With Christmas fast approaching (you can tell its Xmas as the Easter eggs are in the shops) its time to look at the Footy Boots picks for the best presents you can buy.

Over the next couple of weeks, we’ll highlight our top 5 medium and entry level boots, but we start off today with our selections from the elite level. We’ve come up with one boot per brand – boots that we know can do a job and will offer value for money.

Nike CTR360 Maestri

This new line from has exploded on the scene and Nike must be purring in head office after getting Cesc Fabregas to be their lead ambassador.

The Spanish international has hardly put a foot wrong since he started wearing the CTR and his performances must be going a long way to persuade players that this is the boot for them.

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.

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.

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.

In addition to receiving, controlling and distributing, in developing the boot, Nike not only looked at increasing control, but maximising comfort. Therefore, a sock liner with an additional comfort layer sits within the boot, reducing stress on the foot and minimising friction.

adidas Predator_X

Walk down Oxford Street in London, look at the display in the adidas shop and then say you aren’t impressed by the latest in the Predator line. We’d venture that you’d find it a difficult task to undertake.

A brand new ‘Powerspine’ has been inspired by the revolutionary ‘fingersave’ technology that now exists within adidas goalkeeper gloves.

Positioned in the inner sole of the boot, the ‘Powerspine’ minimises the energy lost when players strike a football through a reduction in the “kicking flex” in the forefoot area.

This additional energy is transferred into the ball and away from the fragile ligaments and bones that exist at the top of the foot.

Through vigorous testing the Predator_X is proven to have on average 7% more kicking power than the most recent Predator football boot.

The ability for players to swerve the ball has always been the stand-out technical innovation of the Predator football boot and a new material has been used on the Predator_X to further enhance this.

Positioned on the kicking zone of the boot, the Predator element is a mix of rubber and silicon meaning it is lightweight but impactful.

The positioning of the Predator element has been slightly altered to maximise the swerve players are able to achieve. These changes result in an increase in swerve and a proven consistency no matter what the weather conditions.

To enhance control, it is the belief of adidas that the space between a player’s foot and the top of the boot must be minimal. Optifit technology brings the upper materials in all areas as close as possible to the top of the foot.

Thermoform technology has been incorporated on the side of the boot which acts as memory foam to enable a perfect fit time and time again.

The football boot is constructed from Taurus leather which combines a weather and abrasion proof material with lightweight features. The inclusion of the medial split and mono-tongue provide stability and support.

Umbro Speciali

The England captain wears them and that’s good enough for us. When a player of John Terry’s class and ability believes in a boot, then who are we to say any different.

Umbro has designed a boot that builds upon Speciali’s traditional values with incredible comfort, improved control, increased accuracy and additional power.

The boot’s famous premium soft leather creates outstanding fit, delivering supreme touch, accuracy and control.

The eye catching A-Frame design has become a central functional component for the new Speciali, cradling the mid-foot and securing the heel.

The high density memory foam in the tongue and collar maintains its shape and there are fast flex grooves in the outsole for greater flexibility. The lightweight precision studs are engineered with aircraft grade aluminium and its the lightest Speciali Umbro have ever made.

Lotto StadioFuoriclasse

If you want minimalist styling with a classic look, excellent detailing and a trim to die for then Italy is the place to go.

We just adore the look of the Stadio Fuoriclasse and while it doesn’t get anywhere near the exposire of the boots as mentioned as above, perhaps if you all buy it for Xmas, it might do so soon.

As you’d expect from an Italian boot, the Stadio Fuoriclasse has a certain amount of flair and whilst it’s available in the Lotto staple colourways of White / Black and Black / White, it also comes in a striking Black / Neon Green version.

It’s fairly brimming with interesting features starting off with it’s water-repellent kangaroo upper for an extraordinarily comfortable fit.

The removable anatomic insole maximises comfort for the entire sole of the foot and the new outsole with the conical studs is sewn onto the upper to ensure durability.

The boot is completed by the Puntoflex technology, inserted in the metatarsal zone of the outsole, ensuring the correct flexing of the forefoot.

Concave PT+

A strange choice perhaps but we were keen to include a boot from an up and coming brand and since they signed John O’Shea on a two-year contract, Concave certainly comes in to that category.

O’Shea is the company’s first major signing and he’ll doutbless be providing a great shop window for them playing week in, week out for Manchester United.

Patented technology on the top of the boot gives players 30% better control and 15% more power, according to an accredited university study. Concave is unique in that respect.

Those performance improvements are derived primarily from the most effective ‘sweet spot’ ever introduced — rated at four times larger than traditional football boots.   The benefit is an upper that conforms to the convex shape of the ball – essentially “hugging” the ball.

The Shank Balance Stabilizer or SBS provides support and reinforcement to the mid-foot area to help control balance between the front and rear of the foot. The SBS protects from an over extension of the middle of the boot – too much flexibility can lead to metatarsal bone damage.

MetaGuard is an extra layer of protection built into the boot. It’s a unique upper design featuring a flexible layer of TPU (Thermoplastic Polyurethane Elastomers) and reinforced cushioning foam composite offering increased protection against the occurrence of metatarsal injuries by adding a protective layer to the top of the foot.

Ah, the summer of 1994. 2 Unlimited were on top of the charts with The Real Thing, Forrest Gump and The Lion King were battling it out to be the biggest grossing film of the year and Motor Trend magazine decreed that the car of the year was the Ford Mustang. And of course, there was the small matter of the World Cup.

