Getting the same football boots to emulate your favourite player is a given.

The fact that you more resemble a sumo wrestler rather than Ronaldo, Messi or Gerrard is of no matter. Same boots. Same talent!

Now, thanks to Umbro, us amateurs can take the looky – likey stakes to a greater high with a new range of training wear which will see us through the end of season run in and in to the summer.

And there’s nothing like being dressed in the correct equipment to watch Europe’s best footballers (minus all those from the Home Nations and the Irish Republic) in Austria and Switzerland!

Incorporating style, technology and fashion Umbro’s SX and Diamond Pro ranges guarantee performance and comfort both on and off the pitch.

SX is a cross-category concept encompassing apparel, footwear, equipment and luggage. A firm favourite with likes of John Terry, Michael Owen and Manchester City goal keeper Joe Hart as pictured on our home page, the SX range is a showcase of Umbro performance technologies, offering innovative fabrics and styling for comfortable day-to-day wear.

The SX range features sophisticated ‘climate control’ assisting the transfer of moisture away from the body, allowing players to maintain the optimum body temperature throughout their training session. At least it will do for all of you who manage to get a sweat on during training - at Footy Boots, we tend to go for a lie down when the going gets tough. All we need now is for Umbro to come up with the ‘training duvet’ and we’re laughing.

Having secured the services of Perry Groves amongst some intense competition from a number of other football web sites including www.didntheusedtobeaginger.com and the ever poular and respected www.groveswasbetterthanronaldinho.co.uk, Perry has been on the training ground for his first Footy Boots video boot report.

Over the course of the next few weeks, the former Arsenal star and now Sky Sports pundit, will be testing various football boots including the SprintFit, AdiPure, Tiempo Legend II, V1.08, and Nomis Glove.

Umbro SX Valor 

This week, the 1987 League Cup winner has been trialling the Umbro SX Valor, as worn by Chelsea and England’s John Terry.

Our Perry might not be at his ‘spring chicken’ best any more (in fact it’s more like Kentucky Fried Chicken these days) but his football brain is still as sharp as ever. Find out what he made of the SX Valor by watching here.

In celebration of the launch of the new England away kit, Umbro has created a special edition England colourway of its celebrated SX Valor worn by John Terry and the SX Flare, the preferred choice of striker Michael Owen. Both boast bold red, white and blue colour schemes, indicative of the pride and passion that each of them play with when wearing their England shirts, provided Fabio picks them of course.

According to Umbro, their collaboration with Michelin (which sadly doesn’t include a free restaurant guide) serves to greatly enhance touch and feel for the ball, whilst players’ comfort is also taken care of thanks to the water resistant, ultra soft, high-grade leather, which keeps the feet dry.

As for which football boots us mere mortals should choose, Terry’s Valor lends itself to defenders in particular, so we can assume that they’ll automatically lump the ball in to row Z when the wearer is under pressure. The focus is on comfort, safety and control. A lightweight TPU heel counter and new kontact outsole with carbon fibre rigidity shank has been designed to keep the player’s foot stable and protected during the cut and thrust of the modern game.

See the SX Valor Boot Test with Perry Groves

Owen’s SX Flare meanwhile is probably not for the Saturday night kebab specialist having been designed for quick and skilful players as the lightweight material maximises pace and acceleration. The technology of the SX Flare will also aid control as well as looking after the players comfort and safety.

Viewers of Watchdog will be delighted to know that both football boots, which are on sale now, feature Umbro’s no nonsense control series labelling, which cuts out the jargon and explains the technology in clear, simple terms.

Introducing the Umbro SX Valor

Background

The new Umbro SX Valor is packed full of performance enhancing technology guaranteed to give players of all levels a welcome mid season boost. The Valor is an all round football boot focusing on comfort, safety and control.

The Umbro SX Valor is scheduled to be worn for the first time by John Terry in Chelsea’s away game at Derby County on Saturday, provided the England captain has recovered from his recent injury problems.

Umbro SX Valor

Comfort

The Umbro SX Valor is composed of ultra soft high grade ‘water resistant ceramic duratec kangaroo leather’ for great ball feel and excellent anti-abrasion performance, whilst keeping the player’s foot dry in wet conditions. The football boot’s profile has been developed on the wider comfort fit last to give the foot more space to breathe.

Safety

When it comes to safety the Umbro SX Valor features a lightweight TPU heel counter providing excellent heel protection, as well as an anatomical insock to give high level shock absorption in extreme conditions. The new kontakt outsole with carbon fibre rigidity shank is designed to improve foot stability and protection on soft, firm and hard ground surfaces.

Control Series

The SX Valor is the latest Umbro football boot to feature the Touch, Impact and Motion Control Series:

TOUCH CONTROL enhances physical contact for comfort, feel and grip
IMPACT CONTROL provides protection from opponents and the elements
MOTION CONTROL enhances superior movement and provides stability

The SX Valor has a revolutionary Michelin technology suede vamp and a PU print application and also features a fully shaped leather flip over tongue with velcro fastener.

