There are some Sunday traditions which are well worth upholding. First off, always try and avoid your parents gaze when they ask the question: “Right, which one of you is going to pick up Grandma?”

Secondly, at various stages of the morning, venture in to the kitchen to see just how your mother prepares enough food for you, and the entire Russian army should they happen to pop round (which unless you live in certain parts of Georgia is pretty unlikely).

And thirdly, always follow up Sunday lunch with a spell in front of the TV for a good belt of comedy. This weekend, there was Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (for the kids) on ITV, some  timeless British classics on UK Gold and of course, Newcastle United on Sky Sports.

For half an hour or so away to Everton, United lived up to their billing as one of the funniest and bedraggled sides in the Premier League as they quickly went 2 down.

They couldn’t do much about the first goal with Mikel Arteta scoring from the spot but some comic defending was responsible for Everton’s second, neatly turned in by Marouane Fellaini.

But as half time approached, something changed, something happened. Newcastle scored. And it was our weekend star who got the goal and for a time, almost single handedly, dragged Newcastle back in to the match.

Take a bow United captain Steven Taylor.

In first half injury time, Taylor, in his Nike Total 90 Laser II football boots, rose like a salmon at the back post to head home a Newcastle lifeline and give them hope going in to the break.

Two minutes after the restart, it was Taylor again producing a fabulous run and cut back for Damien Duff to level the scores.

Indeed, United, with Joe Kinnear in charge for the first time, were unlucky not to take all three points with Leighton Baines responsible for a brilliant block to keep out Charles N’Zogbia.

Kinnear himself was delighted with the point and praised Taylor in particular saying:

Half-time was about lifting the players and getting ourselves back in the game.

Taylor’s goal was the crucial one, scored more-or-less on half-time, ‘Duffy’ then sticks another in.

We’re unfortunate because they kicked two off the line, but it’s a great start and stops the rot - we’ve lost five games out of the last seven and this will give us a boost.

It most certainly should. Kinnear will be made up that his skipper led from the front and Nike will doubtless be pleased too that Taylor’s Total 90 Laser II football boots have at last been shown in their true light.

Way back in April 2008, Footy Boots received a number of enquiries about the new Nike Super Ligera.

At the time, Nike was keeping quiet about the football boot and information was scarce bar a few unofficial pictures on the web.

Six months on, the good news is that the release of the Super Ligera is imminent, and you should be able to get your hands on them from the back end of October or certainly, early November.

Never backwards at coming forwards, Nike’s take on the new boot is “Light on touch, heavy in class.” And indeed, the Nike Super Ligera boots, with a kangaroo upper and TPU outsole, are 25% lighter than the Tiempo Legend football boots.

However, don’t think that the durability of the Nike Tiempo Super Ligera will be in any way affected by their lightness.

Nike say nothing will be compromised in that area and have even given the boot a rubberised coating around the toe area to emphasise the point.

Still relying on the classic styling of old, the football boot offers a comfortable fit and excellent touch and feel.

The Super Ligera will be available in both hard ground and soft ground versions and is expected to retail at around £90.

Order your Super Ligera’s

Nike Mercurial Vapor IV

In February 2008, Nike celebrated 10 years of its Mercurial football line with the release of its most innovative football boot to date: The Mercurial Vapor IV.

First designed specifically for Brazilian striker Ronaldo in 1998, the Mercurial was produced to meet the needs of the world’s fastest footballers and has been making an impact ever since. In the last six seasons, the top scorer in the English Premier League has worn Mercurial Vapor boots.

Order this football boot now - order

For the Mercurial Vapor IV, Nike called on Premier League forwards such as Didier Drogba, Cristiano Ronaldo and Theo Walcott for direct input into the design process. As a result, Nike has developed a series of technological innovations that maximize speed with and without the ball .

Speed Plate
The Mercurial Vapor IV features Nike’s innovative Speed Plate technology designed to give players instant acceleration and make them fastest to the ball. Additionally, a re-engineered upper has been crafted not just to make players faster, but faster while dribbling and shooting.

