When Nike unveiled the Peel Orange Vapor IV back in 2007, there was no other boot that could hold a candle.

The Vapor IV was the football boot everyone wanted. It looked sleek and powerful, a complete overhaul from the Vapor III, it was an exciting prospect; infusing glass fibre – a material that only rightly belonged on space shuttles and Formula 1 cars - onto a humble football boot.  It was the pinnacle of design.

Then, in the next generation, Nike announced that alongside the hotly anticipated Vapor V they would be running a boot that would push the Vapor principals to their limits – the Superfly.
If you’re reading this, I don’t need to bring you up to speed on the interim; Vapor V has some Flywire in, Superfly integrity issues, relaunch, Superfly II and so on.

So here we are, with the new Superfly II about to the hit the shelves and no sign of the Vapor VI, and this only further emphasizes my question – is the Vapor being devalued?

First of all, Nike haven’t even mentioned the Vapor VI yet, whereas the Vapor V and Superfly I were announced at the same time. A cynic might suggest that this is so more people would pre-order the Superfly II, rather than settling for the inevitably cheaper Vapor.

But, in reality, it’s more likely that Nike feel that Superfly II offers more in the way of innovation and is worth having a period of exclusivity to let it get the attention it rightly deserves. Which, brings me to the next point; technology.

The Superfly II boasts a full carbon fibre sole plate, 2 NikeSense adaptive studs, re-stringed FlyWire, completely new upper and the ‘flicker’ of 2 contrasting colours in the colourways.

What can we expect from the Vapor VI? The definite inclusions, in my opinion, have to be; carbon fibre sole plate, the Flywire partially transplanted onto the instep (as on the Vapor V) and the new material on the upper including – don’t worry – the ‘Flicker’ contrast colourways, as well as keeping the lace cover from the past two incarnations.

As for rest of the innovations - like the studs - we’ll just have to wait and see.

My worry is - Have the Vapor’s gone from the the pinnacle in the world of football boots, to the entry-level version of the Superfly?

I’d say 90% of the professionals who wear the Mercurial range wear the Superfly - and rightly so, with all the extra tech at a lower weight, who wouldn’t? But, we don’t get to wear the exact same version of the boots that our heroes wear, unless we part with twice as much cash.

However, this is definitely not some Nike/Superfly-bashing piece. I have to respect what Nike have done with the Superfly II; they’ve taken the concept of speed to the limits of their imagination and then put a price tag on it, rather than working to create a boot that will retail for X amount of money.

What that says to me is this a company that takes football boots very seriously, and this is a huge show of dedication to make an idea perfect, and you have to respect that.

What it also shows is their willingness to collaborate with the professionals.

In our interview with Andy Caine, we learnt that he’d spent some 12 weeks meeting with the top Mercurial wearers in the world and discussing the tiniest details of what players do and don’t like about the boots they wear; what could be better and what would be the ideal.

In some ways, Nike have created a ‘concept’ boot - that’s the ultimate boot for the professional player, where every gramme matters, and it’s priced as such - so if you get a pair, you know that they’re the best of the best and you’re very lucky to own them, because they’re really not meant for the bobbled pitches of weekend league football.

Personally, I’d like to see the Superfly become a Limited Edition, like the Vapor SL’s were. Available to pros permanently, but die hard fans who really want them can snap them up if they’re quick enough.

They then become more of a show of power from Nike, like a ‘look at what we can do’ boot. That way the Vapor stays at the top of the tree, because it’s the only one that’s readily available to the public

What do you think? Do you think the Vapor now lives in the shadow of the Superfly? Or are they two separate boots? One that’s for professionals and one for the rest of us? What would you change?

Drop us a comment and let us know - or follow us on Twitter!

It’s been a great week to be a Striker in the Premier League

Defences up and down the country have had to be checked into clinics for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder as Rooney, Drogba, Torres, Bendtner and Pavlychenko have found unstoppable veins of form as the season reaches it’s climax.

So, what better time to take stock than now? Without further ado, we present our pick of the top 10 Strikers in the Premier League!

10. Hugo Rodallega - Wigan Athletic - Nike Vapor IV, Vapor V, Mercurial Vapor Superfly

2520 Minutes Played, 8 Goals, 6 Assists, 1 Goal every  315 minutes

Boot-spotters-favourite, Colombian Rodallega has enjoyed a fantastic season at Wigan. Manager Roberto Martinez has opted to play the pacey forward more than Jason Scotland and in return Rodallega has bagged 8 for the Latics.

