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

Skin in the game – here we are again

A few months have passed and here we are, the same place where we left. North Korea is flexing its muscles, Trump presidency is veering towards a Hindenburg like blimp disaster and flames of wars look to engulf new regions of the world.

A good place to start this season of transformation is the Joe Rogan Experience podcast with Jordan Peterson and Bret Weinstein as guests.

It's a great discussion of current social mood and madness in US. The social and economic mayhem this way cometh.

What else is going on? The economy, the hurricane season, cryptocurrencies, gold...

The adpocalypse has doomed Google and Youtube as more content creators are fed up with the authoritarian approach the company has taken against different opinions. Interesting new video services and micro-financing pop up every now and then. Kim Dotcom plans to launch a new service around Bitcache and cryptocurrency tipping serving. Blooming video platforms like Bitchute, Vid.me and Dtube are seen more lucrative as ad income in Youtube is threatened and many crowdfunding sites are pressured to stop funding controversial content providers.

Even I think that diversifying my content on multiple accounts and platforms is a great idea. Steemit is legit blogging platform when its time to abandon Google's blogger.

Big things are happening, be sure to be around to see them.

Days of Rage – Summer Volatility, Disclosure and Anxiety

The summer of 2017 in the Northern hemisphere is kicking in. For us Finns, midsummer equates slow news seasons mostly because people are spending their vacations from mid-June till the end of July. That surely doesn't mean that the world comes to a standstill. We have to stay alert. Just recently, the local security police (SUPO) has issued a heightened terror warning. This means that we have reached threat level two in four tier system. So far there has been no terror attacks. In a way, we are lucky to remain in the periphery of Europe, out of harms way; whereas central parts in Europe, such as London, Paris and Berlin will most likely have to endure the failure of the security state.

However the political whammies continue to drive us insane. This accounts indeed to the expected volatility of mental states and world view. The economy shows some upbeat, yet all the financial systems are manipulated that wealth can be sucked out of the working men and women at all stages. Once again the people have been misled. In Finland, the government played some of us like a fiddle and staged a fake splintering of one of the coalition parties in order to promote the pro-EU integration, spending and military union above sovereign rights. The new splinter started by calling themselves the New Alternative but soon changed its name to Blue Future, blue like the EU flag. It was a PR nightmare but fortunately people are asleep and plundering can continue until IEDs ravage the local capitals every week.

The EU has succeeded in integration terrorism part of Europeans daily lives. This doesn't mean that there was no terrorism before the EU when there was indeed a lot. Although, this time around, the fear and anxiety are starting to tear the people's trust to society apart. Add to that poor economic situation, and we'll have a mess on our hands. I hardly see a way out of this calamity. I feel it has to pay its due course and hubris needs to settle the score. We have to endure the scorn of indifference. Since many individuals will have hard time digesting the reality once it strikes them, I'm somewhat concerned about many poor souls who will figuratively eaten alive by the coming change. What about food, what electricity, water, money? Have you thought about it or has it always been a given in your life? Can we prevent the state of decay or can we accelerate the society's descent into looting lawlessness versus orderly anarchy?

We can indeed worry about it later once it happens. Our ability absorbs and absolve bad news will be tested soon. Some will no doubt find it a relief. I'm positive most of us can adapt quickly yet soon everybody is going to need an update of how the world works. Big masses will eventually find out new names and reliable sources for their information needs. New and old ideas will find new owners and users.

There will more twists and schemes ahead. It seems that the situation in Syria is once more growing more explosive as the US decided to attack the Syrian air corps. This incident did not delight the Russians who vowed to stop US helping IS. The situation in Mosul is desperate as civilians are held as human shields by the Daesh occupiers. Qatar debacle has been rerouted to long term freezing of relations as the Saudis make rearrangements in their own power structure. ISIS militants also cling to the Philippine city of Marawi in a geopolitical move to destabilize Duterte. Indonesia is facing similar scenarios. The Korean saber rattling will mostly likely continue although some pressure was relieved because the new South Korean president is pro-peace.

In Europe, terror attacks and violence will become everyday nuisance. It will remain a part of big city life. To tackle this threat, EU will develop more integration and boost military and intelligence cooperation. This will lead to loss privacy and other civil rights but won't stop terror since mass surveillance is inefficient and intel agencies work hand in had with extremists against the common enemy – the public.

In US, we can witness the disintegration of the political system. Nothing gets done. Police violence and counter-protestor riots will harm the public's trust in the system. Confrontations will continue as it will serve as political theater for the masses who'll rally their own against the wrongdoers. There will be many individuals who'll profit from this indignation and lack of civil manners on both sides of the political spectrum. More literal theater intervention to stop the figurative Trump assassination memes from spreading to corrupt further minds.

Let's cool our minds in the freezing Antarctica where something bigger than icebergs is about to shock the world. It's shock therapy time.

Finland's acute govt crisis averted as True Finns party splinters (as planned)

Treachery is in the air. Apparently some people made a choice to put their career first and loyalty second. In short, the smallest coalition govt party, True Finns (perussuomalaiset), has splintered into two groups after the bigger coalition govt parties said that they would not cooperate with the newly elected controversial party leader and MEP Jussi Halla-Aho due to his ideology and thought crimes. The newly splintered group called New Alternative (uusi vaihtoehto) comprised of former party leader Timo Soini's ideological entourage and with the 21 and counting members of this fresh parliamentary group the coalition can form a narrow majority government and push through the highly coveted social and healthcare reforms (sote) and new county administration layout (maakuntauudistus). It remains to be seen whether the Centre Party, the National Coalition Party and  the New Alternative can pull through all the stops and form a functioning lame duck government. The opposition parties call for new elections due to mistrust over the new conditions within the splintering.

