We are all used to seeing top international footballers flashing their bling when out and about.

Gold chains, designer watches with diamonds aplenty, flashy earrings and huge jewelled rings. If it’s expensive, they’ve probably got it. Or two of them. And one for the wife.

And now Spanish manufacturer Kelme have taken things to a brand new level with the release of a range of football boots and training shoes that, shall we say, dazzle.

The boots and trainers are embedded with Swarovski crystals and are going for around £350 a pop.

They’ll be available soon from Kelme and, should you happen to be in Austria anytime soon, you can go and see them all on display at Swarovski’s Kristallwelten Musuem.

Of course, Kelme have a reputation for producing football boots at the luxurious and expensive end of the market. You may remember ‘The One’ boot, a limited edition boot of which just 500 pairs were made to order.

‘The One’ was constructed from 90% Shark leather (good in the wet then) and retailed at around £300.

After shark leather and crystals, we await to see what Kelme will come up with next. Perhaps a boot for Barcelona players which will stop them from being so appallingly bad the next time they face champions Real Madrid.

Introducing the Puma King XL, the relaunched football boot from Puma celebrates 40 years of existence.

There are few football boots that stand the test of time and have an iconic reputation. Football boots that have been adorned by some of the best footballers the world has ever seen, football boots that are as highly rated today as they were decades ago. When you think of this select group of football boots, the Puma King proudly stands as one of the legends in football boots.

Puma King XL

The Puma King celebrates its 40th birthday this year. First introduced in 1968 as the “King Eusébio” to honour Portugal’s legendary Mozambican-born soccer star Eusébio da Silva Ferreira who was the top scorer at the 1966 World Cup.

Over the years, the King became a legend and was worn by legends. The world’s greatest football stars wore the King including Eusébio, Brazil’s Pele, Argentina’s Maradona and Dutch maestro Johan Cruyff.

This month the Puma King will be re-launched worldwide with a limited edition collection to celebrate its 40th birthday and will be worn on-field at Euro 2008 by Italy’s Massimo Oddo and Germany’s Thomas Hitzlsperger.

The Puma King was born when Eusébio, after scoring nine goals at the 1966 World Cup, worked with Puma to develop a signature football boot which debuted two years later.

It featured increased ankle protection, soft, subtle leather and exceptional ball control. The appeal of the Puma King and the marketing around it was so powerful that consumers were no longer purchasing just a product – but a state of mind and a sporting image as well.

Worn by Eusébio, Pele, Maradona and Cruyff, the football boot became synonymous with reliability and success, selling millions of pairs over the past four decades.

The Puma King will be relaunched worldwide in May and the limited edition Puma line will be available in a special Rio red colourway with gold trim inspired by ruby, the traditional 40th wedding anniversary gift.

The Rio red colour is also seen in the national flag of Portugal, the country Eusébio represented at the World Cup. The special collection will be printed with the years “1968-2008” under the iconic King logo to recognize the 40th anniversary of the Puma King.

For the traditionalists amongst you the black-white King collection will arrive in stores one month later. The football boots will feature MCMLXVII logo on the sole.

Puma King XL Tech Spec

The Puma King XL (XL stands for Roman numeral “40”) football boot stands for quality, heritage and tradition. The newest edition includes classic lines and traditional styling, but with updated materials, enhanced features and new design details.

With raised bead line, toe overlay and lateral stability insert inspired by the Eusébio boot 40 years ago, the new King XL is executed with today’s best production technology. Super-soft, ultra-thin full-grain leather is complemented by a high-density silicon heel counter and conical firm ground stud construction for optimal stability and maneuverability.

The upper is embossed with a leaping cat logo on the vamp and King logo on the lateral side – with the limited edition version featuring the “Eusébio 68” signature.

The limited edition collection football boots will launch in selected stores May 29, 2008 with the traditional black-white products hitting retailers globally on June 28, 2008.

Four down and two to go. Footy Boots is challenging the stamina of Arsenal legend Perry Groves as he continues his exhaustive set of football boot video tests.

With football boot manufacturers on edge around the world to see if Perry gives their product the thumbs up, this week it’s the turn of Puma execs for the cold sweat treatment as our Footy Boots expert tries out the V1.08.

Admittedly, our Perry may not have the build of some of the athletes in the Puma V1.08 ad, (Samuel Eto’o is probably the only player who comes close) but he was still willing to give it a go nonetheless.

To see what he thought of the V1.08, all you need to do is click here.