Looking at his goals per minute ratio, it’s certain Hugo will regret his inconsistent form that saw him take until March to get his first goal of 2010!

9. Nicolas Anelka - Chelsea - Puma v1.10
2075 Minutes Played, 8 Goals, 6 Assists, 1 Goal every 259 minutes

After the turbulence of last season, Anelka was one of the few Chelsea players to emerge a hero - getting the golden boot with 19 goals. However, since the return of Drogba, Anelka has been happy to play behind the big Ivorian and provide nearly as many assists as goals.

It’s certainly a far cry from the temperamental Anelka we saw at Bolton & Arsenal, and applaud this new maturity! He might not be the top striker this season, but he’d certainly be at the top of the ’strike-partner’ list!

8. Gabriel Agbonlahor - Aston Villa - Nike Mercurial Vapor Superfly

2320 minutes played, 11 Goals, 4 Assists, 1 Goal every 210 minutes

Explosive forward Agbonlahor has had a mixed season so far, some moments he’s unstoppable and then the next he’s gone quiet. He plays in a Villa side where goals can come from anywhere on the pitch, which puts him at a disadvantage, but he never stops working for the team.

Playing a full 90 minutes in all but 3 of Villa’s games this season shows he’s one of the fittest strikers around and if he can retain that level of health he could be an outside bet to be part of the World Cup Squad this summer!

7. Louis Saha - Everton - Nike Total 90 Laser III

1752 Minutes Played, 13 Goals, 1 Assist, 1 Goal every  135 minutes

Saha is one of only 2 players in this top 10 not to break the 2000 minute barrier - and anyone that’s followed his career knows why. The injury prone striker is currently sidelined, but the Goodison faithful still love him thanks to a famous brace that saw them overcome Chelsea at Home!

6. Carlos Tevez - Manchester City - Nike Tiempo Legend I

2052 Minutes Played, 15 Goals, 5 Assists, 1 Goal every 137 minutes

Hard-working Tevez was the subject of controversy in his summer move from Manchester United, (thanks to certain posters) but his actions on the pitch have proved where his allegiances lie.

Tevez puts in Lung-Busting runs from box-to-box to get in the right position time after time. Couple this with his neat instinctive finishing, and you’ve got a player that’s bound to be a fan favourite whatever shirt he has on!

5. Jermaine Defoe - Tottenham Hotspur - Adidas f50i

2101 Minutes played, 17 Goals, 4 Assists, 1 Goal every  123 minutes

Jermaine Defoe is having a personal best season under manager Harry Redknapp.

Despite sharing a squad with Crouch, Pavlyuchenko and Robbie Keane (for most of the season) Defoe roared out the gates scoring 5 goals in his first 8 games, and has featured in all but 2 of Spurs’ games this season.

4. Darren Bent - Sunderland - Umbro Speciali

2589 Minutes played, 18 Goals, 4 Assists  1 Goal every 144 minutes

After all-sorts of Twitter controversy in the Summer and talk of going to Hull and Stoke, ‘DBtheTruth’ must be glad all that fuss resulted in his move to the Stadium of Light. Steve Bruce has partnered him with Kenweyne Jones up front to devestating effect.

Despite being ‘off-the-boil’ since Christmas, Bent’s hat-trick against Bolton is a warning to the rest of the table that Sunderland aren’t going to be taken lightly in the relegation scrap.

3. Fernando Torres - Liverpool - Nike Total 90 Laser III/Laser II

1474 Minutes played, 15 Goals , 3 Assists, 1 Goal every 98 minutes

Many will be crying foul at Torres being so high up the list. But, as the only striker in our Top 10 to have played less than 1500 minutes Torres has still notched up 15 goals - which is as many as Tevez but with 500 less on pitch minutes.

A strike rate of a goal every 98 minutes is absolutely phenomenal to say that he has 2 massive holes in his season. Where other players use the excuse ’still finding form’ or ‘not quite match fit’ Torres is scoring goals. ‘Nuff said.

2. Didier Drogba - Chelsea - Nike Mercurial Vapor Superfly

2119 Minutes played, 21 Goals, 9 Assists, 1 Goal every 101 minutes

Drogba has already surpassed his record of 20 goals in the 06/07 season, but has also added a superb work-rate to his finishing and physical presence.

Despite being a central striker, Drogba now has the intelligence to hold defenders off in the box and find a teammate at a better angle, giving him an unbelievable 9 assists - as many as Valencia has on the wing for Manchester United.

