The SoccerBible boot vault serves up another collectors item with the Puma Cellerator Shudoh, signed by former Arsenal midfielder and France international Robert Pires. Released for the 2003/04 season during Arsenal's title wining campaign, the Puma Cellerator Shudoh was an aggressive move forward from Puma, offering new technologies to players worldwide.
The boots may not be blessed with the catchiest of titles, but the name Shudoh is Japanese for ''the way to become the master of soccer''. The Shudoh was Puma's lead silo for the 03/04 season and faced competition from household boot names including the Nike Air Zoom Total 90 and adidas Predator Mania and Nike Mercurial Vapor.
These top of the range football boots were made with fully exposed Puma Powerframe technology to generate higher levels of kicking power while reducing vibration and aiding support. The Puma Cellerator Shudoh boasted a ''super-light feel'' despite individually weighing nearly twice as much as some of today's modern speed boots at 345g!
The distinctive upper featured a durable, abrasion resistant Schoeller Dynatec material. The Pittards 80SD Lite combination upper gave the boots its reputation for being one of the most durable and comfortable soccer shoes in the game. The Puma Cellerator Shudoh was suitable for all conditions with high water repellent features and a ground control stud configuration for manoeuvrability and comfort.
The Puma Cellerator Shudoh was adopted by a strong number of players across Europe but it was Arsenal's French winger Robert Pires who headlined the range. The tricky former Arsenal number 7 helped the Gunners to an historic unbeaten season scoring 19 goals wearing the Cellerator Shudoh and cemented his status as an Arsenal legend.
The 2003/04 season was a big year for football boots, introducing us to the Nike Mercurial Vapor and adidas Predator Mania. Nike's first Vapor series revolutionised football boots, changing the way players thought about the game. Puma continued to play third fiddle to the ''big two'' but continually made their presence felt with popular releases including the Cellerator Shudoh and Puma King SL.
The Puma Cellerator Shudoh football boots came available in both FG and SG stud configurations and featured a lightweight low profile TPU outsole with biomechanically correct ground control configuration. Other features of the Shudoh included a fold-over tongue construction, an external anatomically pre-moulded heel counter and Puma Talon support system. The boots were priced at around £100 GBP at the time of release, but we're confident this pair would fetch a little more than that!
Let us know what you think of the classic Puma Cellerator Shudoh football boots and how they compare to today’s modern designs! 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!