The next time you’re helping round the house or going through your wardrobe to sort out your summer collection (and there’s no point denying that you do, because at Footy Boots, we are all seeing) there’s now an even better reason for looking closely in all those nooks and crannies as opposed to trying to locate that ghastly Hawaiian shirt you bought 3 years ago but haven’t worn yet. (Just why did you buy it? It looked awful at the time and still does).

That’s because Footy Boots is proud to be backing the Boots for Africa campaign which was launched recently by the former Spurs, Newcastle United and England striker Les Ferdinand.

The aim of Boots for Africa is to provide 50,000 pairs of football boots for deprived children in South Africa.

Ferdinand said: “I’m delighted to support the Boots for Africa campaign. The appeal is a brilliant way for children in the UK to share the game of football with the children of Africa.

“I’m very happy to be getting involved in what I think is a really worthwhile charity. I have experienced the inspiration and sense of achievement that football can bring and this campaign is helping to give the same opportunity to children in Africa.

“Sharing football boots is such a simple but effective way of improving the quality of football for these children.

“I wish Boots for Africa the best of luck in delivering as many pairs of football boots as possible.”

Boots for Africa is the brainchild of Sheffield FC – the world’s first football club – and plans to deliver thousands of cleaned-up football boots and help make the game more accessible to young people in South Africa ahead of the 2010 World Cup.

Junior clubs and members of the public can donate their wearable boots of any size to the campaign by making a £2 donation to receive their boots pack.

Sheffield FC chairman Richard Tims added: “Africa will be staging the World Cup in 2010 for the first time in the competition’s history and we felt this gave an opportunity for everyone to make a difference to the future of the game.

“Sheffield FC and indeed England is seen as where the game truly began. We want to use this standing to again sow the seeds for the next generation of players and ultimately create a knock-on affect for the World Cup.

“These boots may be the children’s first ever pair and each will offer a generation of young people a new sense of hope, pride and ambition.

“We hope junior clubs, schools and members of the public will support this unique campaign and help us achieve our target of raising more than 50,000 pairs of boots.”

Boots for Africa has already received support from the English Football Association, the African Football Confederation, the South African Sports Trust and the South African High Commission.

And, being such a worthwhile cause, it also has the backing of Fifa and particularly President Sepp Blatter who said “The Boots for Africa campaign is a fantastic initiative and one we applaud at FIFA as it continues our aims of ensuring football is made available to all and helping to build a better future.”

So how does it work? Well, quite simply all you need to do is email the Boots for Africa team at info@bootsforafrica.org with the details of your club/organisation/school. They will then send you promotional material, boot bags and collection bags so you can start collecting straight away. Simply collect a donation of a minimum of £2 for each boot bag. Please ensure each pair of boots is clean and tied together before they go into their boot bag, and that each boot bag has the name of the donor/child and size of boots written on the label. Then simply donate your boots (the Boots for Africa team can tell you how and where) and they’ll be shipped off to the children of Africa.

Already in place is a distribution network throughout Africa and arrangements are in place to send boots to communities in South Africa, Ethiopia, Ghana and Zambia. Every pair of boots that are donated will be received in Africa by a young person who has never before had a pair of football boots.

For more information about how to donate to Boost for Africa, you can email at the address as above, phone 0044 (0) 191 222 0440 or visit www.bootsforafrica.org

The Footy Boots video boot reports have certainly caused a stir since Perry Groves launched his investigations two weeks ago.

Ron from Scotland contacted us to say “Congrats on getting Perry Groves to work for Footy Boots – he’s a legend.” John and Barry emailed from an army base overseas to say simply “we love Perry” whilst Lucio from London wrote “it doesn’t matter what Perry Groves wears on his feet – the man is a genius.” Mind you, that email was written in crayon.

This week, after putting the Umbro SX Valor and Nomis Glove through their paces, Perry switches his attention to the Reebok SprintFit.

As it happens, these football boots were in the news recently as Barcelona striker Thierry Henry was due to wear the brand new version of the Reebok SprintFit Pro for the first time in last weekend’s 0 – 0 draw with Espanyol. Due to a fever, Henry didn’t feature, but they just might get a run out this evening against Manchester United in the Champions League semi final.

Henry said ““The Sprintfit football boot just keeps on getting better and better. What I love about this football boot is it allows me to play my natural game, it’s like an extension of me.”

As for the manufacturer, they say that the football boot delivers an unbeatably snug fit thanks to Reebok’s Kinetic Fit System technology. An exquisitely soft K-Skin leather upper aids both flexibility and ventilation, creating a comfortable environment for the foot during play.

So Henry likes them as do Reebok. But importantly, what did Perry make of them? Find out just how highly the former Arsenal player rated them right here.

