adidas Nemeziz Messi 19.1

The Adidas Nemeziz Messi 19.1 was the third generation of Messi's Nemeziz signature boots, launched in May 2019 as part of a full silo redesign that overhauled the AgilityBandage concept introduced in 2017. Released under Adidas's "302 Redirect" seasonal boot pack alongside new Predator, Copa, and X models, the Nemeziz 19 targeted the same "agile, multidirectional player" profile as its predecessors but replaced the earlier padded AgilityKnit upper with a new Tension Tape system for a closer, more direct feel. It matters in Messi's boot timeline as the boot he wore into the 2019 Copa América, through the 2019/20 club season, and into his record sixth Ballon d'Or win in December 2019.

The new-generation Nemeziz 19+/19.1 launched globally on May 7, 2019, with Messi's own signature colorway — "White/Solar Red/Football Blue," inspired by Barcelona's three kit colors — released as part of the same "302 Redirect" pack. Footy Headlines reported that Messi had not yet been photographed in the boot at the time of the initial launch coverage, speculating Adidas was holding the signature pair back for a starring debut at the 2019 Copa América in Brazil (held June–July 2019). A second Messi signature colorway, a navy-blue-to-purple "Electricity" design, launched on December 3, 2019, marketed by Adidas as a "Ballon d'Or edition" timed to Messi's sixth Ballon d'Or win that December — although the article notes Adidas had reportedly locked in the December launch date roughly a year in advance, before it was known Messi would win the award (he edged Virgil van Dijk by a single point in the voting). A separate commemorative colorway, "Indigo/Green/Glory," also released in December 2019.

The Nemeziz 19 represented a significant technical overhaul of the silo. Its headline feature was a new Tension Tape upper system, which replaced the padded AgilityKnit 2.0 material used in the 17 and 18 generations; the tape wraps around the entire forefoot and boot, offering a stretchy yet tight, second-skin fit with the tape itself sitting directly between the foot and the ball for what reviewers described as a "sharper, barefoot touch." A V-Shaped Tape Collar around the ankle was designed to provide easy boot entry and a wrap-around fit without restricting movement. On the outsole, Adidas introduced a new Torsion System — a split-sole design (replacing the previous TorsionFrame) built for extreme torsional stability during aggressive, multidirectional movement, paired with new oval-shaped studs blending half-moon and triangular geometry for grip. Independent testing (BootHype) recorded the retail Nemeziz 19.1 at approximately 226 grams, noting the boot felt bottom-heavy, offered a surprisingly roomy toe box for a boot marketed around agility, delivered a clean, direct passing and shooting feel, but became slick when wet and required a break-in period around the new split-sole studs; that review scored the boot 8/10, praising its performance while questioning whether it was positioned as a speed boot or an agility boot. Adidas's own launch messaging described the Nemeziz 19 as built for players who "play unpredictably and beat all opposition with spectacular flair," with an upper construction that "synergises the function and visual of tension, torsion and compression."

Messi's launch colorway ("302 Redirect") was White with Solar Red Three Stripes/branding, a Football Blue split soleplate, and Solar Yellow accents on the stud tips and inner lining — a combination explicitly designed to reference the three primary colors of Barcelona's kits that season (blue, red/garnet, yellow/gold), rendered by SoccerBible as giving the shoe "a Leo-esque spin" in an understated rather than flashy way, consistent with what SoccerBible described as Messi's general aesthetic preference. A subtle Messi signature seal was placed on the inner heel rather than bold branding across the upper. His second 2019 colorway, released for the "Ballon d'Or edition" in December, used a navy blue upper transitioning to purple in the forefoot, with yellow ("Electricity") Three Stripes and branding and a white midsole/outsole — a look some reporting connected to the color scheme of Messi's boots from the 2010 World Cup era, though the exact connection was not elaborated in the sources found.

The Nemeziz 19 launch continued the pattern established since 2017 of Adidas pairing a major technical relaunch of the silo with a personalized Messi signature colorway distinct from the standard team-issue look, reinforcing his position as the line's central athlete alongside others such as Isco and Roberto Firmino, who also wore Nemeziz boots. The December "Ballon d'Or" colorway specifically tied a boot release to Messi's award-season narrative, arriving in the same window as his sixth Ballon d'Or (a record at the time), even though — per Footy Headlines' reporting — the release date had reportedly been fixed by Adidas long before the outcome of that vote was known, making the "Ballon d'Or edition" framing as much retrospective marketing opportunism as a planned celebration.

Messi wore the Nemeziz 19.1 signature colorway through Argentina's run at the 2019 Copa América in Brazil, a tournament in which Argentina finished third after Messi was sent off in the third-place match against Chile and was involved in public post-match comments about the tournament and refereeing. He continued wearing the boot through Barcelona's 2019/20 domestic season, including the club's Champions League campaign — a period that included Barcelona's infamous 4-0 collapse away to Liverpool in the Champions League semi-final second leg in May 2019 (though that specific fixture predates the May 7, 2019 commercial launch of the 19.1, so it is unclear whether Messi wore the outgoing 18.1 or an early 19.1 pair in that match; this detail could not be independently confirmed from the sources consulted). He wore the boot into his sixth Ballon d'Or win, awarded in December 2019.

The best-reviewed Nemeziz generation, and the boot Messi carried through the 2019 Copa América and into his record sixth Ballon d'Or. The Tension Tape rebuild ditched the padded AgilityKnit for a sharper, barefoot-style touch that testers genuinely rated — BootHype scored it 8/10 and Soccer Cleats 101 called it close to the best Nemeziz ever — with caveats about a slick wet-weather upper, a bottom-heavy 226g build, and a split-sole break-in. As a player's boot it still holds up; as a collectible, the Barcelona-kit '302 Redirect' launch colorway is the meaningful one, and pairs remain affordable.