1. Wayne Rooney - Manchester United- Nike Total 90 Laser III

2382 Minutes played, 25 Goals, 5 Assists, 1 Goal every 95 minutes

If I weren’t English (and that he’s single-handedly keeping my fantasy team afloat!) , I think I’d be sick of hearing about Wayne Rooney.

Since Ronaldo’s departure in the summer, Rooney has been let loose. Playing in the centre or partnered with Berbatov, Rooney will bust a gut for the team on the pitch. As for off the pitch - it looks all too apparent that he has the same work rate; adding headers and short-range finishing to his arsenal must have taken hours of dedication in training, and now it’s paying off!

What do you think of our list? Who do you think deserves a spot? Would you like more stats!? Tell us below in the comments or drop us a message on Twitter!

Puma are ramping up the colourways as the summer’s big events!

After the well received White/Red/Black K-leather version, this Royal Blue/Black/Silver colouway is the latest to be produced by the German powerhouse Puma!

Certainly a big departure from the more understated Puma colourways of late, this space-age new colour scheme looks like it was designed for some sort of space age robot!

Puma’s latest endorsees show off their skills at the launch event for the Royal/Black/Silver colourway…maybe

We certainly like it though, and this combination of colours will surely be of interest to long-time Puma Football Boot wearer Nicolas Anelka!

If you’d like to know more about the v1.10, make sure you check out our overview and review of the boot, or watch them in action on the Footy-Boots show!

Leave us a comment and tell us what you think of Puma’s latest, or send us a message on Twitter!

92%

Reviews Counted: 7

Help

Zuku Sports Soccer Plus, Footy-Boots Test

We’ve mentioned Zuku Products before here on Footy-Boots.com, and I’ve got to admit - I was a little sceptical. I’ve never tried the Soccer Plus tabs, or anything like them before.

Call me cynical, but when did the half-time orange and a quick squirt from the club water-bottles (that, no matter how much you wash them, always make the water taste like bleach and plastic) stop being enough?

But, Zuku have been in business a few years now, and so must be doing something right. Not to mention that I know one or two people who swear by the Soccer Pro range.

So…I caved, I got myself a couple of packets and have been trialling them with a few of my teammates across the last couple of weeks.

Packaging

Soccer Pro tabs come in a little rip-open foil packet, with 4 little orange and white hexagonal tabs inside.

This in itself is a nice bit of consideration from Zuku, exact dosage per packet that’s kept individual and easy to find in your kitbag is ideal for ripping open and scarfing during your managers team talk (2 Ranks of 4 lads! We can win the second half! This is just a practice game now, there’s always next week! etc. etc.).

Taste

Soccer Pro tastes just about exactly the same as every orange-flavoured supplement you’ve ever had before; you know, that sort of sharp orange-y taste that makes the edges of your tongue tingle? That one. It’s still tastes nicer than new Sunny Delight though.

Result

Now this was the part that surprised me; I actually did feel an improvement in several areas of my body that would normally by flagging a little, throughout the second half.

I’ve always had a bit of an issue with the tops of my knees and the lower half of my quads becoming achey and heavy as the 90th minute draws nearer. Whilst Soccer Pro did not eliminate the problem, it did reduce it greatly.

I wasn’t the only one, the other members of the team said they felt less heavy-limbed. Another of my teammates is prone to a bit of cramp, and hasn’t felt any of that horrible muscle-wrenching pull that signals the onset of cramp since having a packet of these chalky orange tablets at half time.

So, Soccer Pro seems to stave off cramp and relieve standard muscle fatigue, which is pretty impressive - but it also claims to boost focus and concentration.

While I was sat asking the guys what they thought of this aspect, the agreement seemed to be that normally these little niggles such as a twinge of cramp or a case of heavy legs will often distract you from your game and put you in a negative mindset - but if these Soccer Plus tabs do prevent the physical problems, this allows you to concentrate on the match for longer.

Conclusion

Whilst the phrase ‘Nutraceuticals’ makes me cringe almost as much as certain sports drinks telling me that my ‘electrolytes are imbalanced’, I’ve got to tip my hat to whatever makes Soccer Pro do what it does - whether it’s a genuine improvement or a placebo - it’s certainly helped with my heavy legs.

I’m aware that I’m in danger of coming off like an advert, and there will be certain people who are happy with running for 90 minutes scoffing at me and my Grandad-knees (No doubt whilst doing abdominal-crunch number 453 of their 1000-a-day regime).

