Putting together of adidas from the last 20+ years
adidas has had a rich history of phenomenal football boots from the Copa Mundial to the Predator. They’ve delighted us some truly great boots over the years that I still haven’t gotten over in 2020.
After putting together the ultimate power boot and speed boot, we decided to take a look at the best adidas had to offer and build the ultimate boot purely from the archives of the three stripes.
Upper – X18.1
Starting from the top, adidas has treated us to so many great upper materials. The soft but rugged leather from the golden age of Predator was always a candidate and I loved the synthetic upper from the F50 adiZero – it was one of the best synthetic uppers ever made.
But I have to tip my hat off to the adidas X18.1, a football boot that continues to amaze me ’til this day. That soft, thin and yet slightly padded upper changed what was possible for speed boots. It told the world that you could create a speed boot that was comfortable and allowed your feet room to breath, no matter how snug it was. Above all, that matte finish just screams premium quality.
Unique adidas tech 1 – Lethal Zones
I loved the Predator Lethal Zones (LZ) for what it represented. For years, the Predator limited their iconic rubber elements to a small area of the instep. It ushered in a new era for power boots and got players to think differently about contact with the ball outside that instep area.
Lethal Zones changed all that with grip strips across key areas on the boot’s upper. It was eye-catching and most importantly, functional. Lethal Zones set the blueprint for future Predator models with rubber elements spread across the foot. Even the latest Predator 20 has its roots in the LZ and that is something that demands an induction in the ultimate adidas football.
Unique adidas tech 2 – Laceless Copa 19/20+
For years, adidas tried to carve out their own niche and calling card. They got just that with their first laceless football boot, the Ace 16+ Purecontrol,as it made adidas feel relevant again in a competitive market place. While the laceless boot was adidas’ signature technology, I always felt that it was a work-in-progress because finding the perfect fit was always a challenge with a boot with little customizability.
Step forward, the adidas Copa 19+. With the existing Copa, it feels like adidas has come close to perfection for a laceless boot that was comfortable, accommodated most feet shapes well and provided sufficient lockdown. If adidas can continue refining the formula, they will be light years in front of any competitor in the laceless space.
Soleplate – adiPower Predator TRX
adidas has been relatively conservative with their soleplates, having had similar build across their silos for at least a few years.
However, I felt that the soleplate on the adiPower Predator had the right mix of very good ingredients. It was lightweight with solid bladed studs while containing the stability stud in the middle for extra traction when accelerating. I also liked the look of the Powerspine that helped stiffen up the boot for extra stability and for that extra oomph in your shot.
X-Factor – Predator Mania
It had to be a Predator. Not just any Predator but one of the best looking of the bunch – the Predator Mania. Whenever one thinks of the golden age of the Predator, the Mania comes to mind.
The Mania saw a shift into a more elegant, modern and sleek silhouette after their more bulky and aggressive predecessors. Fans are still going gaga over the Predator Mania and recent remakes were snapped up like hotcakes. If there ever was the most iconic adidas boot out there, the Predator Mania was it. And while you’re at it, make it champagne gold for its eternal class.
Did we miss anything? Let us know what makes the ultimate adidas football boot in the comments below.
