Red carpet and bright light, cocktails, canapés and champagne, B list celebrity guests. Dream on. Football boot launches are the real deal.

After a marathon game of paper-scissors-stone, Kyle, sweating profusely and with bags the size of footballs under his eyes, stood victorious at Footy Boots HQ. For having beaten the rest of the team he was now in possession of the ‘Golden Ticket’. A trip to Manchester for the Nike Total 90 Laser III official launch.

Over to Kyle…..

Starting off the day in a manner fit for an athlete, Nike stuffed me full of the finest pastries and coffee money can buy; seated in a huge meeting room in a 5 star Manchester hotel I overlooked the dreary Manchester skyline and had a chat with a gathering of media from the four corners of the globe.

After having a somewhat surreal chat with Mr Takuya ‘Tak’ Nagata from Japanese outfit Sankei Sports,  a rather cheery (suspiciously cheery for a Monday morning) Nike representative then appeared to ask us if we’d like to make our way through to the presentation suite – the Laser III was ready and waiting for us.

Walking down a corridor with huge pictures of Nike’s new boot plastered down the wall, illuminated from all angles with lights following the newest Laser’s infamous green and red colour scheme, we were shown our seats and we were given an introduction to the day by Head of Communications for Nike Europe, Charlie Brooke.

Charlie then made way for Chris Tyler who talked us through many of the new features and key points for the Laser III, before giving the floor to Simon Owen, who gave us an insight into all the thinking and tactics that Nike have put into their new Nike Accuracy+ training. Being a geek for all things boot related I introduced myself to Chris (who happens to be a fan of the site) who was happy to give me a few minutes of plenty of personal insight into the boot and his career in the industry so far.

With the morning turning to afternoon, Nike laid on some lunch for the gathered press. I had a little chat with some of the Nike team (whilst trying to hide the fact that the chicken skewers were much too spicey for my tongue…), before we were told that Manchester United’s top scorer was on his way.

Heading back into the Laser Room, the stage was now adorned with a couple of leather chairs and it was clear the interview was only moments away. Arriving onstage to applause, Rooney was as casual as you like – T-Shirt, sweatpants and trainers (with Nike(Red) laces) were the order of the day as he answered some questions about the boot, the season so far and the games ahead. Despite his marauding personality on the pitch, Rooney was almost a little retiring when answering the questions – a true footballer’s player – you can tell he’s the sort of guy that’d much rather get on with things and just play football!

After closing off the interview session, Wayne was kind enough to pose for some photos with the football boot before being whisked away. When this intrepid reporter dared to ask if he was heading to the airport for a medical at the Camp Neu, I was assured he was heading back to Old Trafford…you heard it here first folks!!

Nike then piled all of us who fancied a chance to try out the football boots for ourselves onto a coach to take us to an all-weather testing facility. Greeting us in the changing rooms was a personalised kitbag, with a pair of Laser III’s, a T90 training shirt and shorts (the things I do for you guys…), some socks, and shower gel and a towel for after.

Out on the 3G pitch we were greeted by some of Tottenham and Nike’s coaches who took us through some of the drills that are part of the Nike Accuracy+ training. After a few passing, shooting and volleying exercises the coaches put our skills to the test with the Torres challenge:

3 shots from the 3 angles, with a maximum of 30 points available. Ashamedly, I only racked up 6 points, after getting 2 points for my volley and 4 points for getting side netting with my left foot, my newfound confidence was telling me to go for the top corner worth 10 points on my trusty right to win the competition. Naturally, it flew outside the post and wide of the mark. I blame the boots!!

Winding down the day with a quick game, myself and Ben Cove from Football Punk formed the best all English frontline since Shearer and Sheringham to redeem some of the dignity I lost on the Torres challenge!

Some handshakes and thanks to the team at Nike later and the day was over, and it was back to start writing up all the news that wasn’t tweeted from the day. It’s not all top player interviews and free swag, you know.

Attending the launch for the Nike Total 90 Laser III, Kyle spent some time with Chris Tyler, Nike’s UK Product Developer. Here’s what he had to say on……

Players who were consulted on the boot…

We started consulting the athletes at Liverpool, interestingly, whilst Robbie Keane was still there. We chatted with Keane and Torres, and then we took it over to Manchester to speak to Rooney and Rio Ferdinand. After England, we took it onto the continent to speak to some of out European athletes.

Players who like to be involved in the process…

Rino (Gennaro) Gattuso from Milan was a very interesting character, something of a budding designer!