So what I will recommend is this: if you’re coming back from an injury, struggle with muddy pitches, playing uphill or maybe for the first couple of weeks of the season, get a small packet just to help you along a bit until you get your fitness and confidence back - (it’s got to be worth the cost of 3 games match fee), and if you think they’re really working for you then maybe look at getting some more.

For more information on Zuku products, click here to see their official Website

Leave us a comment below if you’ve tried this product or anything similar - we’d love to try out more products and report back what we think!

Or - tell us on our Twitter account!

Hot on the Heels of the White/Gold/Blue PowerCat 1.10, Puma has unleashed it’s next colourway!

These striking new Powercats will be the next to hit the shelves from Puma, once again, nicely timed for the World Cup.

Whilst we definitely prefer the much classier first two colours of this particular brand of football boot here in the office, we think there’s definitely a lot of players who are salivating at the chance to own such an audacious boot.

In particular, the contrasting gills on the boot definitely make this look less like a PowerCat, more a deadly snake or insect! And we know from our testing this is definitely a boot with a sting in it’s tail!

If you’d like to know more on the tech-specs of the Powercat 1.10, make sure you check out our overview of the boot!

For more up to date football boot news - make sure you’re following us on Twitter!

45%

Reviews Counted: 3

Help

After a successful campaign to get budding artists to design sole plates for the football boots of their favourite players, Umbro moved to a much larger focus: The World Cup.

Umbro offered the chance to anyone who thought they were up to the task of designing the official sole plate design for the Specilai’s which will be worn by all Umbro’s stars at the World Cup.

All they had to do was post a design on their Flickr account, and wait until a winner was announced.

Whilst nowhere near creative enough to enter, here at Footy-Boots we did enjoy looking at the designs that came in  - some were well thought-out and well executed, others were clearly submitted by ego-maniacs who thought one of their holiday photos deserved to be part of the design!

But the guys at Umbro were looking for something special, something that would sum up the spirit and flair of the World Cup but at the same time seamlessly integrate with the classic cool of the Speciali.

And the winner, announced on the Umbro Twitter, was the design of Jorge Angulo from Ecuador - designer of ‘South African Soul’

Which (as well as having an utterly Pun-tastic name) is a modern, geometric design that cleverly uses the colours of the South African flag in a refreshing new way.

The Runner-up was Eduardo Napoleao from Brazil, who came up with this Zebra design for the Umbro Football Boots

Definitely a nod to one of Africa’s most distinctive animals, with a classy gold Umbro diamond in the centre that really caps it off. This design will be made into a one off souvenir pair for the designer!

You can spot Umbro’s winning pattern worn by the likes of David James, John Terry, Gael Clichy, Deco, Pepe and Wilson Palacios during the World Cup, and we reckon the Umbro may release a limited run of these like they have done with the England Speciali in the past.

In the meantime, we whole-heartedly encourage you to hop on over to the Umbro Blog & Umbro Flickr account to see the other entries that weren’t considered for top honours - as some of them are pretty impressive!

Leave us a comment below and tell us what you think of these very special football boots - or shoot us a message on Twitter!

All games in this weekend’s Barclays Premier League will be played with a special edition (NIKE) RED ball to raise awareness of the (NIKE) RED ‘Lace Up. Save Lives’ partnership to help fight HIV/AIDS in Africa. 

To support the initiative, Nike have released a series of Limited Edition Red products. Read on to see the Nike Red Ascente Ball, the Nike RED N98 Jacket and of course the Nike Red Laces.

NIKE (RED) ASCENTE BALL

Nike’s partnership with AIDS awareness charity PRODUCT (RED) seems to have been going from strength-to-strength this past few months.

Since the initial launch of the ‘Lace up. Save Lives’ campaign, Nike have had the likes of Didier Drogba, Clint Dempsey and Andrey Arsharvin appear in promo’s for the initiative, all their top players all wearing (RED) laces and even turned the nets at the Emirates Stadium (RED) for the Arsenal vs. Manchester United game!

But now, in a move that no one thought would happen – The Premier League, Serie A and La Liga will be playing with the Limited Edition Nike (RED) Ascente Ball!

For one weekend only, the three biggest leagues in Europe will use the Nike (RED) Ascente Ball, (A special edition re-colouring of the T90 Ascente) to demonstrate Europe’s united front in the fight against AIDS.

Nike Red N98 Jacket

The N98 Jacket design takes off from the début Brazilian team kit by Nike, tapping the classic zip-front track jacket’s deep heritage as a true icon of sport style.

Nike Red Laces

The RED laces have already been featured by a host of footballers globally and are perhaps the easiest way for you to get involved in the campaign and to show your support.

