9 would equal 9.5 Tiempo Legend Elite.

Indonesian made Rebula V1 had more control frame

The newest Tiempo Legend 7 shares a number of other similarities with Rebula. Both have a more or less one piece leather design with internal support frames instead of old-school stitches. The outside of the heel is made of synthetic material. Both of the top models prefer an elasticated sock like structure to a classic tongue. Both have a suede heel liner and a grip insole even though Nike's insole has less grip and more porous padding than Mizuno's very plain yet effective design. Obviously the most notable differences concern the visuals of the boot, that and the variety of different outsole designs and takedown models of each brand.  

Other brands have some competitive models. These models include past Copas (18.1. & the most recent 19.1), Puma One and Umbro Medusae. Then again there are more classical leather shoes as the old Copa, Nike Premier, Adidas Gloro, Mizuno Morelia 2, Umbro Speciali, Puma King, Pantofola D'oro Lazzarini, Diadora and so forth.

Choose your size

Mizuno Rebula 2 V1 MiJ is a great control class football boot. Depending on your preference of fit or playstyle, I can recommend either going for true size (glove like responding narrow fit) or more liberating half size up for casual comfort. Both size options can result in having blisters but for different reasons. More often this occurs when the lockdown is not optimal and in hard turn the foot is given the opportunity to slide and rub against in the inside of the boot. Leather boots usually when very tight fitting will adapt to the shape of your foot after a warm up period. Although from a health point of view, it is usually good when growing up to have an additional room in the toe box to wiggle your toes. Very narrow and restrictive fit can result in cramping which is something any player wishes to avoid.

Who and where

In its own category, I find that Mizuno has done outstanding work in crafting an appealing football boot. As a FG variant, it can be used on modern artificial grass, but unfortunately like many of its current market contenders that are some understandable limitations. For instance, on wet and soggy natural grass fields, one cannot expect the kind of responsive traction than on optimal FG conditions. That said, there is a Made in Japan soft ground outsole version of Mizuno Rebula 2 V1, which people might've seen in this past summer's World Cup in Russia. Of all the variants out there, a custom made sg outsole is what people seem to prefer in professional football or at least that is my experience as I've witnessed pros wearing Mizuno in the English Premier League, such as Leicester's Shinji Okazaki or Southampton's Maya Yoshida.

Initial release colorway: Red Passion Pack was in use in the 2018 World Cup

Verdict

Visual appeal 8/10
Tech appeal 8/10
Innovation 9/10
Quality 10/10
Rarity 10/10
Full Retail Price to quality ratio 7/10
Availability 3/10
Performance 9/10

Links:

Here's a link to my Mizuno Rebula V1 best value leather review: https://finnballwizard.blogspot.com/2018/06/best-value-leather-football-boot-of.html

Here's another link to my review of the artificial grass version of Nike Tiempo Legend 7: https://finnballwizard.blogspot.com/2018/05/nike-tiempo-legend-7-ag-version-review.html