He gave us some very strong feedback on how the shoe should look; suggesting it should have a very aggressive personality and how do capture that in the design. He also mentioned the lacing as well, he was insistent that it should have a very clean striking area.

Torres provided the most to talk about. He marked out 3 ‘zones’ on the foot which he used for different finishes, paying particular attention to the inside of the foot for curl and the top of the instep for striking the ball.

The message behind the boot…

Previously, we’d always spoken about the T90 message being ‘Put it where you want it’. When we took in all the feedback from the players and some research and development; we thought we could add another dimension to it; and start talking about ‘Put it how you want it’. Keeping the focus on accuracy, but giving the player different types of kick.

The thinking behind the new rubber fins…

It’s a common conception, that for an accuracy shoe it’s all about friction. If you put something grippy on the upper you’ve got yourself an accuracy shoe. We looked at this in more detail and how this influences different types of kick. When applying swerve to a ball, there’s a very clear relationship between the level of friction and the chance of error. The more friction you apply the lower the error.

How they help apply swerve…

When we look at players kicking the ball, we found there were two types of common kick, if you like - kicks using sidespin and kicks using topspin. So we looked at how the friction area of the shoe could best be designed to maximise those two types of spin on the ball.

We toyed around with different levels and different heights of lumps and bumps over the shoe, trying different heights and different directions of those to get the optimum application of spin to the ball. We settled on fins, ranging from 0mm, up to 3mm and then back down to 0mm again. These collapse on contact with the ball - so the ‘plateau’ of fins gives you a larger surface area making contact with the ball.

Why this wasn’t applied all across the boot…

Our research showed, that when striking through the ball - trying to apply power - we found there was, in fact, no relationship between friction and that sort of instep accuracy.

How the boot optimises that ‘instep accuracy’…

Firstly, the laces are moved to the side for a clean kicking area. Then we have longitudinal pods made from injected silicon, which gives you a smooth contact area when you kick it from anywhere; from the ground, on the volley this is a very consistant area giving an optimum transfer of energy.

What else goes into the Laser III’s design…

We knew from the research we did into the Laser I & II’s that a flatter kicking surface would give you better accuracy when striking through the ball. What we wanted to do was fill out the void [between the uneven spaces along the tops of the toes and the boot. Across different styles and types of kick we felt it was important to make this area as flat as possible, to create a strong transfer of energy from the foot to the ball via the boot.

Unlike previous Total 90’s the area underneath the fins, is composed of KangaLite (Ed: which you may remember from the CTR360) which gives optimal comfort and feel for the ball, and the synthetic material is a Teijin material (Ed, again: which you will know from the Vapour line). We also gave it a new finish across the upper of the shoe, what this does is it gives you the same durability as the Laser II’s, but it’s 22g lighter and softer.

Under the KangaLite, there’s a memory foam layer that moulds to the top of the foot so there’s no void which I talked about before, which translates into a perfectly flat area on the top surface of the boot.

(What we’ve all been dying to know) The colour of the boot…

We wanted them to stand out; higher on pitch visibility across 360 degrees. We also wanted to the technology used on the boot to pop out as well. We feel we’ve got a very strong technology message, and we want it to be visible. We also wanted to run the shoe a third ‘impact’ colour. Previously we’ve only done two colour shoes and we wanted to give these a third ‘pop’ colour.

What he thought when first saw them…

You know - they’re not actually as bright as I thought they’d be! I thought I was going to see the prototype for the first time and think ‘Wow, I’m gonna have a tough time pitching this to the rest of the guys!’. But on the pitch, I think with grass, they look great!

The trend in boot colours…

It’s funny; I’ve done focus groups for a while now. A few years ago people wouldn’t even think of wearing anything other than black boots. Now, when I show the product to younger audience, they want any colour in the world except black!

Thanks to Chris from the whole Footy Boots team for spending so much time with us and for a fascinating insight in to boot development.

He’s just scored four goals in a Premier League game that put his club top of the league and him top of the goalscoring charts.Not only are Manchester United reliant on him in the run in to the end of the season, but England’s chances of success in the World Cup this summer will be influenced by his form and fitness.We caught Wayne Rooney at the top of his game, here’s what he had to say…..

So Wayne, you’ve been wearing the Total 90 boots for a few weeks now, designed for total accuracy and for players like yourself, how have you found them?

They’ve been great and I think it’s very important you get your footwear right. For me personally, they’re as good as they can be because they’re so comfortable and they protect my feet, and yes, I think they really help me hit the ball well.