What do you think of the Nike (RED) range? Or the Nike Red Campaign in general? Leave us a comment below!Why not follow us on Twitter for more up to the minute football boots news?

The Nike T90 Laser III has been suspiciously quiet on the colourway front recently.

After bursting onto the scene with it’s now-notorious Electric Green/Red/Black colourway, the T90 Laser III offered up a classier White/Gold/Navy when the K-Leather version was launched but we’ve had nothing since!

The Nike T90 Laser III - Inter Milan Style!

Many expect Nike are set to launch several new colours for the big summer events like the Champions League Final and the World Cup, but that doesn’t stop us being disappointed here at Footy-Boots (We get bored quite easily).

We went with something more understated here - reminds me of the A-Team’s Van!!

So - Imagine our excitement when, yesterday, Nike launched the official Nike iD page for the Laser III, allowing us to create any combination of colours we want!

We made this one in the style of Basketball team the New York Knicks!

Also, the Nike iD service offers a few interesting options to all the budding designers out there,including putting a Hybrid Sole plate on your new customisable T90 Laser III, as well as the choice between synthetic and K-Leather

And here we’ve gone really wild and created the Laser III in an Electric Green/Red/Black colourway – but who’d ever buy that!?

Customising a pair of T90 Laser III will set you back:

£170 in the UK

€240 in Europe

$235 in the US

All football boots come with the Nike Soccer+ training program

Finally, here we present the ‘official’  Footy-Boots.com colourway: White/Black/Stadium Green, just like the colour scheme of our website!

Check out our customised embroidery on the ‘Swoosh’, and some Electric Green to being out the details.

Our choice of sole plate? 6 Stud SG - just like our Logo!

Post your designs below in the comments, or contact us directly via our Twitter Page!

At the half way stage, we’ve had over 1,200 votes on which is the best Power Boot of the generation, and the Predator_X is just inching it by 3% of the votes over the Laser III.

If you’re a Laser III fan you’ve got until next Friday to try and swing it Nike’s way before the Poll closes.

As for team Predator, you’ll have to watch your backs, as a mere 45 votes would see an upset!

Team Puma: Where are you guys? The PowerCat is a phenomenal football boot, so it must have some more fans out there somewhere!

It is a phenomenal time to be a player who loves power. Here we are in March , and already the 3 biggest brands have been making their presence known with 3 new football boots in the last 5 months. We’re spoilt for choice!

So, we’ve decided to take stock of the last few months, and give you a chance to tell the world which is this generation’s most potent powerhouse! We’ve got a run down of each football boot below to help you make up your mind, with the FootyBoots Power-Poll at the bottom of the page for when you’ve decided.

We said we were spoilt for choice, well now it’s time to choose!

Predator_X

The reigning King of Power, the Predator_X has a lot going for it, new Taurus Leather upper, improved low-profile strikezone and fantastic fit are all reasons why this should be the best Predator yet. But it’s taken a while for amateurs and professionals alike to accept this as a worthy successor to the mighty PowerSwerve range, and some Pro’s have even been spotted with the Powerswerve’s Soleplate on the new Predator_x upper - controversial!

POWERFUL:

Best Soft Ground Traction of the Three:-  Uniquely-shaped studs make them the best in this category for grip.

The New Powerspine:- There are many claims made by football boots to ‘boost’ this and ‘enhance’ that, but the Powerspine offers something tangible; it stops the foot bending back as much when striking the ball.

Fantastic Fit: adidas’ Optafit system means the boot is a much more snug fit than previous incarnations,

POWERLESS:

Maybe Not As Good as the Powerswerve?:- Adidas will tell you that the Predator_X offers a 7% increase in power over the Powerswerves, but many players are still wearing the older model.

Should Adidas have kept the PowerPulse system?:- Eagle-eyed Footy-Boots fans have got in touch to say they’ve seen the likes of Anderson and David Beckham playing in Predator_X’s with the PowerSwerve soleplate - clearly that 5g of Tungsten powder was loved by pro’s  - was it a mistake to get rid of it?

Nike Total 90 Laser III

The Laser III was released to much controversy, getting rid of the radial rings that served as the hallmark of the Laser range upset a lot of fans and then launching it in an Electric Green/Red/Black colourway was like salting the wound! But since then, the popularity of the Nike boot has been boosted by the unstoppable form of Wayne Rooney who has championed the boots (in the original luminous green) since their launch.