The last time we featured the Nike Total 90 Laser II it was just before the England friendly in France. Sadly Wayne Rooney and his new football boots were unable to inspire Fabio Capello’s men as they went down 1 – nil in a rather drab display in Paris.

The T90 Laser II football boots are now available on pre-order, with despatch dates of the 1st May, so we thought we’d refresh your minds on the T90 Laser II.

Order the T90 Laser II here

T90 Laser II

Nike specialists have been tinkering, working through those long winter Oregon nights, and have now come up with the latest evolution of the Total 90 Laser II which, as with the original, has an increased sweet spot that improves shooting and passing accuracy to help take your game,should you be playing in a multi storey car park, to the next level.

The football boot is built to ensure that mobility and power remain unmatched on field of play whilst providing unrivalled fit and comfort.

And they’ve received a ringing endorsement from Chelsea’s Florent Malouda:

It’s important for us that Nike has designed this boot with the objective of increasing the player’s accuracy and the power of shots because in high level football, that’s what makes the difference. And with the speed at which we’re playing, we’re always looking for maximum accuracy and the outcome of matches often depends upon it.”

High praise indeed from the ‘3 goals so far this season’ midfielder.

Tech Spec:

Integrated offset lacing system provides increased boot to ball contact surface, minimising uneven ball strike and allowing greater ball control, accuracy and swerve.

Revolutionary V-Twin lacing system maximizes strike zone and optimizes fit allowing the true fit of a traditional football boot, without compromising the contact zone for ball strike.

Improved Shotshield technology on front of foot provides cleaner ball contact and superior control to allow the athletes to place the ball more accurately. The technology continues to utilise the precision ring technology used in its predecessor, providing increased accuracy through refined placement and design.

Teijin synthetic leather and engineered mesh work together to help protect the foot and maintain a constant temperature environment throughout a full 90 minutes.

Water resistant eVENT membrane enhances breathability and keeps the foot dry.

New high density outsole component supports and stabilises the planted foot when striking the ball.

Individually engineered hybrid studs are positioned for optimal traction and comfort, distributing pressure evenly across the foot.

An engineered sockliner provides improved arch and heel support whilst it’s unique anatomical design leverages multiple material densities to help distribute pressure and provide a tailored fit and feel from heel to toe.

Improved external heel counter cup provides added stability and works in combination with a molded foam package to create a superior feet and heel lockdown.

As well as updating the Total 90 Laser II, Nike has also released some stunning new imagery of some of their players. Just like looking in a mirror we thought in the Footy Boots office, minus the talent and plus a few kilos of course.

We thought you’d like to see a few examples as well.

Order the T90 Laser II here

And so to our final new Adidas football boot that the company has unveiled ahead of the European Championships to be held this summer in Austria and Switzerland. You’ve already seen the Predator Power Swerve and the adiPure, so now it’s the turn of the F50.8 TUNiT.

The latest version of the football boot is made from a new synthetic upper, adiDot, which is dimpled to aid touch and control. The material repels water so the weight of the football boot does not increase in wet conditions. The football boot is also lighter than previous models yet stronger and more durable than traditional leather.

The F50 is the football boot of choice for flair players up and down the country – the world’s first modular football boot, allowing you to customise your football boots depending on your style and the pitch conditions.

The newly improved F50.8 TUNiT provides additional support and stability, and the chassis and sockliner now come separated, which allows players to insert their own orthopaedic sockliners for added comfort.

As promised on Footy Boots earlier, another sneak preview of the new Adidas football boots for Euro 2008. We’ve already released details of the new Predator Power Swerve, and here’s what the new adiPure looks like ahead of the tournament in Austria and Switzerland.

The new football boot is made from 100% K-leather which moulds to the shape of your feet, making it one of the most comfortable boots on the market and it incorporates proven adidas technologies such as Traxion outsoles and an adiprene sockliner.

The football boot meets the demands of many football fans who have grown up with adidas’ football heritage, but now require a football boot which gives them the best advantage on the pitch.

Pure Technology explained:

New Last Offers a fantastic performance fit
Material 100% K-leather for glove like fit and offering excellent feel for the ball
Lightweight and breathable
3 Stripes Stitched in and embedded for a pure, handcrafted feel
Sockliner Premolded sockliner with adiprene® insert for additional comfort
Outsoles New full plate outsoles offering Traxion® technology
Heel lining Brown synthetic leather

Adidas have launched their latest campaign “DREAM BIG” where some of the world’s biggest football stars meet the world’s smallest football teams.

Rather than focusing on the big football superpowers for Euro 2008, adidas have decided to focus on some lesser known football teams with the notion that anyone can “Dream Big”, no matter what their ranking.

