Describe an adidas Predator. Chances are – if you’re of a certain age, at least – you will roll out the iconic black, white and red colourway, a folder tongue, and those overly aggressive rubber elements. Congratulations, you just described the Predator Touch, which is making a welcome return to consciousness 30 years on from its debut.
Up until the mid-90s, football boots were a fairly standard affair: black leather, laces and studs. Sure, there was the likes of the Copa Mundial, which sat a cut above the rest, but on the whole there wasn’t a huge amount to separate one model from another beyond the branding. That all changed in 1996 when adidas unleashed the Predator on the world. Suddenly, there was a piece of genuinely innovative technology that set adidas apart from the competition. And with it came a [ahem] striking new aesthetic.
Of course, that look would evolve over time, but when most people think back to the beginning of the Predator line, it’s the Predator Touch that springs to mind. It was the first proper execution of the now-iconic black, white and red colourway, complete with the fold-over tongue and those exaggerated rubber elements. It had the lot. Two years before the iconic Accelerator, the Touch well and truly lay the groundwork.
Now, 30 years after David Beckham’s unforgettable halfway-line goal against Wimbledon announced both himself (and arguably the Predator for a lot of people) to the football world, adidas have pulled the classic silhouette back out of the archive and retooled it for the modern game.
Officially dubbed the adidas Predator ’96 for its re-release, the boot features an exact recreation of the original upper, paired with the soleplate from the current-generation Predator. It’s classic Predator styling with modern tooling beneath, making it just as suitable for today’s game as it was back then. So if you fancy trying your luck from the halfway line yourself, you’ll be more than equipped.
Pick up the adidas Predator 96 from 4 November at prodirectsport.com/soccer