A couple of years ago you went out to the Nike Sports Research Lab. What sort of things did you have to do? What sort of things do they get you doing in a lab?

They showed me different types of boots and different designs and asked what I thought on the ideas they were planning. Obviously I gave my feedback on what I thought was the best and they’ve put it into the boot you see here today, and I like how it’s come out, so it’s always nice to be involved.

The boots are the major tools of your trade. Do you think it’s good that you really get a say in what Nike are creating for you?

Yes, I think it’s brilliant.  Growing up, you always wore boots that you saw your favourite players wearing, and to actually have input in that process… it was a privilege for me to do that.

One of the things that comes with the boot is the digital package of training drills and signature moves by key players. Are there any players you remember copying when you were a kid?

Yeah, I’ve always said Michael Owen after his goal against Argentina, that was an amazing goal and obviously we’re playing together now, so that’s good as well.

There’s obviously a huge amount of natural talent in what you do, but a lot of training as well. What sort of shooting drills and accuracy drills do you do, and do you do it on your own or with the team?

I’ll do it with the team, and obviously at the end of the session I’ll go away and do some on my own, you know – technical work on finishing and scoring goals. You know, they’re all different; there’s power, curling and just different types of finish which I’ll use in a game.

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Long suffering fans of England won’t need to be reminded that when it comes to major tournaments, the team has an Achilles heel – penalties!

Coach Fabio Capello, planner supreme, will doubtless have his entire squad practising from 12 yards as this summer’s World Cup gets ever closer and he might have to ramp it up more than even he thought after the news that Spurs manager Harry Redknapp is about to strip Jermain Defoe of spot kick duty.

Defoe has missed his last four penalties, the last against Leeds in the FA Cup.

Should Defoe be on the pitch in South Africa when England are involved in a shoot out, he’ll probably be required to step forward and do his bit. But who else might Capello call upon, and what football boots will they be wearing as they make that lonely walk from the halfway line? We’re hedging our bets a little and picking one more than required, but you can perm any five from the following half dozen.

Frank Lampard – adiPure III

He may have his critics when he plays for England, but no-one can fault Lampard from the spot. A regular taker for Chelsea and mostly successful although not at the last World Cup where he missed the opening effort against Portugal. Mind you, he did score 2 years earlier at Euro 2004.

David Beckham  - adidas DB Predator X

If he goes, it’s likely he’ll be on the pitch at the final whistle having come on as a substitute. The former skipper is never shy of being ‘one of the five’ but its best we forget what happened at Euro 2004. Portugal were the opponents and Beck’s skied his pen after his standing foot slipped.

Owen Hargreaves – Nike

Here’s one for you. Name the only England player to have scored from the spot in their last two shoot-outs? That’s right, Owen Hargreaves. Capello has said that he needs to prove his fitness to win a place on the plane to South Africa, but should he do so, Hargreaves could be asked to make it ‘three from three’ following Euro 2004 and the World Cup in 2006. However, just which Nike boots he chooses to wear upon his return to competitive action is anyone’s guess.

John Terry – Umbro Speciali

Captain courageous has had mixed fortunes from the spot in recent years. Like Hargreaves, he was successful at the last World Cup but he won’t need reminding that he couldn’t do the business for Chelsea in the 2008 Champions League final against Manchester United. Like Beckham, he suffered a standing foot malfunction to let United back in to contention. At least he was brave enough to take one, filling in for Didier Drogba who’d been dismissed in extra time.

Ashley Cole – Nike CTR360 Maestri

Cole was also called upon in the shoot out against Portugal in 2006 and was successful with the first sudden death penalty. So, at least he’s shown he can hold his nerve. Seems happy in the CTR360 for the time being but has swapped his boots around over the past season or two.

Wayne Rooney – Nike Total 90 Laser III

Got to be in the frame as a ‘go to’ man should the need arise. Didn’t get to show us what he could do in 2004 and 2006 for differing reasons. At Euro 2004 was injured in the quarter final against Portugal and two years later, as those who can recall the CR9 wink will know, Rooney got his marching orders midway through the second half for a stamp. Needs to last 120 minutes this time round.

Who do you think might be called upon for spot kick duty should the need arise this summer? Let us know by commenting below.

Chances are that when Wayne Rooney meets up with the Nike hierarchy in Manchester today, the American brand’s PR guys will have one just one thing to say to him. Simply put: “Good timing Wayne, good timing.”

Although the Total 90 Laser III’s have been ‘out there’ for over a month now, it’s safe to say that the take up by professional players hasn’t been as prolific as might have been expected.

