The SoccerBible open our Boot Vault
to showcase classic football boots from seasons past. Next up we have a very special pair of adidas Predator Accelerator football boots - the limited edition Liga Electricity Predator boots!
Originally the Predator Accelerator series was released to coincide with the 1998 FIFA World Cup in France, and these ultra colourful Predator Electricity versions hit stores around a year later in 1999. We retired these boots a long time ago, so bringing them out of the Boot Vault for the first time you can see these limited edition releases enjoyed some great matches as they are looking a little battle worn today.
The legendary World Cup 98 boot had an outstanding tournament, largely through the actions on the pitch of key wearer Zinedine Zidane, who
gave the boot global recognition scoring two goals in the final and brining home the trophy for Les Bleus.
The adidas Predator Accelerator was the first Predator boot to include
asymmetrical loop lacing. This new system was designed to provide a larger, cleaner
kicking
surface, so by tucking the laces away the theory was the striking area on
the top of the boots was vastly improved.
The new lacing system combined with redesigned rubber vamps, which were
less pronounced so more boot surface area came into contact with the
ball. A super soft heel counter and outsole design meant the foot was held more firmly and was able to improve a players movement - thus giving the boot it's Predator name, Accelerator, as players could be quicker around the pitch.
Boasting a full K-leather upper for
maximum comfort (yes even in fluro yellow!), kevlar stitching and a much larger tongue the Predator Accelerator was unlike anything else around at the time. Pro's flocked to wear the new boots and it has become one of the most iconic, loved and recogniseable boots of all time as a result.
The adidas Predator Accelerator was already a visually striking
Predator boot, with a bold and radical design and this Limited edition Electricty Predator colourway took the visuals to a new height.
The unconventional (for the time) use of the famous adidas three stripes meant this was a boot that really stood out on pitch, for more reasons than one!
Even though these were in stores 11 years ago, they would have still set you back around £120 GBP for the Liga (firm ground) and Cup (soft ground) versions, showing that all the advances in technology today have arguably become good value for money!
Despite being released over a decade ago, we reckon these adidas Predator Electricity boots would still cut it today.We wouldn't like to speculate how much a pair of these original Predator Accelerators would go for today however...
Stay tuned to the SoccerBible as we reveal even more soccer cleats from the Boot Vault, showcasing the best retro, classic and once forgotten boots
and bringing them back to life!