Very few boots reach immortality in the world of football. Fashion and style move as quickly as the feet of pacey wingers, so creating a legacy is a near impossible task. But not impossible. Take the Puma King’s of Diego Maradona, the Nike Total 90’s of Wayne Rooney and the iconic Adidas Predator boots made famous by David Beckham, Zinedine Zidane and Alessandro Del Piero to name a few illustrious names.
Well, if it isn’t broke, do not try to fix it. After three decades and years of tweaks and mild revolutions Adidas has gone right back to how it started with the Predator brand of football boot to launch the Adidas Predator 24 this week. There are only a handful of football boots that last the test of time but generations of footballers young and old will recognise the Predator name and conjure its image in their minds and hearts.
The new Adidas Predator 24 combines the looks of the original Predators with the lightweight technology of today’s modern boots but also weaves in the classic design of the originals with the symbolic tongue strap. The original colourway has been given a 2024 revamp with new highlighter yellow accents dotted throughout. It’s the lightest boot in the Predator range to date, with grippy rubber and extra cushioning to ensure you don’t feel like you’re just wearing socks. The Predator 24 comes in laced and laceless versions too, but in all honesty: it is not a Predator boot unless is has that archetypal, overwhelmingly nostalgic tongue.
As build up to the official launch neared, man-of-the-moment Jude Bellingham sported a pair of limited edition Predator 30 boots for Real Madrid, putting in the sort of performance Adidas would have dreamed about when it handed over a pair of the burgundy beauties as Bellingham debuted the pair towards the end of 2023, symbolising the greats of Beckham, Zidane et al to have worn the white of Real Madrid.
RRP £230. For more details visit Adidas