The boot was launched well enough with Fernando Torres at the fore but it probably didn’t help the cause that after a handful of games, the Spanish international switched back to his Laser II’s for a while. Additionally, such was the seeming overnight success of the CTR360 Maestri, that the performance all new Nike boots will now surely be measured against them.

However, Saturday’s game at Old Trafford between Manchester United and Hull City might change all that.

Rooney will be centre stage in Manchester today as Nike stages its official launch of the Total 90 Laser III and coming on the back of his four goals at the weekend, those concerned couldn’t have picked a better day. For the record, Rooney has now scored 19 times in the top flight this season and his virtuoso performance put his side back on top of the table.

Footy Boots will of course be covering the event. You can keep in touch with what’s going on via our Footy Boots Twitter account and we’ll have a full round up and images on the web site over the next day or so. It’ll certainly be interesting to see how Nike goes about positioning the boots in the current market place, if nothing else, to silence the doubters who have suggested that the Total 90 range has possibly come to the end of its useful life.

Meanwhile, it may have been a great weekend for Rooney but not so for his United team mate Michael Owen.

The former England hit man was wearing his new Umbro Speciali ‘Eat my Goooaaal’ limited edition boots but his finishing, as described in much of the national press, was well short of what is required at the top level.

However, he received some welcome support from manager Sir Alex Ferguson who praised his hunger and link up play with Rooney.

Today though will all be about Rooney and the Total 90 Laser III.

So, if you’re one of those who’s not yet sold on the boots then make sure you check back in with Footy Boots via our Twitter account or the web site for our exclusive report from Manchester, a Q and A with Wayne and the latest from Nike Football+.

This Monday, the 25th January, Footy Boots will in Manchester to meet Manchester United and England striker Wayne Rooney.

No, we haven’t been invited by Wayne and his Missus for tea and cakes, but instead, in association with Nike, we’ll be at the official launch of the T90 Laser III.

Rooney will be answering some questions (let us know if you have some good ones please), we’ll also be putting the new Total 90Laser III football boots through their paces as well as getting to grips with some new drills from Nike Football+.

Whilst we’d love to bring you along, Sir Alex may not be too happy with half the population turning up, so instead we’ve decided to do the next best thing - Run a live Twitter account of the day.

Yes, we’ll be Twittering live from the event to keep you bang up to date with what’s going on.

So to follow what’s happening, or to message us at Manchester, just follow us on Twitter.

We look forward to hearing from you!

Click here to follow us on Twitter.

If the adidas F50 adiZero turns out to be anyway decent, then the speed boot market place is going to get a whole lot hotter.

As it stands, it could be argued that when it comes to technology and weight, the Nike Mercurial Vapor Superfly sits on top of the pile.

Having ironed out those initial teething problems, the Nike football boots have gone from strength to strength, certainly in the pro game at least. Mind you, the likes of Ronaldo and Walcott don’t have to fork out £225 a time for the honour of playing in them. Performance and Flywire technology notwithstanding, in these tough economic times, over £200 for a pair of football boots is a stiff amount to pay.

Of course, by the time the F50 adiZero makes an appearance, the Superfly II will have already been revealed. Don’t rule out a price drop from those marketing boys at Nike. They’re clever that way. And of course, there is always the more reasonably priced Vapor V and yet to be seen VaporVI.

PUMA made a bit of a howler with the initial colourway of the v1.10 but have hit back strongly with the Gold / Black / Red version which has received some very strong publicity during the African Cup of Nations. Angola is also being used as a great shop window for the original boot which, from a distance, isn’t really that bad. On pre-order now is the v1.10 in Black / Red / White and of course, the K-Leather version which has received some serious praise since it was featured on Footy Boots.

Pricewise too, they’ve got it about right at £120 and £130 for the K-Leather.

There are other speed football boots which shouldn’t be counted out but in truth, most of them could be afforded cult status as opposed to worldwide mass appeal, so it’s definitely PUMA and Nike that adidas will be looking to have a go at.

So what will adidas need to do to get a foot hold in this ‘blue riband’ sector.

Price will be important but with a release date not expected until the Spring (at least) it’s not particularly easy to get a handle on where these boots will be positioned though a figure of £120 is being bandied about.

Weight will be crucial and if the reports doing the rounds on the message boards and cyber space are to be believed, then each boot is coming in at 160g, that’s 25g less than the current Superfly.

It’s also thought that the SprintSkin tehnology will have a major role to play following its début on the F50i.

