Why Mizuno's "Morelia Neo IV Japan" Is Loved by Many Footballers

The Mizuno "Morelia Neo" series, which has gained overwhelming support from players participating in the High School Soccer Championship. The first "Morelia" debuted in 1985. Since then, with the concept of being lightweight, flexible, and offering a barefoot-like feel, and with the slogan "Only Morelia Surpasses Morelia," the series has been continuously updated.

The "Morelia Neo" series, which debuted in 2011, pursued further lightness without changing the concept of the "Morelia" series and incorporated cutting-edge technology. What kind of technology is hidden in the latest "Morelia Neo IV Japan"?
 
In recent years, the "Morelia Neo" series and the "Morelia" series have continued to finish one-two in spike shares among participants of the High School Soccer Championship. Mizuno holds the top brand share position.

The turning point that gained overwhelming support was the appearance of the "Morelia Neo III," says Tsuyoshi Tomita from Mizuno Global Footwear Product HQ, combined with the impact of the pandemic.

The "Morelia Neo III" Released in 2020 Gained Many Fans

"We have been gaining a lot of support not only from professional players but also from junior high, high school, and university students in the past 5 or 6 years, but there was a time when foreign manufacturers were strong.
 
"The 'Morelia Neo III,' released in June 2020, renewed the last (foot shape) to fit the feet of modern footballers, and adopted a microfiber artificial leather called BareFoot Leather, which is as soft as kangaroo leather, in the midfoot of the upper. This model underwent a major update to commemorate the 35th anniversary of Morelia.
 
"Coincidentally, it was during the pandemic. During the pandemic, factories around the world ceased operations, and it became difficult to procure materials, limiting the supply of spikes. Players had fewer opportunities for matches and practice, but at the same time, they might have become more discerning in what to buy.

"The 'Morelia Neo III' could be worn by many players, and many people came to know the charm of Mizuno spikes."

Enhanced Hold & Stability While Maintaining the Barefoot Feel

The latest in the series, "Morelia Neo IV," debuted last July. The model is loved by Japanese national team players such as Reo Hatate and Yuki Soma, but what updates have been made since the "Morelia Neo III," which contributed to the series' share expansion?

"The development of 'Morelia Neo IV' began by gathering a multitude of opinions from the players who loved 'Morelia Neo III.' While there were many opinions like 'Don't change anything' and 'It's good as it is,' we collected small voices suggesting areas for improvement that weren't big dissatisfactions but could make the product even better. The core remains unchanged, but we made fine adjustments to the details."

Updating a shoe with many fans is difficult. One wrong step, and you could lose fans. However, staying the same without any changes could allow competitors to overtake.

The upper of the "Morelia Neo IV," like the previous version, uses washable kangaroo leather for the forefoot. In the midfoot, newly used BareFoot Leather NEO has been adopted.
 
"We received very positive feedback from many players about BareFoot Leather used in 'Morelia Neo III.' Likewise, with feedback from some players wanting more hold, we incorporated two diagonal and one horizontal nylon frames.

"We could have increased hold and support by hardening the material, but that would have resulted in losing the flexibility and barefoot feel, which are our shoe's charm. To keep the material soft while increasing the hold, the frame was incorporated.

"For the last, Engineered Fit Last NEO, designed to match the modern footballer's foot shape, continues from the previous version."

The basic design of the outsole follows that of the "Morelia Neo III." The arrangement and height of the studs haven't changed. The only change is the shape of the shank part. To improve stability and the barefoot feel in the midfoot while reducing the feeling of push-up from the ground, the shape of the shank part has been changed from I to Y shape.