Tactile Coating
In order to aid dribbling with the ball at speed, just one seam exists in the shoe’s upper material, while a new stitched stretch lace cover creates a cleaner ball contact area. The football boot is also wrapped in a clear tactile coating that creates a gripped surface for all playing conditions.

Vapor Traction System
The Mercurial Vapor IV’s Vapor Traction System broadens the scope of player fit; heel pods have been expanded laterally for more cushioning and extra protection. Stabilizing the foot, a form-fitting insert cradles the heel, while a Glass Fiber heel wrap provides lightweight stability with minimal slippage. All told, the comfortable ride of the Mercurial Vapor allows for sustained play at speed, keeping the ball where it should be: on your feet or in the net.

Players: Cristiano Ronaldo, Didier Drogba, Theo Walcott
Price: Around £120
Sizes: 7-12

TOTAL 90 LASER II - Switched on football boot fans will have seen Wayne Rooney donning a new T90 Laser II colourway….

Rooney was instrumental in the development of the Total 90 Laser II football boot. During the research phase Nike arranged for Wozza to take a trip to their HQ in Oregon to gain his input.

It’s been on the shelves a while, but the Total 90 Laser II has had a repaint and in our opinion at Footy Boots HQ this is the pick of the colourways available to date.

TOTAL 90 LASER II Red/Metallic Silver/Team Red

Tech Spec:

Integrated offset lacing system provides increased football boot to ball contact surface, minimizing 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 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 utilize 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 stabilizes the planted foot when striking the ball

Individually engineered hybrid studs are positioned for optimal traction and comfort, e 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.

Players: Wayne Rooney, Fernando Torres, William Gallas, Florent Malouda, Fabio Cannavaro, Gennaro Gattuso

Weight:  Approx 230g

Price: Around £120

Now here’s a fact for you. In previous games, going in to Saturday’s Merseyside derby, Liverpool had failed to score a goal when both Fernando Torres and new striking partner Robbie Keane were on the pitch together.

I take it that it’s a fact. To be honest, I haven’t bothered to check it out, but the commentator mentioned it on Match of the Day, so it must be true. If it’s good enough for Hansen, Lineker and Shearer, then it’s good enough for Footy Boots.

Of course, it’s a piece of information that won’t see the light of day again after Keane set up the Spaniard to open the scoring at Goodison Park on 59 minutes. It was a delightful pass from the Irishman who stood the ball up for Torres to volley home.

Torres Football Boots

And Torres, and his Nike Total 90 Laser II football boots were on the spot again three minutes later when the ball was directed in to his path as Phil Jagielka tackled Dirk Kuyt.  As you’d expect with the goal at his mercy and Tim Howard totally exposed, Torres made no mistake as he lashed the ball home to double Liverpool’s advantage.

Liverpool start the week in second place in the Premier League table after their 2 - 0 win but thanks to Fernando’s double strike, Everton find themselves a lowly 14th, with just seven points from their first six games.

After scoring what were his first goals in seven matches, Torres said:

We know if we can stay near the top of the table in January or February we can win it.

I knew the goals would come. Now I am back into form, I hope to go on a run like last season and maybe get more than the 33 I managed then.

If Liverpool do mount a serious title challenge, and to the neutrals that has to be a good thing, then here’s another fact for you. Torres and his Total 90 II  football boots will have a lot to do with it.

Order the T90 Lasers here

Fernando Torres Football Boots

Residents of the UK could well be forgiven for thinking that they’ve been transported back in time. Just look at the evidence.

An extremely unpopular Labour government is in power, the Conservatives are on the rise, the Union’s aren’t happy about the power companies, the economy is on its backside, the Yanks have possession of the Ryder Cup, Great Britain has only got one half decent tennis player and The Two Ronnies, Open All Hours, Columbo and Last of the Summer Wine are still all on the box.

It’s a retro world in which we live. And so too with football boots.

Old School is back in a big way and while innovation continues to flourish in the football boot market, some old favourites are more than holding their own in the market place.

