adidas ACEEvery Generation
Rakitić scoring in Berlin. Özil going laceless. Pogba in black and gold. Every adidas ACE, from 2015 to 2017.
By Boots Plug · Updated October 2026
The lineup, from our own pairs: ACE 15.1, ACE 15.1 Eskolaite, ACE 16+ PureControl, ACE 16.1 Primeknit, ACE 16+ Space Craft, ACE 17+ Pogba, ACE 17+ Blue Blast and ACE 17+ Champagne.
The Lineup
Swipe ▸The adidas ACE is the control boot adidas made while the Predator was away. The ACE 15 was revealed in May 2015 and first worn in that year's Champions League final. The ACE 16+ PureControl (January 2016) was adidas's first laceless boot. The ACE 17+ added Boost. In November 2017 the Predator 18+ took its place.
ACE 15
Berlin, 6 June 2015. Four minutes into the Champions League final, Rakitić scores for Barcelona in a brand-new ACE 15.1. The Predator was gone. This was the new control boot.
Control Web: a raised web over the upper, covered in tiny grip dots. Laces, and a chunky heel.
Read The Full StoryHide Full Story
adidas revealed the ACE and the X on 25 May 2015. Two lines took over from four: the F50, Predator, 11Pro and Nitrocharge. The X was chaos, the ACE was control. Barcelona beat Juventus 3–1 in that final.
The grip dots are NSG (Non Stop Grip), there for control in any weather. The plate had lots of conical studs in different sizes. adidas also lined up James Rodríguez, Özil, Neuer and Oscar for it. A 15.1 Leather came with a soft kangaroo-leather front.
In August 2015 the Eskolaite Pack dropped: a limited chrome ACE 15.1 with green on the heel and plate. Later that year the ACE 15+ Primeknit swapped the Control Web for a knit upper, and in December it came in black and white with pink on the studs.
The Ones We Still Chase- Solar Yellow (launch)
- Eskolaite
- 15+ Primeknit Solar Orange
- 15+ Primeknit Black/White
ACE 16+ PureControl
January 2016. The first laceless ACE had arrived. Özil and Rakitić were wearing it, and everyone was talking about it. Rakitić called them "the best boots I've ever worn".
No laces. A knitted sock collar with two pull tabs. The ACE 16.1 keeps its laces.
Read The Full StoryHide Full Story
Why no laces? Ask Özil. At the launch he said he told adidas in 2014 that before games he would "knot the laces over and over again and then tuck in the ends", so they didn't get in the way of his touch. "To have a laceless boot is a dream come true."
adidas's first laceless boot was unveiled in mid-January 2016, launched as the first high-performance laceless football boot. It came in limited numbers at $300 (£250). Özil, Rakitić and Oscar wore it on the pitch from 23 January. Purecut replaces the laces and cuts out the overlays between foot and ball. Underneath, a light Sprintframe plate.
The demand was mad. Reports at the time said it sold three months of stock in seven days, and online shops across Europe sold out within days.
Pogba's 2016 pair was for players only. In March 2016 he got his own black-and-gold ACE 16+, "Pogboom" and "Pogbance" on the heels. Only 30 were made, Pogba chose who got them, and none were sold. His 2017 ACE 17+ is a different boot, and that one went on sale.
Then the packs came: silver Mercury for Euro 2016, Solar Yellow Speed of Light in July, blackout Dark Space in August. In September came Viper, white-and-gold Stellar and the gold Space Craft: kangaroo leather where you touch the ball, 1,000 pairs worldwide. There was even an UltraBoost trainer with the laceless upper.
The Ones We Still Chase- Solar Green (launch)
- Mercury Pack
- Speed of Light
- Dark Space
- Viper Pack
- Stellar Pack
- Space Craft (1,000 pairs)
- Pogba 2016 (30 pairs, not sold)
ACE 17+ PureControl
Pogba Pair · 2017Old Trafford, January 2017. Pogba plays Liverpool in his own black-and-gold ACE 17+, "Pogboom" on the heel. The next day it went on sale at Colette in Paris, and this time anyone could buy it.
Boost foam along the soleplate, which you can see on the underside. A higher sock collar than the 16+.
Read The Full StoryHide Full Story
It launched on 22 November 2016 in the Red Limit collection, with Pogba, Dele Alli and Özil. adidas said it was the first time Boost came to football. The rest: a 360° Primeknit upper, a thin NSG film for grip and the laceless Purecut sock. For the first time there was a matching street shoe and cage boot too.
The pros' pairs weren't quite the shop pairs. Pogba, Mata and Özil wore a version with a stiffer knit upper and collar and an extra coated layer. Blue Blast took over on the pros' feet in January 2017.
The Pogba collection went worldwide on 17 January, with a cage and a street version. Unlike his 2016 ACE 16+ (30 pairs, never sold), this one was in the shops. The laced ACE 17.1 Primeknit sat below the 17+, without the Boost.
In May 2017 the Champagne Pack dropped. Its Predator Mania remake even sat on the ACE 17+ plate. Then the Storm packs: Ocean Storm in August, Solar Orange Pyro Storm in the autumn, and a limited Clay/Sesame Earth Storm on 2 November 2017.
Three weeks later, on 22 November 2017, the Predator 18+ came back and took the ACE's place.
The Ones We Still Chase- Red Limit (launch)
- Blue Blast
- Pogba Collection (2017)
- Champagne
- Ocean Storm
- Pyro Storm
- Earth Storm
No laces. No Predator. No problem.