POWERFUL:

Great for Swerve:- The Laser III has rubber fins to increase friction which is designed to increase accuracy and swerve.

And for Power:  Nike have also added firm silicon pods to give the boot a smooth surface to strike the ball with, increasing power.

Memory foam: Making the leap from the successful CTR360, Nike have added memory foam to the toe and tongue of the boot, to ensure the striking area is as close to the foot as possible.

POWERLESS:

Does It Try To Do Too Much?:- The design of the boot makes it something of a Jack-of-all-trades, with many fans of the Laser range wishing the boot was still a more focused Ace of Accuracy & Power
Colour & Design not For Everyone:-  We quite like the design, but many of you guys left comments on our reveal of the boot basically saying ‘It’s a bit all over the shop’!!

Puma PowerCat 1.10

The newest boot to enter the fray, the Puma PowerCat is a replacement for the V-Konstrukt series. Taking the focus away from player protection and putting it on Power and Accuracy was a bold move for the German brand - Now is your chance to vote and tell us if it’s paid off!

POWERFUL:

3DPST Is a Great Piece of Tech:- Working in a similar fashion to the old Laser rings, or a really stripped down Concave SweetSpot, 3DPST gives you a big firm surface to strike the ball from

Best Upper of the Three:- Puma have really nailed the K-Leather upper on this boot, it’s soft, durable and with plenty of give for players with wide feet.

Arguably the Best Looking of the Three:- The two colourways that Puma have released have been classics, solid main colours, using the secondary colour to highlight the technology.

POWERLESS:

Why drop the DuoFlex Power system off the V-Konstrukt?:- Markedly similar in theory to the Predator_X’s Powerspine, DuoFlex was the best feature of the V-Konstrukt, here’s hoping Puma bring it back for the PowerCat 1.12!

Where are the Power Players?:- Adidas have Steven Gerrard, Nike have Wayne Rooney, Puma really need a powerful player to endorse these boots to get the brand out there!

No Increase in Friction for Accuracy:- Both the Laser III and the Predator_X have areas to increase friction for improved accuracy and swerve, but Puma’s latest does not.

So, you’ve got all the facts - and we know you’ve got an opinion! Just click below to place your vote for the best Power boot of 2010, and we’ll post the results next week!

 Loading …

In the mean time; why not leave a comment below to try and convince some undecided readers, or shoot us a Tweet and let us know what you think!

Just an update for all you Limited Edition boot fans and collectors out there; the all-red England Speciali are out for release now!

We got a lot of interest when we first featured these late last month, and with only 300 pairs being, made we thought we’d best put something up on the front page to remind everyone that they’re available now! You can never say Footy-Boots.com doesn’t look after you!

These limited edition boots feature the England crest on the soleplate, have an upper made from super-soft K-Leather and will come in a collector’s box.

They are expected to retail at £120 but interested parties will have to act quickly!

Umbro has announced that the likes of John Terry (and possibly Darren Bent if selected) will be wearing these all-red Speciali football boots for the first time when England take on Egypt at Wembley on March 3rd.

These limited edition Speciali’s continue the excellent run that Umbro has enjoyed over recent weeks which has included Darren Bent’s ‘Dynamite’ boots, Deco’s  ‘Believe’ foot wear and the customised sole plates as worn by John Terry and Michael Owen which were the result of a highly successful on-line design competition.

Along with the Speciali, Umbro revealed the ‘change’ goalkeeper’s jersey for the campaign.

First off, the goalkeeping jersey comes in a striking yellow colour and has been designed and manufactured in the same way as the outfield shirt. It’s composed of three separate panels which should help the players perform to the best of their abilities.

We think it’s a great alternative to the classic ‘Forest Green’ of the home keeper’s kit, and the white cuffs really top it off!

Tell us what you think below, or tell us on our Twitter account!

David Beckham is expected to wear unique Beckham Predator_X / PowerSwerve hybrid football boots against old club tonight, see pictures here and tell us what you think!

The unique hybrid Predator for David Beckham.

David Beckham caused a ripple of interest amongst football boots fans when he played against Manchester United in the first leg of their last 16 Champions League play-off.

The AC Milan ace, on loan from LA Galaxy, started the game at the San Siro in his signature colourway Predator_X’s, only to swap them into the older all-white PowerSwerves at half time.

Beckham, who pioneered football boot personalisation to include tributes to his wife, children, club and country, seems to have pushed it the envelope again by combining the two boots he played in last time he faced his old team.

Notice the flags on the heel? Italy and England.

