Combine Olympic fever with pre-season fixtures and we're certainly not short of a good boot-spot or two. From London to the United States, we can bring you a selection of the best boots making waves in the world of football. Check out our featured players this week and let us know what you think.
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Ryan Giggs (Team GB) Reebok
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Manchester United veteran Ryan Giggs is just about the only player keeping Reebok on the football map. Reebok haven't released a boot to the public in over two years but continue to update the Giggs' footwear with commemorative colour-ups. The latest is a special pair of Team-GB inspired k-leather boots that we're loving!
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Zlatan Ibrahimovic (PSG) Nike Mercurial Vapor VIII
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Zlatan Ibrahimovic made his PSG debut wearing the White/Pink Nike Mercurial Vapor VIII football boots in a pre-season fixture against D.C. United. The former Barcelona and AC Milan striker needed just three minutes to find the back of the net but looked rusty in the match that ended in a 1-1 draw.
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Gareth Bale (Tottenham) adidas f50 adizero miCoach
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Bale begun his pre-season wearing the Black/Silver/Lime adizero miCoach football boots. The Welshman, who has come under some criticism for not participating the Olympic Team GB squad, is adidas' lead British player for the f50 range. The Spurs man could now miss the start of the season after suffering an ankle injury at the hands of Liverpool's Charlie Adam.
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Benoit Assou-Ekotto (Tottenham) Under Armour 10K Force Pro II
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Spurs full-back Benoit Assou-Ekotto made noise in the boot world last season after wearing various combinations of adidas football boots. But in a move to further increase Under Armour's presence in the Premier League, the American sports giants look to have snapped up the Cameroon international. Ekotto was spotted wearing the 10K Force Pro II football boots against Liverpool.
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Neymar (Brazil) Nike GS
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Neymar continued to inspire title favourites Brazil wearing his Nike GS football boots. The Santos superstar helped Brazil reach the quarter-finals, scoring one goal and assisting the other two in his sides 3-1 win over Belarus. The limited edition boots have already sold-out worldwide, and will only increase in value if Neymar is to claim a gold medal in them!
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Christie Rampone (USWNT) miadidas Predator LZ
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With over 200 international games under her belt, Christie Rampone knows a thing or two about representing the United States. So it was only fitting the the USWNT captain stepped out wearing a USA inspired Predator LZ colourway. The U.S have qualified for the quarter-finals with high hopes of landing a gold medal.
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Lass Diarra (Real Madrid) adidas Predator adiPower
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He's happy to train in branded footwear, but come match day Lassana Diarra blacks-out the adi three stripes on his Predator boots. In the recent Real Madrid friendly, Diarra blacked-out his boots just as he did from February of last season. Clearly there's an endorsement issue here, which is probably why Lass is happy to remain in the adiPower and not move into LZ.
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Jorge Rodriguez (Jaguares) adidas Predator LZ SL
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A player sporting the high-end adidas Predator LZ SL's is quite a rare spot. Traditionally not a boot to receive player endorsement, as adidas prefer to keep their players in the more attainable standard version Preds. Rodriguez obviously liked the look and feel of the new Pred SL, so went and purchased himself a pair.
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Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (Arsenal) Nike CTR360 Maestri III
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Oxlade-Chamberlain has returned to action for Arsenal wearing the brand new Nike CTR360 Maestri III football boots. Another player who broke the embargo and wore his new boots, which perhaps speaks volumes for the advancements Nike have made, The Ox joined an army of new CTR wearers this weekend after the boots official launch. A surprise call-up to the Euro 2012 squad, Oxlade-Chamberlain impressed on the big stage, and now back in club colours big things are expected from Alex during the 2012/13 season.
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Kelvin Davis (Southampton) Nike T90 Supremacy
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It looks like Kelvin Davis has pulled out the boots he last wore in the Premier League, in anticipation of his return! We're joking of course, because in all seriousness Davis wore Puma's when he last played in the Premier League back in 2006. But we wonder where Kelvin pulled out these beauties, as the AZT90 IV Supremacy was originally launched back in 2006, so surely it's not just coincidence.
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Abou Diaby (Arsenal) Nike CTR360 Maestri III
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One of the first significant spots of the alternate launch colourway for the Nike CTR360 Maestri III football boots. Abou Diaby was sporting the Black/White/Crimson versions, and they're not just arguably a better looking boot, but also look nicer with the Arsenal kit. Diaby has claimed he is finally over his injury problems, and if that's the case we're looking forward to seeing what he can do this season.
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Arnold Peralta (Honduras) Joma Total Fit
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Wears adizero's for one game, and then Joma Total Fit's for the next! On it's own this is a boot spot as you don't often see Joma wearers at major tournaments, but when you consider Peralta was sporting adizero's in Honduras' first Olympic game, it makes this more intriguing. It seems Arnold has a pair to match his home and then away strips.
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If there are any players & boots that you've spotted and think we should feature, mail us at: u2us@soccerbible.com putting 'Boot Spotting' in the subject field.