So, for old time’s sake, we’ve been listening to records by Queen and Roxy Music, dressing up in flares, though some in the Footy Boots office have never realised that they went out of fashion (yes Roger, you) and we’ve picked out our current top three old style boots.

Adidas adiPure

Inspired by the iconic footwear Adidas made famous, the adiPure boot reflects a growing trend for a return to simple football values.

The 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 many Adidas technologies as standard.

But it also meets the demands of many football fans who admire traditional football values, be that in boots, shirt design or even conduct on the field of play itself.

Chelsea and England’s Frank Lampard is a major fan and agreed with Footy Boots when he said: “adiPure to me is the finished article in football boots, clean, classic and does everything a modern day boot should do, while staying traditional to football values”.

Nike Brown Boots

You’ve got to hand it to Nike. Their decision to redesign their top makes in brown for Euro 2008 was a master stroke. And they don’t look half bad either.

OK, Cristiano Ronaldo didn’t  wear them, preferring his green Mercurial’s, and Cesc Fabregas went back to his new style Tiempo’s but in the main, the Nike decision was hit.

The collection was inspired by the host countries of the 2008 European Championships (Austria & Switzerland) and the style of football boots seen on-field during the 1954 World Cup in Switzerland.

The Mercurial Vapor, the T90 Laser and Tiempo all incorporate clean and technical outsole plates in a vivid blue, contrasted with vintage soft & crafted chocolate brown leather.

Each football boot has a different tonal laser graphic on the heel to represent the location of the  tournament and it is also screened in the sockliner.

Puma King XL

Celebrating it’s 40th birthday this year, it just wouldn’t be possible to put together a feature on retro football boots without including the Puma King XL.

Worn by legends such as Eusebio, who was instrumental and indeed the inspiration for its creation, Pele and Maradona, the boot was relaunched this year and boy, it looks great.

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 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.

So, do you agree with our top three? Why not drop us a comment or an email.

Right class, pay attention. Atkins, sit up straight lad. Morris, stop picking your nose.

OK then, who can tell me the significance of the upcoming Premier League game between Arsenal and Manchester United on 8th November this year?

Sir, is it a top of the table clash?

Well Childs, it might be by then but not at the moment with United languishing in 15th spot.

Sir, is it because Arsene Wenger and Sir Alex Ferguson will say some nice things about each other in the press beforehand?

Interesting thought Harrison, but about as likely as the officials from Vicarage Road this weekend getting another top level game anytime soon.

Anyone else……right I’ll tell you then.

Nike have been running a completion for fans to design football boots for their favourite Arsenal or Manchester United players. These football boots will then be worn on the day in question.

An incredible 15,000 entries were received within the 2 week competition window, and here are a few of the winning designs.

Wayne Rooney T90 Laser II – designed by Phillip Mektiev

Carlos Tevez Tiempo – designed by Joshua Rodger

Rio Ferdinand T90 Laser II – designed by Jonathan Bechthold

Cesc Fabregas Tiempo – designed by Jan Szabala

And here’s an interesting point in closing.

Which player received more designs than anyone else? New England hero Theo Walcott that’s who. His winning Mercurial Vapor IV boot was designed by Ben Pritchard.

On the day before England’s match against Croatia in Zagreb, here on Footy Boots, we called for a much improved performance and some ‘blooded heroics’ as previously shown by the likes of Paul Ince and Terry Butcher.

Sadly, for Joe Cole, it was he who served up the claret, after taking a vicious elbow to the head from Robert Kovac who himself went on to see red courtesy of the referee’s top pocket.

Despite having nearly a dozen stitches, Cole is back on his feet and indeed, courtesy of Nike and Footy Boots, you can meet one of the heroes of Zagreb, live and in person, on Thursday 18th September.

Cole, who wears Nike Tiempo II football boots, is going to be at Nike Town in London on Thursday 18th September and as well as completing certain sponsor duties, he’ll also be taking questions from a specially invited audience.