The soft ground version features 8 removable studs for use on soft natural surfaces, whilst the firm ground option is comprised of 13 traditional moulded studs for use on firm and hard natural surfaces.

Players: John Terry
Price: £99.99
Availability: November 2007
Colours: Black/White/Saffron
Sizes: 6-12

See the SX Valor Boot Test with Perry Groves

A facial injury to England captain John Terry has added more misery to what has been a turbulent couple of weeks for Chelsea Football Club.

Umbro X Boot Destroyer football boot wearer Terry sustained a depressed fracture of his right cheekbone following an aerial challenge with Fulham’s Clint Dempsey in the 0-0 draw at Stamford Bridge on Saturday.

Terry showed his renowned battling qualities to carry on playing until half time, for a goal shy Chelsea team who have amazingly failed to score in the Premiership throughout the whole of September. Indeed, former AC Milan goal machine Andrei Shevchenko has appeared a shadow of his former self, with his Reebok Sprintfit’s again failing to help him hit the target.

Initial worries that England hard man JT could miss the Three Lions crucial Euro qualifiers against Estonia and Russia seem to have receded, with news coming out of the Chelsea training camp this morning that a successful operation coupled with his impressive healing powers may give him an outside chance of playing in the Blues Champions League game against Valencia on Wednesday.

If you would like a chance to win a pair of signed John Terry Umbro X Boot Destroyer’s, all you need to do is vote in the Footy-Boots.com Football Boot Awards in association with Zoo Magazine. Log onto Footy-Boots.com between Tuesday 2nd October and Tuesday 16th October to cast your vote!

John Terry Tops The League Of Premiership Wages

Umbro football boot wearer John Terry has this week won his battle of wills over his club Chelsea, getting himself a bumper pay rise as well as a new five year deal! Terry’s wages will see him pick up £131,000 A WEEK, leap-frogging over his Chelsea team-mates Shevchenko and Ballack who get a paltry £121,000 a week in comparison. John Terry had made it clear that his heart belongs at Chelsea, but reports were that the London club were reluctant to pay out the big money wages, even for such an influential and productive player as Terry, whose wages are topped up by the football boot sponsorship of Umbro. Ballack and Shevchnko have been much criticised for their huge earnings which have not been converted in similarly huge performances on the pitch, with fans questioning the motivation for a player who is earning such a huge amount each week.

Lend Us A Tenner JT?

As all eyes now turn to Frank Lampard, who has also been locked in a battle of the cheque book with Chelsea, and the Terry move appears to suggest that Lampard could be offered a similarly wallet-busting deal that would see him laughing all the way to the nearest take-away! Football has become a hugely commercial sport and at the moment there does not seem to be an end to the wages the stars on the English Premier League can command - but who will be the first one to break the £150,000 a week mark?

Read more about John Terry’s Football Boots.

John Terry’s New Umbro Football Boots

Umbro in June release a raft of new football boots, the Ultra SX, X Boot III colourway update and X Boot Destroyer colourway updates (Read the article). Footy Boots brings you details of the new football boot that will be worn by Chelsea’s John Terry, the new Umbro X Boot Destroyer. The Destroyer has been marketed by Umbro as a product that is targetted to defenders and includes England’s under 21 star Nedum Onuoha.

Umbro have updated the technology and design in the latest incarnation of the Destroyer, and the sparkling silver colourway marks a change from the more sober blue colourway which dominated the previous version. As ever, Umbro has maintained its successful wishbone technology, incorporating its motion control for stability and protection. The upper features a wider comfort fit system made from ceramic kangaroo leather. As required for hard- tackling defenders, protection again plays a major part of the design, with a new impact control system which features lightweight enhanced protection.

Versions: FG and SG
Price: £90
Available from: June 20th 2007
Players: John Terry

Verdict: An exciting addition to the Umbro X Boot Destroyer range, and great timing from Umbro as John Terry, England and Chelsea captain, remains a key figure in English football. Umbro are making a serious challenge to the big-boys, but it will be on the field of play that this football boot needs to shine.

Order the Umbro X Boot Destroyer football boots from justsocca.com

Footy-Boots has the pleasure of inviting you to four premiership player weddings this weekend.

The football boots will remain in the kit bag this weekend, as the country gears up to four premiership player weddings. The lucky men are skillful and powerful John Terry, the dynamic and inspirational Steven Gerrard, the gifted and exceptionally talented Micheal Carrick, and Gary Neville.

So charge your glasses and raise a toast to the football boot hero grooms - and Gary Neville…

Not been invited? Don’t worry - view the new FootyBoots video, by logging in to the members area. Not registered? Click here - it’s free!

Don’t forget about our Competition to Win the Umbro England kit, Umbro X Boot Destroyer Football boots and an Umbro ball! Click here to take part.

Our super deal on the Umbro Xai V has been selling like hot cakes! Maybe all this hot weather has gone to our heads, but to shift the last few pairs of football boots out of the door and to celebrate the Champions League Final the price has reduced to just £30 - a saving of over 60% on the RRP!

