Studs Up

This has been a good season for me on the boots front. I was lucky enough to be sent a pair of the ridiculously expensive Nike Superfly’s by the fine folks at Soccerpro while Umbro sent me a pair of the ridiculously comfortable Umbro Speciali. Good times.

The latest pair to arrive at my doorstep is the new Predator X, courtesy of Adidas. This boot is a big deal not only as the latest Predator iteration but for the fact that it marks the 10th anniversary of the famous boot. I can still remember the feeling of awe, confusion and excitement when the first Predator came out with all that rubber stuff stuck on it, and haven’t actually worn a pair regularly since those first editions. So it’s kinda cool to come full circle a decade later and try out the latest generation.

Normally I make sure to test the boot out in my Sunday league before I write the review, but as it’s winter it’ll be a couple months till a new season starts. So I’ll make do with some initial thoughts for now and then follow up once I get a chance to test the important parts of any boot – fit, comfort, feel, contact etc.

Right now, I have only visuals to go on and I think the Predator X is pretty interesting on that front. I prefer traditional k-leather boots and a classic look like the Umbro Specialis or a hyper-modern, sleek look like the Nike Mercurial line. The Predator is a bit of both, which is interesting. The tip of the boot is leather but the rest of the upper is a mix of the Predator rubber contact zone and some synthetic, almost plastic materials that make up the more aesthetically-focused areas. So in all the boot has 3-4 different materials and looks combined into one boot. I’m not quite sure how I feel about that yet but at a glance its a very attractive boot. I especially like the classic red/black Predator colourway.

Another interesting decision is the complete lack of a tongue. There’s basically just a small red leather area where a tongue would be, but there’s not really any extra material although it does create a very sleek form factor.

Pics below, and once I can get them a proper run out I’ll follow up with my thoughts on how the boot actually performs and feels.