As for the whole look, there are a few boot-leg pictures out there but more importantly, a few images now of professional players giving them a try in training. So keep your eyes peeled.

And then there is performance, or at least, as much performance that you can squeeze in to boot that weighs about the same as two-thirds of a tub of margarine!

Whatever adidas has in store, it’s going to cause an all-mighty shake-up with the German brand having previously come under fire for not doing enough for the out and out speedster. That looks like it’s going to change big-time and we can’t wait.

Wayne Rooney and Fernando Torres may be experiencing contrasting fortunes in the Premier League, but they do have one thing in common, the Nike Total 90 Laser III.

Nike has kept up a steady stream of PR since the boot was launched and the latest example is this viral with Rooney and Torres entitled Hit the Target.

The video backs up the Master Accuracy label with Rooney doing all the work and Torres providing an increasingly complex series of target practice drills.

You can see the video here, get more info about the Total 90 Laser III here or find out exactly what we thought of the boot by viewing the Footy Boots test.

Following their hugely successful launch in September 2009, Nike bringing out a third colourway for the CTR360 Maestri.

It’s already had a run-out in both the English Premier League (Valon Behrami) and La Liga (Rafael Van der Vaart) and the striking White / Silver / Blue colourway looks like it could catch on in a big way.

The CTR360 has made a massive impact in just a few months, helped largely by the form of leading European ambassador Cesc Fabregas. The Spaniard put in a stunning debut in the Nike footwear and bar a few injuries, has been one of the dominant forces in the EPL over the past few months.

The CTR360 Maestri also scored well in the Footy Boots test, so we can assure you that all that it’s very much living up to the hype.

The CTR360 is building its reputation upon three main functions:

Receiving the ball

Dampening pods on the outside of the forefoot provide a softer first touch when receiving the ball, whilst an asymmetrical lacing system greatly expands the ball control area.

The instep utilizes a harder material to provide extra pace on the pass - the forefront and the instep work together for a lighter more controlled take but quicker delivery, minimising time on the ball.

Controlling the ball

Nike has developed the revolutionary KANGA-LITE synthetic leather that mimics the supreme feel of kangaroo leather, while maintaining its performance in all conditions and allows for a snug fit.

When a player strikes the ball, a well planted foot is just as important as the striking boot. Nike has integrated dual-density forefoot studs that not only reduce the stud weight but help grip the ball better without compromising traction or stability.

The heel studs are built to be strong and stable to create a sure footing while controlling the ball with the other foot.

Distributing the ball

Shape correcting memory foam delivers uniform contact with the ball for greater precision. An injected pass-pad on the combines with the memory foam to deliver the ball at optimum pace.

The new colourway will be available on pre-order soon for £119.99.

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As the 2010 World Cup draws closer, one word will be forming in the mind of all England fans – penalties.

England’s record  from the spot in major tournaments is woeful. Who will be able to forget the tears of Chris Waddle and Stuart Pearce at Italia 90 or the pizza ad from Gareth Southgate following Euro ’96? There are more example of course (David Batty look away now) but they are just too painful to dig up.

So it might be an idea for Fabio Capello, and indeed any international coach, to take a look at a new Nike video featuring Robbie Keane.

Tottenham and Republic of Ireland striker Robbie Keane takes to the training field in his Nike Total 90 Laser III’s to give a master class on scoring from 12 yards out. Issuing useful advice throughout from techniques for scorching top corners, to keeping your cool when the crowd is against you, strikers (not to mention occasional penalty takers) can’t afford to miss this.

Keane is usually Mr Reliable from the spot, a fact that has helped him amass 194 goals from 517 club appearances plus 43 goals for his country.

As for more on the Total 90 Laser III, make sure you check out the Footy Boots T90 Laser III test.

The majority of top flight games may have been called off this past weekend because of the big freeze, but that didn’t stop our ever industrious boot spotters from checking out what was being worn at Premier League grounds around the UK.

Hull City v Chelsea - Match Postponed

Not even the presence of Hull City boss Phil Brown could save this match. It was hoped that the heat emanating from his perma-tan would melt the snow at the KC Stadium but no such luck.

Still, we managed to spot these adidas welly-Pure II’s. Note the absence of any technology whatsoever.

As worn by - That little bloke off Last of the Summer Wine.

Burnley v Stoke City - Match Postponed

No joy either at Turf Moor where Burnley were due to play their first match since the departure of manager Owen Coyle to Bolton Wanderers.

However, there was still plenty to interest our intrepid spotters who were very excited to spy these limited edition Lotto Welleggenda Due’s bearing a poppy motif in an interesting Red / Green / Whoopsy Yellow colourway.

