From the adidas MUNDIAL to Nike's Total 90
There’s a lot that goes into a football boot design. There’s the materials, studs and laces, obviously, but nowadays there’s also the specific zones for control, shooting and accuracy, as well as different plates for speed or precision.
Then there’s the colours, whether you’re going for the all-time classic of black and white, or you want bright footwear to say something about the style of play.
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But when football boot design is great, it becomes much more than the sum of its parts. Suddenly, a boot becomes fused to a player in the public imagination.
The boot is no longer its own thing, now it’s David Beckham standing over a free-kick, it's Lionel Messi leaving defenders in his wake or it's Thierry Henry ruling over Highbury.
With that in mind, here are 20 of the best boots of all time…
Getty Images1Predator Mania
The boot to end all boots, adidas’ Predator franchise is undoubtedly one of the most famous lines to ever launch, and has been updated, reworked and rejigged over the last 28 years.
The boot reached its peak in 2002, though, with the launch of the Predator Mania.
Already eight years old by this point, the Predator was a popular boot. The launch of the Mania sent it stratospheric, further refining the off-centre tongue and laces and the boots’ signature rubber control pads.
Over the course of the year, to mark the 2002 World Cup, adidas launched the boots in a variety of “Champagne” colourways, but the headline grabber was always the black and red design.
Nowadays, those Predator Manias are a symbol of early noughties football, worn by everyone from Steven Gerrard and David Beckham to Xavi and Zinedine Zidane. For a brief moment, the boots even crossed over and rugby’s very own Jonny Wilkinson laced up his pair.
The relaunch of Predator Mania will be available to buy Sunday, 10 July from the Adidas website.
AdvertisementGetty Images2Nike Total 90 III
Nike’s Total 90 line only existed from 2000 until 2013, before it was replaced by the Hypervenom. But in that time, the line was home to one of the all-time great Premier League match balls and a series of now-iconic boots.
One of the stand-out Total 90 releases arrived in 2002, with the T90 II, complete with an asymmetric construction and a colourful gradient stripe. That boot also starred in “The Secret Tournament” advert, directed by Terry Gilliam, soundtracked by Elvis and packed with the world’s best players.
It was the next installment of the Total 90 that cemented it as a cultural force, though. Arriving in 2004, the T90 III didn’t feature a tongue, and was best known for its huge, circular 90 logo and the block colour on the instep.
The boot was a hit, but more importantly, the astro version became a school disco classic.
Getty Images3adidas Copa Mundial
The adidas Copa Mundial is a classic at every level of the game. It made its debut in 1979 – although it was planned for the 1982 World Cup in Spain – and has always been popular for its black and white colours and no-frills design.
Over the subsequent decades, adidas has returned to the Copa franchise to update the boot. New technologies, constructions and designs have been used to continually reinvent the line for new audiences.
Throughout all of this, the Copa Mundial has remained one of the most popular boots ever released – and was the best seller for a long time.
Even 43 years after it was launched, that black leather, serrated Three Stripes and subtle gold branding make up a football institution.
Get the Copa Mundial boots from adidas for £130.00
Neymar Jr.4PUMA King
The PUMA King has been around for more than 50 years. Over five decades of trends and fads have come and gone, but the black boot with its white Formstripe has been a regular sight across them all.
It’s the boot that Pele wore to top score at the 1970 World Cup, it was on Maradona’s feet for the “Goal of the Century,” Lothar Matthaus laced up a pair before winning the 1990 World Cup and, with it, the Ballon d’Or.
After all of that history, the King faded from top level football for a while, before 2020’s deal with Neymar saw the iconic boot back at the front for a new generation. The Brazilian’s first release alongside PUMA saw him put his own spin on the boot, adding an interlocking logo to the signature Formstripe.
Get the latest version of the PUMA King boots from Puma for £180.00