Football Vault： adidas Predator 1994 - 18/09/09 - Football Boots

The adidas Predator is an unmistakable boot, a true icon of the football boots world! So to celebrate the upcoming release of the adidas Predator X football boots the SoccerBible is proud to present a unique series looking back at the different incarnations of this unique boot range, starting from the beginning with the original adidas Predator boot...

It has been over a decade since the first adidas Predator football boot was introduced to the world, and it is clear to see how this unconventional piece of equipment became an unmistakable design icon! 





The design brief of the adidas Predator was to create a football boot that could generate more power, more swerve and more control. And to achieve this adidas had to step out of the realms of regular boot design, incredibly finding inspiration from a table tennis bat!





The finished product was a boot that featured a rubberised zone covering the forefoot, enabling players to put unprecedented swerve onto the ball. These vulcanised rubber fins (shown in the images above) yielded amazing bend, power and control, making the adidas Predator football boot unlike any other boot of its time.





As you'd expect with the high quality associated with adidas football boots, the adidas Predator upper was primarily made with supple kangaroo leather, for excellent comfort and ball feel. Add to this the new traxion technology (featured on the outsole of the firm ground versions) and the adidas Predator football boots had become the biggest revolution in football boot design since Adi Dassler's screw-in studs.





Join the SoccerBible as we continue our weekly countdown of every adidas Predator football boots incarnation, culminating in the official unveiling of the brand new Predator X football boots!