Speed in football isn’t about running fast in a straight line. It’s about stopping dead, snapping defenders the wrong way, and detonating back into space before anyone can react. That’s the problem adidas set out to solve with the Adizero Horizon – a football cleat built not for highlight-reel sprints, but for the brutal, stop-start reality of modern play.
Developed over two years alongside elite athletes including wide receiver Rome Odunze, the Horizon rethinks what a ‘speed cleat’ should actually do. Instead of chasing raw top-end pace, adidas focused on the moments that create real separation: hard braking, violent cuts, and instant re-acceleration.
The Horizon introduces adidas’ new SEPR8 system, anchored by its most aggressive traction layout to date. Studs wrap higher up the heel to support sharp deceleration, while a dual-plate setup underfoot works like a loaded spring. A stiff internal plate provides structure, while an external metallic plate splits into three finger-like extensions that channel energy forward without locking the foot down.
Underfoot cushioning comes courtesy of adidas’ lightest Lightstrike foam ever used in a football cleat, sculpted around a rocker point inspired by track spikes for quicker toe-off out of cuts. The upper balances lockdown and comfort, finished in a clean white base sliced with black Three Stripes.
Already spotted on select athletes, the Adizero Horizon is set for wider release over the coming months, with a top-tier price tag to match.
For more Team Trefoil, make sure to check out the Jellyfish in 'Royal'.