Moral outrage 101: Some people interpreted these hand signs as Nazi salutes at the True Finns convention

All in all, the Centre Party wants to solidify its rule for the next 20 or so years with the new county administration reform which would, in layman's terms, introduce 10–18 new counties, a completely new layer of administration with unknown statutes and powers. The National Coalition Party is aiming to privatize more and more of the public built infrastructure to party connected business insiders and foreign service providers. The healthcare reforms would boost private healthcare providers access to lucrative markets whereas all the non-profitable healthcare would be still in public control. My estimate is that the mainline True Finns like the longstanding populist party leader Timo Soini wants in on this financial action and by supporting these reprehensible actions to short sell our countries' assets, he intends to land a lucrative retirement plan like many previous ministers within the government.

Counter coup within True Finns to save career and future revenue

The new True Finns leader Halla-Aho enjoyed merely three days of leadership until the clic within the party decided splinter. Foreign minister and former party leader Soini didn't refer his own actions as abandoning the party he helped to rise to power. The party under Soini's lead was mired with flirting with racists as many members had expressed the unthinkable and had made some unsavory and undignified remarks of people of foreign persuasion. However, this was only a public image problems and didn't seem to warrant any concern out of the coalition partner who recently had to denounce cooperation with one of the racists who rose to party leadership positions thus triggering the unfortunate chain of events which will most likely lead to demise of everyone involved.

"The look when you betray the party you created to secure job as foreign minister." / Former True Finns leader Timo Soini flip-flop supreme

People can complain all they want. Halla-Aho is a condemned thought criminal under Finnish law and he paid the fines for the 'hate speech' he expressed. That said I feel, even though just before the True Finns party convention in early June, it became public knowledge that the conservative candidate had indeed had an extramarital affair, that Halla-Aho was in this case the more honest person of what he thinks and feels. And being overtly racist in some remarks was apparently too much the coalition partners who expressed there was too deep an ideological gap even though the actions might be more discriminating than words.

Saying mean stuff is worse than getting hands dirty

Racism, hate speech and thought crimes are very much a daily topic in the Finnish media. Recently, it was made public that the Finnish police had a private Facebook group where certain members had made racist and unbecoming remarks for public office. The moral outrage was luckily short lived but will most likely lead to an internal review by the police administration. That said, it was rather embarrassing for the police force, who by the way, is supposed to monitor 'hate speech' online, to commit some of the crimes themselves. It is true that online conversation lacks tact and is mired with racist and bigoted views. Add to that incendiary and falsified reports of fake incidents, hearsay and rumors of refugee or immigrant crimes home and abroad and that'll make a fine cesspool. Unfortunately, some opportunists like to give credit for spreading this muck to the Russian government. This kind of counter intelligent agent and pundits want to spread in turn their own biased anti-Russian views which could also be seen as 'racist' in nature.

So far the splintering and the demise of True Finns hasn't been credited to Russians colluding to weaken the Finnish democracy but to this narrative to form it will take time before some columnists figures out Putin's telepathic brainwashing powers were behind this hatchling of a crisis.

True Finns media platform Suomen Uutiset asks: Halla-Aho or Soini?

Currently, it seems that the media is for the most part rejoicing that the racist bunch was overthrown and betrayed by their party comrades. Although, some are still very concerned about the credibility of the lame duck government and how can the New Alternative splinter cell enjoy any kind of mandate in this new context. It must be highlighted that the New Alternative has twice the support as the remaining True Finns when it comes to counting the members' vote count in the previous election. The New Alternative as a name is indeed a sloppy joke since ideologically it is old, corrupted and for sale, and all those qualities can hardly be called new or alternative. Morally the govt couldn't be more bankrupt. It is also unfortunate that at the moment the economy has taken a positive turn which in turn makes it harder to pursue more austerity and advocate selling state property.

The Finnish mentality wants to project positive image and therefore partnering with a thought criminal was a no-no. The best kind of corruption is hidden and kept out of sight. Shoot the messenger. The prime minister Juha Sipilä has had a bad spring. First, he wanted to the public news service YLE to portray him and his actions in a more favorable light, and after that in early June, a local monthly newspaper Seura shed light into how he became a millionaire through insider collusion and 'organized crime' where public property and assets are sold below their true price to insiders who can later sell the assets with huge profit. Sounds like public and private sector cross over in organized crime defrauding all of the countries tax payers.

All we can say at this point is that the future looks uncertain. It is unlikely that the social and healthcare reforms riddled with legal problems can pass this year adding more pressure to the govt coalition. It is a real mess, similar to UK. Globalists have once more taken advantage. Can we fight back in time?

Immigration vs. EU-integration

The old praetorian guard is willing more or less to follow the establish coalition policy whereas the newly elected True Finns were highly critical of EU and its pro-immigration policies. It is to be noted sincerely that the True Finns even under the new leadership were willing to continue the old plan were it to be followed. It seems that the Centre Party and the National Coalition Party wanted to alter the policy at this point to accommodate deeper EU integration led by Germany.

Anti-immigration stance gained quickly lot of popularity and fervent opposition after 2015 refugee crisis brought masses of asylum seekers into Scandinavia. The overreaction was bigger than anticipated. It is expected that this negative trend will continue even after the next election, but at this point it is still too early to see whether there is a possible snap election next year.