If you want to join them, then all you need to do is answer this question:

How many goals has Joe Cole scored in the last 3 England games (versus Czech Republic, Andorra and Croatia?

Send your answers to andy@footy-boots.com and ensure you include your name, address, contact details and importantly your age as you must be 19 or under.

If you win, you and a friend will be given unique access to one of England’s top players, not to mention getting a look around Nike Town in to the bargain.

And just think of the questions you could be asking. Did it hurt when they put the stictches in? Does Fabio Capello know any English swear words yet? What’s your favourite colour? The list is endless!!

Good luck, and we’ll announce the winner by 5pm UK time on Tuesday 16th September.

It’s not often that you score an international hat-trick.

Rarer still when:

a) You aren’t expected by many to be in the starting line up and

b) You do so against a team that hasn’t ever been beaten in a competitive match on home soil.

So on the back of England’s extraordinary 4 – 1 win away to Croatia last night, it seems only right that today on Footy Boots we pay homage to 19 year Theo Walcott. Or, to put it another way, here’s a perfect excuse to put up some totally gratuitous images of the young man in his Nike Mercurial Vapor IV’s.

Theo Walcott Fact File

Born: 16th March 1989.

First club: AFC Newbury.

First Pro club: Swindon Town.

Noticed by Nike: As a 14 year old.

Youngest player: At 15 years, 175 days he became the youngest player to appear in the Southampton reserve team.

Youngest player x 2: At 16 years, 143 days he became the youngest player to appear for the Saints first team, coming on as a sub against Wolves in the Championship.

First senior goal: Against Leeds United on 18th October 2005.

Most expensive teenager: When he signed for Arsenal in January 2006 for an initial fee of £5 million (rising to possibly £12 million based on appearances for club and country).

World Cup controversy: Was selected by Sven Goran Eriksson for England’s World Cup squad in 2006. Didn’t make an appearance despite an injury to Michael Owen.

Premier League debut: 19th August 2006 versus Aston Villa.

Popularity: In the recent NIKEiD design competition, Walcott received more designs than the likes of Wayne Rooney, Cesc Fabregas, Rio Ferdinand, Carlos Tevez and William Gallas.

Least likely to say: “That Thierry Henry, I taught him all he knows.”

Most likely to say: “In bed by 8.30pm – sure thing Mr Capello.”

Nike Mercurial Vapor IV

Speed Plate

The Mercurial Vapor IV features Nike’s innovative Speed Plate technology designed to give players instant acceleration and make them fastest to the ball. Additionally, a re-engineered upper has been crafted not just to make players faster, but faster while dribbling and shooting.

Tactile Coating

In order to aid dribbling with the ball at speed, just one seam exists in the shoe’s upper material, while a new stitched stretch lace cover creates a cleaner ball contact area. The football boot is also wrapped in a clear tactile coating that creates a gripped surface for all playing conditions.

Vapor Traction System

The Mercurial Vapor IV’s Vapor Traction System broadens the scope of player fit; heel pods have been expanded laterally for more cushioning and extra protection. Stabilizing the foot, a form-fitting insert cradles the heel, while a Glass Fiber heel wrap provides lightweight stability with minimal slippage. All told, the comfortable ride of the Mercurial Vapor allows for sustained play at speed, keeping the ball where it should be: on your feet or in the net.

Having already lost their opening World Cup qualifier to Kazakhstan by 3 goals to nil, no-one is expecting the minnows of Andorra to give England too many problems when they meet in Barcelona tomorrow.

Mind you, we all thought that back in March 2007 and at half time in the European Championship qualifier, the score was Andorra 0 v 0 England. England went on to win the game 3 – 0 but not before the team and then coach Steve McClaren took some awful stick from the travelling supporters.

They may not have the players, but they do at least have some decent footwear. Footy Boots looks at some of key match ups which could decide tomorrow’s game.

John Terry v Fernando Silva

The England captain probably won’t have to make too many difficult decisions on who to mark in this game as Silva normally plays on his own up front.