Kaká, Messi, Gerrard and Beckham are amongst the all-star group of footballers that were sent out, along with their football boots on missions to Andorra, San Marino and the Isles of Scilly (UK) to inspire and coach local teams.

A small number of young boys and girls in the three locations took part in what they thought was a straightforward documentary about football - and were totally unaware of the star players’ involvement. This surprise element led to some extraordinarily charming and real moments between players and kids.

San Marino - being one of the lowest-ranked national teams in Europe - receives specialist coaching and advice from stars such as Kaká, Xabi Alonso and Robin van Persie. The stars work side by side with the young players answering questions and passing on advice. What follows is an intimate, light-hearted and inspiring series of football films.

The second location in the series sees adidas stars sharing their knowledge in the world’s smallest football competition. Just two teams make up the Isles of Scilly league and the young players here could really use some outside help. Much to the surprise of the local residents the likes of, among others, David Beckham, Steven Gerrard, Patrick Vieira and Michael Ballack turn up to pass on tips to the islands’ youngsters.

In the third location, a team of talented juniors from Andorra set off on a road trip of a lifetime to the Spanish capital Madrid. Tickled by the idea of helping out the 179th ranked country in the world, Super Coach José Mourinho arrives for a special coaching session with the future of Andorran football, before sending the boys off on their journey. Along the way the boys are met by Lionel Messi, David Villa, Lukas Podolski and Arjen Robben.

“Dream Big” is what unites the staged players and the kids – both of them having big dreams, being united by their love for football. The campaign also further enhances adidas’ brand statement of ‘Impossible is Nothing’. Even if you come from a small place you can still dream of conquering the impossible.

F50 TUNiT Footballers
ANDORRA LOCATION

Lionel Messi, Lukas Podolski, David Villa, Arjen Robben, José Mourinho

Predator® Footballers
THE ISLES OF SCILLY LOCATION

Steven Gerrard, David Beckham, Anderson, Michael Ballack, Patrick Vieira, Andriy Voronin, Daniele De Rossi.

adiPure Footballers
SAN MARINO LOCATION

Kaká, Robin van Persie, Yoann Gourcuff, Xabi Alonso, Philipp Lahm

See the video promo for the campaign.

In 1984, Cambridge United were awful. They set a league record of 33 matches without a win.

During this appalling run, they were losing at home, again, when one of the opposing players got injured. After a few minutes, it became clear that the injury was serious and a hush descended on the Abbey Stadium as the players looked on, shuffling their feet and just happy it wasn’t them lying on the ground.

After a couple of minutes, some wag (that’s joker not WAG) shouts out “Come on United, you’re terrible so don’t just stand there – practice!”

Players from England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic will get a lot of time to do that this summer, in-between taking their partners to ridiculously expensive hotels in Dubai and shopping in LA.

But if you thought that their collective failure to qualify for Euro 2008 would result in a quiet tournament for the football boot manufacturers then you’d be quite wrong. It’s already hotting up and congratulations to Adidas for being the first company to contact Footy Boots with tournament information.

Adidas are releasing new colourways, especially for their players in Austria and Switzerland, of the PredatorPower Swerve, adiPure and F50.8 TUNiT. You’ll be able to see the adiPURE and TUNiT on Footy Boots tomorrow, but for now, feast your eyes on the Predator PowerSwerve. All the techy jargon follows too.

The new football boot features Predator SMART foam on the strike zone to give extra power, swerve and control - in rigorous testing the boot was found to give 3% more force and 8% more swerve than its predecessor. The foam also adapts and changes to suit the way you kick the ball so you get maximum velocity, or shock adsorption, depending on your needs.

The new dynamic PowerPulse insole also now features 40g of ‘Tungsten’ powder - which shifts and spreads weight in the sole to where you need it, behind the exact place of impact with the ball to get total weight transfer.

Each football boot comes with a ‘power’ and a lightweight insole so a simple swap allows the player to customise his/her game.

Zhero Evolution Due is the model for those who are looking for technology and absolute lightness.

The model is equipped with the new Twist’ngo system, the first rotating stud that accompanies the athlete during changes in direction, ensuring speed, stability and reducing the risk of injury.

The upper is a water-repellent microfiber with asymmetric lacing and reversible tongue to support a larger area of contact with the ball.

Zhero Evolution Due is equipped with an external quarter stiffener, providing the utmost support for protection against impacts, and an anatomic pull-out insole with “Shock-Absorber” insert in the heel zone, which maximise the comfort and stability along all of the foot. It is also equipped with Puntoflex, a special technical feature, which is positioned crosswise on the outsole at the metatarsal zone level, allowing the correct flexion of the foot.