As worn by - Posh Mum’s on the way to the gym.

Fulham v Portsmouth - Match Postponed

The icy chill blowing off the River Thames put paid to this game but, as you will appreciate, with Craven Cottage being so close to the Kings Road there was still some quality fashion footwear to see.

Our boot spies favourite was this pair of Puma Camo Field-Konstrukt III’s. Perfect for a summer knock-about, they looked strangely out of place in snow covered South West London.

As worn by - Bill Oddie / Bill Bailey

West Ham United v Wolverhampton Wanderers - Match Postponed

Another London game to fall foul of the weather was this clash at Upton Park. What was interesting here was the fact that Wolves manager Mick McCarthy decided not to bring his first choice boots, but decided on his second string pair. Is there a pattern developing here?

In the end, he settled on these all surface Umbro Speci-Welli-ali’s in Dijon Mustard Yellow. Strengthened by their unique L-frame, the upper is made from K-Rubber which gives him extra grip when kicking his defenders up the backside for conceding another soft goal.

As worn by - Mick McCarthy

Liverpool v Tottenham - Match Postponed

This highly anticipated clash between Liverpool in 7th and Spurs in 4th will have to be re-arranged despite the pitch being playable. Police and officials were concerned about the icy conditions around the ground not to mention in the Liverpool boardroom. “It was cold enough in there to freeze the club’s bank accounts” said a random bloke we met.

On the plus side, our trip to Anfield resulted in us getting a glimpse of these Nike Vapor Welly-Berry’s in Red / Two-Tone Pink.

Using a bad LSD trip as their inspiration, it’s thought that only one player in the entire Premier League will be brave enough to wear them.

As worn by - Nicklas Bendtner.

Did we miss any? Perhaps you may have seen something similar being worn at the weekend or, better still, are there any football boot names that lend themselves to this type of footwear. Let us know by commenting below.

Admittedly, the conditions to test the Nike Total 90 Laser III weren’t exactly ideal. But, when you’ve got a pair of electric green boots, a high-vis yellow ball and a covering of perfect white snow, it should at least mean that the pictures stand out!

Comfort & Fit

Nike have obviously taken some design cues from the CTR360 line for the latest Laser. The same slightly ‘roomy’ fit graces the front end of the boot around the toes, which will frustrate some players, so if at all possible make sure you get to try on a pair before splashing out £130 on them.

Personally, much like Sully & Greeny, I could have squeezed into half a size smaller, and after wearing them in a little I reckon I could have gone down a full size and completely eliminated the roomy feeling on the toes, but then I plan on wearing two pairs of socks during the winter (because I’m a big girl’s blouse!) so the sizing turned out quite well.

The artificial upper provides little-to-no friction between the heel of your sock and the back of the boot – so there’s not going to be any blisters, even on the first wear!

Another feature that Nike have carried over from the successful CTR360 line is the inclusion of Memory Foam in the upper. However, where the Maestri had the foam on the instep; the Laser III lines the top of the foot (underneath the new ‘pods’ that have replaced the shotshield). This placement results in a really firm, true contact with the striking area of the boot (more on this later) and a snug fit throughout the middle shank of the foot and heel.

Durability

The Laser III’s feel like a perfectly solid boot when they’re on your feet. The firm synthetic upper definitely doesn’t feel like it could be compromised easily and the heel counter is wonderfully integrated into the rest of the boot.

The striking area of the boot also adds to the durability factor, with the memory foam acting as a sizable barrier across the top of the boot, to lessen the impact of any stamps on the metatarsal. Also strengthening the boot in this area is the huge rubber swerve zone on the front-instep. This rubber feels like a bike tyre, thus is pretty stubborn and won’t give, even when faced with the nastiest of studs-first challenges.

The sole-plate has been carried across almost identically from the Laser II, with the FG version having all the same blades (which I’m sure many will be thrilled to hear!) and as such is a solid part of the boot, feeling very stable underfoot and unlikely to come away from the upper in the boot’s life. In fact, I’ve tested these boots over 3 weeks and even in the snow there’s been no leakage from the sole at all, my feet got a little wet from snow coming over the top of the boots though, but that’s practically expected.

Feel

As mentioned before, the boot has a very roomy feel at the front, which makes it awesome for long matches. If you love twisting and turning around the pitch, skipping between midfielders and spinning of your marker’s shoulder, you’ll appreciate the comfort and room these will offer you over 90 minutes.