Three generations. The Control Web, then the laceless PureControl, then Boost underneath. The ACE only ran from 2015 to 2017. It didn't need a long run to make its mark. If we could keep one? The gold Space Craft. Easy.
Which ACE Is Which
ACE 15, 16 or 17? Here's what to look for.
Laced Versions
15.1, 16.1 and 17.1.
16+ Or 17+
Turn it over. Boost means 17+.
At A Glance
Swipe ▸| Boot | Year | Main Difference | Upper / Tech | Worn By |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ACE 15.1 | 2015 | Control Web, laces | NSG grip dots, leather option | Rakitić, James, Özil, Neuer |
| ACE 15+ Primeknit | 2015 | Knit upper, laces | Primeknit | – |
| ACE 16+ PureControl | 2016 | No laces | Primeknit, Purecut, Sprintframe | Özil, Rakitić, Oscar, Pogba |
| ACE 16.1 | 2016 | Laces | Raised web, NSG, Sprintframe | – |
| ACE 17+ PureControl | 2016 | Boost along the plate | Primeknit, NSG film, Purecut | Pogba, Özil, Dele Alli |
| ACE 17.1 Primeknit (laced version) | 2016 | Laces, no Boost | Primeknit | – |
Questions
When did the adidas ACE come out?
adidas revealed the ACE 15 on 25 May 2015, with the X. It was first worn in the Champions League final in Berlin on 6 June 2015.
What did the adidas ACE replace?
The ACE and the X replaced four lines in 2015: the F50, Predator, 11Pro and Nitrocharge. In November 2017 the Predator 18+ came back and replaced the ACE PureControl.
How many adidas ACE generations are there?
Three: the ACE 15 (2015), the ACE 16 (2016) and the ACE 17 (November 2016 to 2017). Each had laced versions, and from 2016 a laceless PureControl on top.
Was the ACE 16+ PureControl adidas's first laceless boot?
Yes. The ACE 16+ PureControl was unveiled in January 2016 as adidas's first laceless football boot, launched as the first high-performance laceless football boot. Özil, Rakitić and Oscar wore it from 23 January.
Why did Özil want laceless boots?
Laces got in the way of his touch. At the ACE 16+ launch he said he told adidas in 2014 that before games he would "knot the laces over and over again and then tuck in the ends". He called a laceless boot "a dream come true".
What's the difference between the ACE 15 and the ACE 16?
The ACE 15 had laces and the Control Web, a raised web covered in grip dots. The ACE 16 brought the laceless 16+ PureControl, a Primeknit sock with no laces. The laced ACE 16.1 kept a raised web of triangles with grip nubs, on a Sprintframe plate.
What's the difference between the ACE 16+ and the ACE 17+?
The ACE 17+ added Boost foam along the soleplate and a higher sock collar. Both are laceless with a Primeknit upper. Reviewers found the 17+ held the foot better than the 16+.
What's the difference between the ACE 16.1 and the ACE 16+?
Laces. The ACE 16.1 is laced. The ACE 16+ PureControl has no laces, with a Primeknit upper and the Purecut sock system.
What's the difference between the ACE 17.1 and the ACE 17+?
Laces and Boost. The ACE 17.1 Primeknit is the laced version, with no Boost. The ACE 17+ PureControl is laceless with Boost underfoot. At launch the 17.1 cost €50 less (€250 vs €300).
What does PureControl mean?
It's the name of the laceless top ACE, the 16+ and 17+. The laceless system inside is called Purecut.
What is NSG on the adidas ACE?
Non Stop Grip. On the ACE 15 and ACE 16.1 it's tiny raised dots across the upper. On the ACE 17+ it's a thin film over the Primeknit.
What's the difference between Pogba's 2016 and 2017 ACE boots?
The 2016 pair is an ACE 16+ for players only: 30 pairs in black and gold, "Pogboom" and "Pogbance" on the heels, and Pogba chose who got them. None were sold. The 2017 pair is an ACE 17+ with Boost, marble gold on black, and anyone could buy it: first at Colette in Paris on 16 January 2017, worldwide the next day.
What is the gold ACE Space Craft?
A gold ACE 16+ PureControl with kangaroo leather where you touch the ball and a gold soleplate, out on 15 September 2016. Limited to 1,000 pairs worldwide.
Did the ACE 17+ have Boost?
Yes. adidas said the ACE 17+ PureControl (November 2016) was the first time Boost came to football. It runs along the Sprintframe plate and the sock liner.
Why did adidas stop making the ACE?
We found no public reason from adidas. In November 2017 the Predator 18+ came back in its place.
What boots did Rakitić wear in the 2015 Champions League final?
The ACE 15.1 in Solar Yellow/White/Black. The final in Berlin on 6 June 2015 was where the ACE was first worn on the pitch, and Rakitić scored after four minutes. Barcelona beat Juventus 3–1.
In Stock Now
View All ›
Adidas Ace 16.1 Primeknit FG
Adidas Ace 17.1 FG
Adidas Ace 16+ Purecontrol FG
Adidas Ace 16+ Purecontrol SG
Adidas Ace 16.1 Leather FG
Adidas Ace 16.1 Primeknit FG
Adidas Ace 17+ Purecontrol FG/AG
Adidas Ace 16+ PureControl FGSome boots you never forget. We're still finding them.
Every pair checked by us before it ships.
Shop All ACE →By the Boots Plug team · Our Story ›