With a price approximating 100€ at some select retailers, I find the Mizuno Rebula V1 (top tier not in Japan made model) to be best value leather football boot of the current season. That said one can expects even lower prices for the top made in Japan variation since this June we saw the release of second installation of Rebulas, Rebula II with passion red pack released just in time for the World Cup in Russia. Notable players wearing the Rebula model, include Japanese nationals like Keisuke Honda, Shinji Takazaki and Maya Yoshida.
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| Screenshot from Mizuno US site - Rebula II v1 World Cup Colorway |
Rebula can be defined as a leather control boot that has incorporated some of the current trends and previous innovations from the brand into a top quality leather boot. Previous Mizuno lines, such as the Supersonic Wave, Wave Ignitus and Basara, have given some inspiration to the Rebulas design. However, one should keep in mind that this model is solely for firm grass and will probably suffer both in durability and performance if the surface is different.
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| Rebula V1 with Stability Outsole |
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My own experience was indeed a surprise because out of the box, the boots felt light and the outsole maybe even too thin. That fear soon subsided as I noticed that in firm grass conditions the fits and the feel felt perfect. I can definitely imagine that on harder surfaces the stud pressure can be an issue. There are two main reasons for this. First, the outsole is very light and on the thin side; second, the insole is very slimsy too, not unlike what Puma has incorporated with great success.
Those two things are probably the only to downsides to the boot and the latter can be fixed with custom insoles that support both your feet and relieve that stud pressure. Compared to other leather models in the market currently, notably Nike Tiempo line and Adidas Copas, I feel that Mizuno is quality and comfort superior to both. If I had to rank them, I would say that Mizuno Rebula V1 would be number one, then the Copa 18.1 and after that would arrive the Nike Tiempo Legend 7. If I would've added the Made in Japan model to this comparison, the distance between number one and two brands would've grown easily. And with the addition of Rebula 2's to the race this summer, I'm confident that Mizuno's leather superiority is in no way under threat by the major brands.
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| Mizuno Supersonic Wave 3 (Black/Yellow) & Mizuno Basara 001 KL (Red) |
There are several ways point out that Rebula, Copa and Tiempo offer a modernized leather boot experience. First of all, obviously the material is leather, be it kangaroo or calf. Other uniting design is the inner support frame of each model that is there to reduced stitching seen in the conventional leather boot models. One thing that sets them apart, but what is narrowed down considerably with the release of Rebula 2's, is the tongue or the lack of it. Both Copa and Tiempo have given up the tradtional tongue, but the Rebula still has a limited tongue which is redesigned for the next line of the brand. The tongue in boots these days seem to be replaced more and more with a seamless sock like collar or elasticated low cut collar.
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| Adidas Copa 18.1 & Puma Evopower Vigor Leather |
It is a shame that Mizuno boots are hard to come by since very few retailers have them in stock where you could walk in a store and try a pair out for the right size. Just for reference, I can give a size comparison between different brands that should help one choose the correct size. Most of Mizunos I have are either size 42 or 42,5 (9 or 9,5 in Mizuno scale). To be precise, my Rebula size is 42,5 (9,5 US). As for my Tiempo Legend 7 AG, my size is 44 (US 10). My Copa 18.1 size is 43 1/3 (9.5 US). Each of those boots are lengthwise perfect fit. Getting the right size is still problematic because brands from time to time decide to alter either the size or the fit of the boot and boots that look lengthwise equal on the outside might have different space inside. One can wear a boot half size too big, but not the other way round. As for width, I can vouch the Rebula to be quite accommodating. However it is good to note, that Mizuno is perhaps one of the few brands that make wider models for some of their boots.
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