Whilst we’ve seen Beckham retain the old ‘PowerPulse’ system from older Predator models on his signature line, this is the first time we’ve seen him add the distinctive curved heel counter from the old Predator PowerSwerves.

What do you think of Beckham’s boots? We’re impressed that adidas have gone to such lengths to build these boots in such a short space of time for the ex-England Captain, and it’s got our heads spinning at the potential of combining other boots!

But there are some murmurs that it’s hypocritical of Becks to put his name to a signature line of boots that he doesn’t endorse 100%.

Tell us what you think in the comments below, or give us a message on Twitter!

Football Boots Test: Nike Superfly II

Superfly II Comfort/Fit

The Nike Mercurial range has often had its share of criticism for not being the most comfortable of football boots, and that’s not about to change!

The Superfly II has been stripped to the bare bones – like a Le Mans racer with all the seats taken out – the only piece of padding sits underneath the laces on the tongue. As such, the boots take a lot of wearing in, in comparison to many of it’s competitors.

Like any reasonable human being who’d just got a pair of new Superfly II’s, I did the exact opposite of everything that our Ultimate Guide to Breaking in New Boots suggests and immediately went out to play a match in them (I never said I was a role model!!).

Boy, did I pay the price! After 45 minutes of play, I’d blistered my heels and just underneath my ankles. I wasn’t alone in this - several others at the event complained of similar discomforts.

Most unusually, the tops of my toes also experienced some rubbing from where the stiff upper had creased and dug into the joints when I bent my toes.

The great news is that after further breaking-in, the Superfly II’s started to come good. Very good. The upper became flexible, creasing with every toe movement, yet, around the ankle and heel it remained firm & supportive.

That said, I really don’t envy professionals who have to break in a new pair more than once! If you’re planning on getting a pair; resist the voice in your head that says you have to do a full 90 in them right away, give the boots the respect they deserve and break them in properly!

Superfly II Durability

One of the first things you’ll notice when lacing up a pair of Superfly II’s for the first time is that the upper is much sterner and less flexible than the Superfly I, clearly a redevelopment by Nike to avoid the problems that plagued the original upon launch. This soon begins to work with your foot, but it’s nice to know that there’s always that firm layer of synthetic between an opponents studs and your feet.

The chassis of the football boot feels fantastic to play in. The Carbon Fiber soleplate feels solid underfoot, bending with the toes, but with little give going the other way, making this the most durable-feeling entry in the Mercurial range since the Vapor III.

Despite playing on Soft Ground and the occasional bit of light rain, I was impressed that the football boot didn’t let any water in through the new adaptable studs. Also, the boot has no ventilation anywhere on it - meaning that even in the wet your feet will stay dry.

As mentioned earlier, once your foot and boot get used to each other, the FlyWire keeps the football boot very close your foot; in particular the heel. Obviously designed to compensate for the lack of a heel counter, the fit certainly keeps your feet locked in place, but I would be concerned as to how much protection it would offer the heel and Achilles area in a tough tackle.

Superfly II Feel

The Superfly II is a football boot designed for speed and touch on the ball at high speeds, which is something that it does better than, not only it’s predecessor, but also better than many football boots with a strictly synthetic upper (I’m not talking synthetic leather, like the Mizuno Wave Ghost, for example). The upper isn’t completely frictionless like many other speed boots, and whilst it might not provide the grip of soft leather, the friction lets you feel exactly where on your feet the ball is.

It seems to achieve this as it’s coated in something that feels almost like a fabric (but much easier to clean than any fabric) that just gives you a nicer touch on the ball than a frictionless synthetic like you might find on it’s predecessors.

Running in the football boot is an absolute joy, as you may well expect. In the same way that the Total 90 Laser III suggests the best place on your foot to hit a ball, the Superfly II gives you impetus to constantly be on your toes and ready to sprint.

The big innovation on this boot is the adaptable stud system, where 2 of the studs on each boot react to the pressure pressed down on them by the player and the pressure pushed back up on them by the ground underneath.

As you can probably guess, being in the UK I’ve been testing the boots on reasonably soft ground (Not a complete mudbath, but soft enough that I would normally wear metal studs) the adaptable studs certainly coped well - coupled with the unusually large blades in the heel counter I never felt that I was losing traction on the ground.

Kicking in the Superfly II is perhaps the only unspectacular thing about this otherwise completely over the top football boot. That’s not to say it’s bad, mind you, in fact it’s very good! But the fact of the matter is that Nike aren’t trying to improve striking the ball, so if you like centered lacing, and an upper that hugs the top of the boot, you’re going to enjoy striking the ball in these.