For your last chance to grab this deal before it’s gone, view our offers page now.

The Footy Boots team have been beavering away to land a SUPER DEAL for our loyal readers.

We’ve gone to Umbro and JustSocca, put their arms behind their backs and landed a top end football boot for just £40! NOW £30!!!

It’s the Umbro Xai V, previously worn by the England and Chelsea captain John Terry.

Read the Xai V article here.

The only downside is that this deal is available for 1 week or until we run out of the boots!

To grab this deal before it’s gone, view our offers page now.

So finally Wembley is open and at 3pm (GMT) Saturday 19 May 2007, Chelsea and Manchester United will challenge each other for the most coveted of domestic cups, THE FA Cup.

Chelsea and Manchester United are likely to really slug this one out. United want to underline the fact that they are the best team in England having won the Premiership and Chelsea want to exact some revenge, having lost the Premiership title.

Key to the result, will be the way the two captains handle the game. Chelsea have the England skipper John Terry, Manchester United the Welsh wizard Ryan Giggs in Gary Neville’s absence.

John Terry already has a medal from the 2000 FA Cup, but he didn’t play as he was on the bench. A typical English centre half, he will be setting the examples for his team mates and will no doubt give everything he has got.

John Terry Football Boots

John Terry will be wearing the X Boot Destroyer football boots, made by Umbro.

“I’ve been involved in testing all of UMBRO’s England products. The X boot Destroyer is ideal for me as a defender because they give protection to all the important parts of the foot.”

Ryan Giggs collected an unprecedented ninth Premier League winners medal earlier this month and another FA Cup medal would mean Giggs would be the first player since the 1800s to win the FA Cup five times.

Ryan Giggs Football Boots

Ryan Giggs will be wearing the brand new Reebok Sprintfit football boots for the very first time.

Due for release in August, we’ve had our hands on a pair and can tell you these football boots will not be slowing the ageing Welshman down!

Footy Boots FA Cup Verdict

Sparks will fly and tempers will rage, don’t be surprised to see plenty of cards from the referee, but United will end up victorious….

The Carling Cup is being held this Sunday at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff

This Sunday’s Carling Cup is the first major trophy of the season and the first time two London teams have met in the final. Chelsea, travel without injured skipper John Terry - but are still seen as favourites as experience and quality should see them get the better of a young Arsenal side.

Arsenal’s kids have proved their credentials in the run up to the final, beating Liverpool, Everton and Spurs. Chelsea had an easier route beating Aston Villa, Newcastle and Wycombe but have suffered with injuries which will see an unfamiliar defence take the field on Sunday.

The game could see the return of injured Ashley Cole to face his former team mates, after having played in the reserves this week. Ashley has been cruelly dubbed “Cashley” and even “Greedy” (when with wife Tweedy) by Arsenal fans following his move across London, which still creates controversy on both sides of the terraces so we can expect high and hard tackles if he plays. Arsene Wenger will be sticking with the youngsters that have bought him to the final as a reward for their hard work and results, but who will win the battle of the kids versus the kings?

Our Verdict on the Match

The young lions from north London could well pull a shock result out of the bag, as they have the confidence of their manager and everything to gain from a roaring victory. But Chelsea have the superstar players to tame and shame the youngsters: in form Shevchecko will relish the chance to prove his worth on the biggest stage of the season so far, and a self-confident Chelsea could well see Arsenal’s young lions scampering back to North London, and Chelsea installed as the king of the concrete jungle.

Read more on the Carling Cup Final

Umbro launches the new X Boot Destroyer.

Exciting news from Umbro as the X Boot Destroyer is officially launched today. Designed to enhance the defensive skills of the Destroyer’s wearer, the launch was given added zeal with the news that England captain defender John Terry would be wearing the football boot for the first time in this Wednesday’s friendly against Spain.

The X Boot Destroyer benefits from Umbro’s wider advanced comfort fit system, impact control heel counter and lightweight wishbone outsole technology which has produced a no-nonsense football boot for the no-nonsense defender.

Here are the facts and stat’s:

Performance: High performance motion control technology incorporating a TPU Wishbone component and outsole. New impact control system to provide enhanced protection for every part of the foot, especially important for defensive players where player contact and aggression is vital to each performance.

Comfort: The football boot is constructed using an exo-skeleton frame; with a lightweight carbon fibre heel counter to give maximum flexibility. On the surface of the football boot there is a wider fit system made from lightweight ceramic kangaroo leather, which with the ‘Motion Control’ technology aids movement, responsiveness and increases comfort levels.

Players: John Terry, England Captain and defender said “I’ve been involved in testing all of UMBRO’s England products. The X boot Destroyer is ideal for me as a defender because they give protection to all the important parts of the foot.”

Price: £80

Verdict: With its all round performance and outstanding design, Umbro has created a football boot which blends technology, comfort and high performance that is sure to become a benchmark and standard for other football boot makers – expect a captain’s performance from John Terry on Wednesday to give the first demonstration of the Destroyer and how it lives up to its name against the Spanish attack!

Images: X boot Destroyer images