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The SoccerBible has opened our Boot Vault once again, this time to resurrect a modern day classic which may have been forgotten by many boot fans. Despite it's short-lived career, the adidas 7406 was a top-end performer which made it onto Premier League pitches in the mid-noughties...
The adidas 7406 football boots are a superb pro edition boot that had all the traditional hallmarks of the classic boots of 1974. The simple styling and easy profile was incorporated into a comfortable modern match-day boot and introduced to pitches around the globe during 2006 (hence the 7406 name). Most notably, the boots were worn by Chelsea and England left-back Ashley Cole at the start of the 2006/07 Premier League season.
It's amazing when you look back through the football archives or study the records because there always seems to be an adidas boot involved at some point, and the 7406 was born out of such an era - the 1974 World Cup. Quite famously, rival brand Puma had stole the headlines at the 1970 World Cup through Pele, but in 1974 it was the turn of adidas, and it was through Gerd Mueller that adidas grabbed the world's attention as he scored the winning goal in the World Cup final.
The adidas 7406 boot collection was released during the 2006 season, and the classic 'straight out of the 1974 locker room' look combined with modern performance technology, made it an instant cult favourite. But it's unique inspiration and style was also the boots downfall, with such strong ties to 1974 the boot couldn't be redesigned or reworked, and at the same time it didn't carry the same prestige to oust either the Copa Mundial or World Cup.
The adidas 7406 soccer cleats are made using a calf leather upper, not Kangaroo or synthetic. The calf leather still gives a good ball touch and feel, but perhaps is not so good for preventing water retention. The lacing is covered by a very stylish and sizeable tongue, which continues the retro looks. And the overall weight of the boot is an impressive 245g, competitive even in today's market.
The classic upper of the adidas 7406 offered a comfortable fit, which moulded to the shape of the foot. Integrated into the retro look of the boot was a modern Traxion outsole, with technology to distribute pressure across the whole of your foot and enhance traction during acceleration and movement.
Retailing for around £85 GBP, the adidas 7406 football boots offered a competitive alternative to the Nike Tiempo Legend, adidas Aviero, Puma King Exec and Umbro Speciali boots available at the time. Despite their career span being short-lived, there's no denying their look is timeless.
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! As always we'd love to hear your opinions by joining the conversations with the SoccerBible community online, on Twitter and on Facebook.
