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

Best value leather football boot of 2017/18 season is Mizuno Rebula V1

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.

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.

Rebula V1 with Stability Outsole

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.

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.

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.

Nike Tiempo Legend 7 AG version review

I've been wearing the Nike tiempo line a long time, but at long last I was able to go back to the 7th Tiempo Legend version. This time though I was lucky enough to a find a pair of the artificial grass version on sale.

Puma Evopower Vigor Leather & Nike Tiempo Legend 7 AG

There are three features that make this leather boot stand out from the market. However Nike seems to be following the trend of tongueless boots with inner frames for stabilty that have become the norm in the market. For instance in the same category, we have leather boots such as Mizuno Rebula (not tongueless), Adidas Copa 18.1 and even the latest Puma One 18.1. I want to remind also that the leather version on Puma Evopower Vigor has similar tongueless sock-like seamless design.

When it comes to performance, the legend 7 is a quality choice even though the durability in in question since after only a couple of abrasive sessions one boot started to show some tearing of the leather upper so much so that I had to reconsider using the boot for high-speed training sessions. That said, I found the performance otherwise to be outstanding. The internal frame supports your foot but the lock-in sensation is lacking although the suede heel liner is cushioned and velvety. So far the touted grip insole feels no different from regular insoles. In reality, with abrasive surfaces and hard turns, your feet is likely rub against the insides of the shoe and cause blisters no matter what innovation is added to the the concept.

The stud pattern is befitting for the modern AG surfaces and the stud length provides necessary grip for firm ground natural grass. However the outsole and the stud pattern combined feel a bit inadequate when playing on harder surfaces and you can expect enough stud pressure to make you want to reconsider at least a thicker insole. Overall feel of the shoe is light and compact, unlike some of the leather models in the market which do feel more stiff and clunky compared to sleek and lightweight. Shooting and touching the ball feels seamless in spite of the fact that the cow leather is not of premium quality compared to some of the kangaroo leather models of rival brands.

Overall Nike Tiempo Legend 7 is a solid leather boot with some modern innovative features. However compared to the leather boot market available at the moment, Nike's leather game is lamentably under performing in regard to the synthetic boots choice the company is promoting. The little brother of the Nike leather football boots, Nike Premier II, is equally marred with quality problems though the softness of the leather, lower price and classic design has equal appeal to Adidas Copa Mundial models.

Overall score 8/10