The Androrran hit man (if you can call him that with a return of 2 goals from 22 matches) will put his Adidas Predator Power Swerve’s up against Terry’s Umbro SX Valor’s.

Frank Lampard v Xavier Andorra

Every fan in the world knows that Lampard plays for Chelsea. Probably not too many are aware that Andorra (cunningly named after his own country) is the midfield dynamo for Binefar who are in the 4th tier of the Spanish league.

This though could be an interesting encounter as the 23 year Andorra, who’ll be winning his 10th cap, is becoming something of a first choice for national manager David Rodrigo.

As for the boots on show, it’s Lampard’s Adidas adiPURE’s versus Andorra’s Nike Tiempo Legend II’s

Wayne Rooney v Tony Lima

Remember Roger Milla of Cameroon?

No-one seemed to know how old he was but he became a star at the 1990 World Cup scoring 4 goals despite a chronic lack of club football.

Andorra’s Tony Lima is in the same bracket.  At 37 years of age, Lima has given up playing on a weekly basis and only now pulls on the national shirt.

And he does a nice line in getting the opposition wound up as Wayne Rooney will testify to after getting more than a little up tight in the Euro qualifier 18 months ago.

Bootwise, it’s a Nike battle royal, Rooney will be in his Total 90 Laser II’s and Lima in a pair of Air Legends.

Kick off in Barcelona on Saturday evening is 1900 BST.

Andorra flag courtesy of www.33ff.com

It must be fantastic being a football boot brand executive.

One minute, you’re sitting in the office with your Jimmy Choo loafers resting on your fake mahogany topped desk, and then next, you take a phone call and find out that one of your leading lights has swapped a middle of the road club for one of the biggest teams in the world.

Not that Dimitar Berbatov’s Adidas agent wouldn’t have seen it coming. Though the £30 million bid from Manchester City probably caused him to choke on his cappuccino (extra skinny milk, no sugar).

Adidas must have been cracking open the bubbly the moment Berbatov’s transfer from Spurs to Manchester United was completed – even if it was 40 minutes after the official closing time?

No disrespect to Tottenham, but now Adidas have another player on the biggest European stage of all who can show off his skills and of course his football boots, and in Berbatov’s case, they are the Predator Power Swerves (recently voted as the most comfortable football boots of the year in the Footy-Boots.com Football Boot Awards 2008). Talk about win win for Adidas!

The same could be said of Robinho’s move from Real Madrid to Manchester City.

Sure, the two teams (at least for the moment ) don’t quite compare. One’s the best in the whole of Spain, the other’s not even the best in its own city, but Nike won’t mind that one little bit. Such is the draw of the Premier League to TV audiences around the world, Robinho’s Nike Vapor IV’s will get tons more exposure even though he’s moved away from the Bernabeu and won’t be playing Champions League football.

Back to Adidas and another of their charges who’s made a big money move, Roman Pavlyuchenko who’s swapped Spartak Moscow for Tottenham.

Surely the stage is set for the Russian superstar to make the same impact on the Premier League as he did in his Adidas F50.8’s at Euro 2008.

These are just three big boot moves which should give their respective brands even more exposure. If you think there are better value moves out there, tell us here.

As we recently reported on Footy Boots, you fans are keen to see football clubs change their kit on an annual basis.

You’ll therefore be delighted to find out that Manchester United will be using a newly designed third kit for the new season. And it’s based on a famous night in United history.

In 1968 Manchester United made history in becoming the first English team to lift the European Cup when they defeated Benfica 4-1 at Wembley Stadium. Before the game it was agreed that Utd would play in their Blue away kit as both teams home jerseys were red.

To celebrate the 40 year anniversary of this momentous night Nike has created a kit worthy of that great team and their great night at Wembley. Taking inspiration from that first European Cup win and the Busby Babes, Utd will wear blue as their third kit for the 2008/09 season inspired by the famous 1968 victory. The kit will also be their preferred kit for this season’s Champions League away matches.