Superfly II Conclusion

The Superfly II is a more humble boot than you might expect. At it’s core it is a centre-laced, firm ground-bladed boot, with a synthetic upper and no lace cover. It’s these simple foundations that I think people forget about - the fans of the boot think that it will completely change their lives, and the haters seem to focus more on the outlandish paint-job than the specification.

Yet, it’s this simple formula that Nike tweaked and made better with the addition of genuinely functional technology like taking a road car and turning into a rally car (Yes, I do love my boot/car analogies!) the carbon fibre sole is fast becoming an industry standard as the material and manufacture come down in price, and the adaptable stud is an excellent practical piece of tech (if just a tiny bit gimmicky).

The one thing that the boot does do better than any other, is to put a massive smile on your face when you lace them up for the first time. Whilst I felt a little silly in the Puma v1.10 Yellow/Chili Red, the Superfly II felt completely unique, daring and a little outrageous, but never silly -  because depending how you see it, this football boot is the pinnacle; it’s both the pinnacle of weight reduction and boot technology and it’s the pinnacle of what a football boot can cost. Is that worth £275 for some people? Absolutely.

As if further incentive were needed, Nike are offering Wayne Rooney half a million pounds if he wins the Golden Boot at the 2010 World Cup.

Rooney showing off his Nike T90 Laser III football boots and New England Away Kit

Wayne Rooney is playing arguably the best football of his career. With World Cup 2010 on the horizon England fans will be praying that their talisman stays in this form and stays fit.

As if helping England win the World Cup was not enough, Rooney will have another incentive pushing him on to score vital goals for England come the summer…

Nike Offer £500K Golden Boot Prize

Rooney’s football boot sponsors Nike, have according to the NoTW, written into Rooney’s contract a prize of £500K if he wins the World Cup Golden Boot.

To pick up the colossal wedge, Rooney would have to score more goals than the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Fernando Torres, David Villa and Luis Fabiano…no mean feat!

The bookies have Wayne Rooney as their joint second favourite to win the Golden Boot Trophy, which would make him only the second English player to have ever won the Golden Boot.

The last English winner of the World Cup Golden Boot was Gary Lineker at Mexico 86, he finished the tournament as top goalscorer with six goals.

Golden Boot winner Gary Lineker  scores against Poland in 1986.

Only four times out out of the 18 tournaments has the Golden Boot winner also won the World Cup Trophy. In 1962 Garrincha and Vava of Brazil shared the Golden Boot with four other players, each netting four goals each. Mario Kempes of Argentina in 1978 scored 6, Paulo Rossi of Italy in 1982 with 8 and most recently Ronaldo of Brazil in 2002 again with 8 goals.

The most goals ever scored in one tournament was back in 1958 when the Frenchman Just Fontaine scored a total of 13 goals. France only managed 3rd place as Brazil took the trophy.

However, Ronaldo of Brazil has scored more World Cup goals than any other player with a very respectable 15, unfortunately he is very unlikely to feature for Brazil in the 2010 World Cup.

Previous Golden Boot Winners

Do you think Wayne Rooney can win the Golden Boot? If not, who will?

Follow Footy Boots in Twitter

 Fox or Chicken?

Let’s get the obvious joke out the way: Talk about a Fox in the Box!! 

That’s the question Umbro are posing to players up and down the country for their new Umbro Stealth football boots.

In this, surreal, bonkers and - at times - quite frankly, terrifying new series of ads, Umbro are asking players what they think they are on the pitch:-

Are you The Fox? A cunning player who knows how to chase the game, hunt the opposition and strike from anywhere.

Or are you The Chicken? A Headless Chicken.

I know which one I’d rather be (though I’m all too aware I play like a headless chicken).

Umbro also sent us over this picture of a rather splendid new colourway, that may even prove to be more popular than the eye-catching Red & Blue that we’ve seen already.

Here’s what Umbro have to say about the new Umbro Stealth:

 ”The new Umbro Stealth boot is designed for players who take the lead on the pitch. A streamlined last and two lateral studs in the middle of the boot offer increased speed, while the carbon fibre shank and heel counter provide the power you need. Combined with cushioned insoles offering comfort, Umbro Stealth has all the assets that a player will need to outfox the opposition.”

At your own risk here’s the new viral video for the Umbro Stealth - but be warned - if people in animal masks freak you out as much as they do me, this will give you nightmares!!

Watch the Video Here

Follow Footy Boots on Twitter