There are two available soles: SG, with interchangeable studs in steel and nylon to allow maximum traction on heavy pitches and FG with fixed conical studs, which also include the Twist’ngo system for maximum stability and grip on dry, grassy pitches.

Sizes: 4.5 to 12
Colours: White /Fiery Red
Retail Price: £ 90,00

On Footy Boots you can view our exclusive images and information on the new Zhero Evolution Due, Vento Diablo KL,  Zhero Gravity Due and the Zhero Leggenda Due.

Zhero Leggenda Due

Zhero Leggenda Due football boot is ideal for players who are seeking comfort and performance.

The model is equipped with the new Twist’ngo system, the first rotating stud that accompanies the athlete during changes in direction, ensuring speed, stability and reducing the risk of injury.

The upper is made in water-repellent kangaroo leather with modular lacing that allows you to maintain lacing tension constant all along the foot.

Zhero Leggenda Due is equipped with an external quarter stiffener, providing the utmost support for protection against impacts, and an anatomic pull-out insole with “Shock-Absorber” insert in the heel zone, which maximise the comfort and stability along all of the foot. Like the Gravity, it is also equipped with Puntoflex.

Zhero Leggenda Due is available in two different soles: SG with interchangeable studs for heavy and muddy pitches and FG with fixed conical studs, which also include the Twist’ngo system for maximum stability and grip on dry, grassy pitches.

Sizes: 5.5 to 12
Colours: White /Fiery Red
Retail Price: £ 90,00

On Footy Boots you can view our exclusive images and information on the new Zhero Evolution Due, Vento Diablo KL,  Zhero Gravity Due and the Zhero Leggenda Due.

Vento line

Vento Diablo KL is the top-of-the-range model, with upper in water-resistant kangaroo leather and asymmetric lacing plus the Twist’ngo technology.

The model is available in two different colour combinations: White/Fiery Red and Black/White.

Furthermore, the model features the 3-S technology (Side Stability Support), which gives the foot more stability during side movements.

The insole is anatomical and removable to maximise comfort all over the foot, with a Shock-Absorber cushioning insert in the heel zone. It is also equipped with BFC technology (Biomechanical Foot Control), an insole that accompanies and controls the foot’s natural flexibility, supporting both the arch area and the elastic return of the forefoot.

The Adapto system is also inserted in the rear part of the football boot, a thermoplastic quarter stiffener the remarkable elastic properties of which allow perfect adaptation to the heel shape by cushioning it anatomically. The rigid part on the sides supports the heel, while the soft, flexible and cushioned part adapts perfectly to the heel thereby heading off repeated micro-traumas which cause tendon inflammation. Two different types of soles are available: SG, a sole equipped with interchangeable studs in steel and nylon and FG, a sole with fixed conical studs, which includes the Twist’ngo system.

Sizes: 4.5 to 12
Colours: Black/White, White/Fiery Red
Retail Price: £ 60,00

On Footy Boots you can view our exclusive images and information on the new Zhero Evolution Due, Vento Diablo KL, Zhero Gravity Due and the Zhero Leggenda Due.

Zhero Gravity Due

Zhero Gravity Due is the evolution of Zhero Gravity, which was launched for the 2006 World Cup as the world’s first laceless football boot.

Entirely made in Italy, the model ensures a perfect fit of the foot, thereby offering maximum levels of comfort, thanks to the exclusive Pro-fit technology inserted in the upper. Zhero Gravity Due wraps the foot like a glove: the lack of laces extends the support surface to the whole of the upper, thereby guaranteeing complete contact with the ball and its control without details that detract from the maximum precision of the kick. Furthermore, the external quarter stiffener in Pebax ensures correct support and protection.

The upper is made from microfibre, a water-repellent, breathable and anti-abrasion material, which resists environment variations in more extreme temperatures, as well as the most difficult playing conditions. To best respond to the needs of all players, Zhero Gravity Due uses two internal pull-out insoles that mould themselves to fit different foot shapes.

Another element that makes the Zhero Gravity Due football boot a high-quality product is the sole with Neo Switch technology. This consists of Lottos exclusive fixed and interchangeable studs that can be replaced according to the state of the playing field.

It is also equipped with Puntoflex, a special technical feature positioned crosswise on the outsole at the metatarsal zone level, allowing the correct flexion of the foot.

Sizes: 5.5 to 12
Colours: White /Fiery Red
Retail Price: £ 140,00

On Footy Boots you can view our exclusive images and information on the new Zhero Evolution Due, Vento Diablo KL,  Zhero Gravity Due and the Zhero Leggenda Due.