The shirt includes a number of details that celebrate the anniversary including the embroidery of the words “May 29th 1968” and “40th Year Anniversary” around the club crest.

The kit uses Nike Fit fabric technology, first used by Nike in national team kits worn by Nike-sponsored teams in the 2006 World Cup. This technology is designed to enhance player performance by wicking sweat through the material and away from the skin.  A full mesh back on the player’s jerseys also aids ventilation.

Rio Ferdinand said: “When you look at the final image you will associate it with the great team of 1968 with the likes of George Best and Bobby Charlton. Obviously they won the European Cup in blue so we hope we can walk in their shoes again with this kit. It’s such a big part of the history of the club”.

Ryan Giggs was also suitably impressed saying “I’m very impressed. It’s good to have a kit to celebrate the 40th anniversary of that amazing night. Obviously that was a great night for the club and there is a massive history behind the game and the players who played that night. It’s great that we can commemorate that history with this kit. For it to look so good and be the same colour as the kit from back then is a testimony to the designers and I think the lads will like it”

If you like it, the kit is available for pre order from today. ORDER NOW

Nike are running a competition which will allow the winners to design football boots for this Premier League clash.

Nike is giving football fans a unique opportunity to design the match-day football boots of some of the game’s biggest stars.  Top Arsenal and Manchester United players will do battle in NIKEiD football boots when the teams meet at The Emirates Stadium on Saturday 8th November.  Supporters of both clubs will get the chance to submit designs by visiting www.NIKEiD.com and have an influence on one of the games of the season.

Fans will be able to design football boots for Manchester United’s Wayne Rooney, Carlos Tevez, Rio Ferdinand, and Arsenal’s William Gallas, Cesc Fabregas and Theo Walcott.  Fans will be able to vote for their favourite design with players picking a football boot from the top ten most voted for to wear in what is set to be one of this season’s biggest matches.

As well as designing online via NIKEiD.com, fans can also visit the Nike Boot Room at Nike Town London to work with the NIKEiD design consultants to create their pair.

Nike Town’s Boot Room is due to launch in London soon, so when Nike invited Footy Boots to take an early look around and have a football boot designed in their NIKEiD Studio, our Boot Geeks were happier than Steve McClaren’s dental surgeon.

As we approached the Nike ID Studio at Nike Town in London, pencils and clipboards at the ready, we couldn’t help but appreciate the range of products in the Boot Room. Of course we’ve seen the range of Nike football boots many times before, but when we saw them perfectly presented on bright display stands all around us, we felt like kids in a sweet shop.

We were quickly ushered into the design studio, for our appointment made with Paul, a Design Consultant, and to be honest we couldn’t wait to get going in creating our own football boot.

We looked at the array of football boots available to try on and get an absolutely perfect fit, but the first decision to be made was what type of football boot were we going to create. We opted for the Total 90 with a custom iD, as it had plenty of ways for us to customise the football boot, but also as it was a performance football boot.

Next decision was which outsole to build. We thought we’d be a bit different and go for an indoor football boot, as we haven’t test run the Total 90 indoor version.

The great thing about going to the NIKiD studio and picking the Total 90 is that you can select the shot-shield, just like the pro’s do.

(1) Regular - geometric design for enhanced ball control and greater spin

(2) Aggressive - enhanced geometric design for maximum spin on the ball (NIKEiD exclusive worldwide)

(3) Minimal - a more natural touch for players who want less material between their foot and the ball

We went with the minimal option, as we like to feel the ball on our foot, especially for indoor football.

So with the technical attributes decided, the colourway design was next. True to Footy Boots, we went with the white, green, grey and black - the colours used on this website.

The whole experience was great. The staff are very well educated about football boots and know the Nike range inside out. This leads to you ending up with a football boot that fits well, has the attributes that fit your game and can be unique in its design too!

See the Footy Boots design on the NIKEiD website, press Search DESIGNiD at the top of the page, then enter our DESIGNiD 134119869.

If you’ve designed a NIKEiD football boot, put the link in the comments section below.