However, this same roomy nature can make the boot feel a touch clumsy round the toes, meaning it takes a little bit of time to find the best sweet spot on the boot, but again this can I reckon this can be remedied by making sure you take the time to try on a couple of pairs if possible.

Speaking of the ’sweet spot’, the biggest talking point on this model of the Laser is the decision to swap out the target-like ‘rings’ and replace them with a different system.

The first part of which is the modular series of firm pods along the top of the boot; the idea behind these pods it to provide a uniform surface along the striking area, which ensures an even area for ball no matter how bent the foot is.

Does it work? It’s a tough one to call, what I do like about the pods is they’re a great indicator on where on the foot to strike the ball like pro’s do. In recent seasons there’s been a trend of pro’s hitting the ball slightly more towards the instep of the foot and dragging the foot under the ball as contact is made to create wicked spin and dip, rather than slamming the top of the foot through the centre of the ball for an missile-like shot. These new Lasers practically beg you to try this method out, and the plastic pods make it a little easier to do so.

Another feature of the striking zone is the rubber fins that protrude out of the outside. If you’re a little disappointed in the low-profile nature of the last few Predators and are aching for a boot that’s a little more hedgehog-like then you’re going to love these! The rubber fins actually stick out a little bit more than you might expect; so much so if you’re having a quiet kickabout by yourself, you can actually hear them rubbing up the side of the ball when you make contact. Having such a grippy area has been fantastic in such wet conditions lately, with a tangible improvement in areas like first touch and control.

Again, I’m not entirely sold on them effecting spin and swerve as much as they claim, but the increased surface area and friction certainly can’t hurt. If you’re really into technology like this you’ll probably really like the new additions to the Laser range - but once again for you purists, you could tell from the colour that these boots were never going to be for you!

What really does work is the memory foam in the boot’s tongue. As mentioned earlier, it molds to the top of your foot and doesn’t shift - which means that even when you swing your leg through for a strike, clearance or tackle , the boot’s upper stays locked in place giving great contact with the ball.

Conclusion

I realise that I’ve given these boots a pretty glowing review so far - and rightly so - they’re a top pair of boots; comfortable, hard-wearing, great to look at (wait until you see them up close before you judge them too harshly!) with gimmicks out the wa-zoo. However, I would still say exactly the same for the Laser II as well. As such, I don’t feel Nike have made gigantic strides forward for the Laser range, instead, more of a sideways move. It’s almost like they’ve taken adidas’ division of the Predator Powerswerve’s power & swerve specifications to the extreme. With the Laser II being all power and the III dedicated to adding swerve and craft to your shots.

For my money, I do think the Laser III inches it as the better boot. The additional grip on the forefoot, more stable lacing system and awesome use of the memory foam technology in the tongue would be the key points that sell the boot to me. But the Laser II’s have a huge fanbase - from keepers all the way to strikers- so I do think we’ll see many professional players stick with their older models, at least until the World Cup. As for amateur players? Well the most you’ll be paying for a pair of Laser II’s now is around £60, so I’ve got a feeling it might be a while before the Laser II makes it’s final bow.

So here we are. On day one of a brand new decade, Footy Boots can present our favourite five football boots from the last 10 years. 

We limited ourselves to choosing only 4 boots from our ‘top’ brand plus a maximum of 3 from any others. And, just to make things a little bit more difficult, we could only select one football boot from any single range.

It is, of course, a hugely subjective list so please feel free to comment below and lets us know which football boots you would have gone for. To help with your choices, here are our previous picks…

Football Boots of the Decade 20-16

Football Boots of the Decade 15-11

Football Boots of the Decade 10-6

20 - Reebok Sprintfit Lite Pro

19 - PUMA v-Konstrukt II

18 - A-Line Ultra World Cup

17 - Lotto Cafu Vento 2

16 - Adidas F50

15 - Strike Zone Pro Rage

14 - Mizuno Morelia

13 - Mercurial Superfly

12 - Nomis Glove

11 - PUMA v1.06

10 - Concave PT+

9 - Nike CTR360 Maestri

8 - Diadora LX K Pro

7 - Reebok Integrity

6 - adidas adiPure

AZ Total 90 II

Whilst it didn’t make too many radical changes over the original, it was more refined. Addition of a KNG-100 Upper on the top-end models was a big step towards embracing synthetic uppers for Nike. It will be remembered in the classic Blue, Black and White colourway that Luis Figo wore at WC2002.

Side offset lacing was, at the time, very unorthodox - but look around you now and every major brand has at least one side-offset lacing boot in their silo.

Umbro Speciali

The new Speciali was exactly what Umbro had desperately craved for the best part of 5 years. Giving in to temptation, Umbro had allowed some of the scraps of technology from it’s slowly bloating X-Boot range to ‘taint’ the Speciali - making it something it should never have been, in an attempt to steal fans from the Predator & Total 90 ranges.

After losing its retro appeal and classic styling, even looking at the Speciali left you with a certain uneasy feeling that only crops up from time to time, like when Gordon Brown proclaimed his love of the Arctic Monkeys, or just Rod Stewart in general. Clearly taking cues from Fabio Capello’s design notions for the New England home shirt Umbro ‘reset’ the Speciali back to the boot it was always meant to be - and seeing the glorious White and Red version on the feet of John Terry left me feeling that some great injustice had been undone in the world.

Puma King XL

Most of the time a classic should just be left alone, like the late 90’s remake of Hitchcock’s ‘Psycho’ or Britney Spears covering Satisfaction by the Rolling Stones. But every so often, someone comes along who’s willing to put the same time and care into the new version as those who had gone before into the old.

Streamlining the King by removing some of the unnecessary panels, increasing it’s appeal with some of the softest leather ever to grace a boot and adding a robust (yet subtle) heel guard was exactly what the brand needed to continue it’s legacy – and ensure another generation of legends could wear the King.

Mercurial Vapor I

Barely makes it onto the list as it was launched in the early noughties. For me, it was the first boot since the original Predator that had the ‘talk of the schoolyard’ factor. Everyone wanted Ronaldo’s boots, with the R9 behind the tongue - even though Brazil didn’t feature in any major tournament to showcase them - somehow they were the boots on everyone’s mind.

Also backed by Nike’s best Viral Ad (in my opinion) - The Cage! Adding to the collective tongue wagging of the public was the fact that you only caught the slightest glimpse of the boot at the end of the ad. Awesome.

Predator Precision

If that World Cup qualifier was David Beckham’s launchpad to superstardom - these boots were the rockets that propelled him. The Precisions were awesome looking boots, futuristic and fearsome - the low-profile accentuated by a velcro down tongue (the first time the tongue could ever be held in place in the range outside of some creative lace-taping or your girlfriend’s hair bobble).

Whilst the X-Traxion studs a huge bonus to the boot - and an innovation that has held true for a decade now - arguably the best thing about the sole plate was that adidas had dropped the creepy-looking flesh-coloured sole plate from the Accelerators!

So that’s it. Our top 5. Let the debate and the arguments begin! In the meantime, everyone at Footy Boots wishes you all a very happy and prosperous New Year.

As soon as Nike launched the Total 90 Laser III, there was one thing that almost all boot fans agreed on – that the Electric Green colourway was bold, very bold.

Indeed, it seemed much of the debate centered around that rather than the numerous technological advances the Nike designers had come up with.

So it should come as a huge surprise that the second version of the Laser III is somewhat more traditional in  looks.

The K-Leather model in a White / Obsidian / Gold colourway is available now on pre-order and will be retailing from 1st February from £129.99.

The boot also comes with access to Nike Football+, a digital coaching programme which we first saw with the CTR360 Maestri.

The system, which you can access at nikefootball.com via a special user code unique to each pair of boots, aims to help players improve their skills with insights, training drills and instruction from the coaching team at Juventus.

As for the boot itself, particular attention has been paid to the instep area and how players connect and put swerve on the ball. The result is a newly created shot shield designed for a cleaner strike on the ball for increased power, ball swerve and accuracy.

Greater Precision at High Velocity:

Modular Instep – five pods on the boot create a uniform contact point that creates a smoother surface for even pressure distribution. The pods are configured as five separate units that operate as one to remain flexible and fluid when interacting with the foot.

Enhanced Accuracy:

Advanced shape-correcting memory foam – provides a smooth and more consistent surface to enhance accuracy when shooting. This unique foam adapts to the demands of the individual player.

Increased Friction, More Swerve:

Engineered Fins – raised TPU fins on the medial side of the boot deliver increased friction on ball contact to ensure more swerve when you need it most. Each fin is strategically angled and sized to enhance control over ball trajectory, but fold on contact with the ball to accommodate great touch and feel.

The first Laser III colourway was Electric Green / Red / Black

The Total 90 Laser III design team also repositioned the eye-stay to a more asymmetrical position to allow a cleaner strike surface and easier fit and adjustment of the boot. Stability and comfort is enhanced with reinforcements to the external heel counter and outsole.

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