The tournament was held in the USA for the first time and with the host nation reaching the knockout stages, it was a storming success. The average attendance was 69,000 and the total attendance 3.6 million, the highest in World Cup history.

The final was Brazil verus Italy, Brazil led by Romario and Italy by the great Paolo Maldini. As well as becoming the first final to be decided on penalties (Brazil won 3 – 2) the game was also notable as both Romario and Maldini wore the Nike Tiempo Premier.

Fifteen years on, Nike has re-created the classic Tiempo with a Limited Edition Tiempo ’94.

This very special football boot has the throwback style of the ‘94 boot with a modern, updated outsole for excellent traction.

It includes a kangaroo leather upper with the same vamp pattern as the 1994 football boot and a retro Tiempo Premier folding tongue.

The insole features a molded sockliner with Poron cushioning for comfort, and “LIMITED EDITION” detailing.

The outsole is composed of lightweight TPU with glass fibre shank and forefoot flex grooves. Combination conical and bladed studs for traction and pressure dispersion, on firm, natural surfaces.

This is a great ‘feel good’ boot and is guaranteed to bring back memories of those fantastic 3 weeks in the American sunshine. Crafted in Italy, this exclusive football boot comes with a commemorative shoe bag.

The Tiempo 94 is a limited edition football boot, retailing at £99.99. If you bag your slice of football history, let us know.

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World Cup shambles

The reason London won the 2012 Olympic Games was because they got so much of the bid right. It helped that they had as their figurehead, Lord Sebastian Coe. Understated but statesmanlike, passionate, enthusiastic and acutely aware of how to play the political game. Indeed, many believe it was Coe’s final address to the IOC that swung the vote. It probably helped too that he’d won two Olympic Gold medals.

England’s World Cup bid for 2018 is headed up by Lord Triesman. As Neil Custis of the Sun pointed out on Sky Sports this weekend, the average football fan wouldn’t know Triesman if he slapped them in the face. England need to appoint a new figurehead, and quickly. A man that will inspire and who Fifa dignitaries would want to walk over to and shake by the hand. Triesman couldn’t inspire me to change my 3 week old socks.

Friendly fire

International friendlies, who needs them eh? Certainly not England who fielded a B team in the defeat to Brazil, nor Arsenal who will now be without the services of Robin van Persie for a least 6 weeks after he was injured playing for Holland against Italy. George Burley’s probably not too keen on them either after his Scotland team was taken apart by Wales.

That said, John Toshack would be entitled to feel somewhat differently after the wonderful display from Aaron Ramsey. The 18 year old was involved in all 3 goals against the Scots, including a fantastic solo effort. Wales and Arsenal have a real gem on their hands.

Maradona banned

Diego Maradona has been given a two month ban by Fifa following his obscene tirade after Argentina qualified for the World Cup finals. The Argentina coach is prohibited from “any football-related activity” until 16th January. Mind you, judging how Argentina played during their World Cup campaign, I assume that the ban won’t rule him out of coaching them during this period. Football related – hardly!

Purple rain

England’s rugby players certainly looked the part on Saturday against Argentina in their new purple Nike kit. Ugo Monye even more so, wearing a pair of limited edition white and purple Nike Superfly’s.

A shame then that the England management continue to play him out of position at full back. The unfortunate Monye, a revelation on the Lions tour of South Africa when playing on the wing, was all at sea in the wet and windy conditions as England stumbled to a 16 – 9 win. Never has a boot made for speed and movement been so chronically underused.

Football fans who enjoy marvelling at the latest equipment would have been excused for turning there eye towards a different sport when the England Rugby beat Argentina at Twickenham by 16 points to 9.

England beat the Pumas, but it was the arrival of their special Purple Rugby shirts and some seriously cool football boots that stole the show.

Not only were the entire England team wearing the new purple rugby kit, Nike also introduced a limited edition white and purple Mercurial Superfly football boot to celebrate the new national strip.

Mercurial Superfly White Purple - Limited Edition

Ugo Monye, the Harlequins winger / full back, was the man charged with wearing the Superfly which was one of only 70 that have been manufactured. Each boot has been handmade in Italy and individually numbered from 1 to 70. The white boot with purple Nike swoosh carried the message ‘Wear it Proud’, whilst the tongue carried his name.

The Mercurial Superfly is an ultra light boot, weighing a mere 185 grams (for a UK Size 8), and is manufactured using Nike’s other innovation, Flywire technology.

Flywire is the technology designed to make a boot stronger without sacrificing weight. The essence of Flywire is to utilise high-strength threads that act like cables on a suspension bridge, which give lots of support precisely where it’s needed. The strength of Nike’s Flywire technology is created through the specific placement of these threads across the upper of the football boot.

With added feedback from Nike’s stable of athletes, Nike has also improved the soleplate for this year’s Mercurial Vapor. Nike then kept the carbon-fiber sole plate from the Mercurial Vapor SL to again make the Nike Superfly football boot even lighter.

England back Ugo Monye said:

The purple change kit and now the white and purple boots are associated with the iconic track jacket and all things England Rugby. It is a privilege to wear purple and I can’t wait to play in the boots on match day.

Purple England Rugby Shirt

For the new England Rugby shirt, Nike and the RFU collaborated on a new design, drawing on inspiration from the purple track jacket that was rewarded to players called up to represent the England squads in the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s.

The innovation and technology in the new change kit mirrors that of the latest white home kit which, weighing in 27% lighter than in previous seasons, is designed to give the England team every possible advantage on the pitch.

Tight fitting rugby apparel was introduced by Nike in 2003 in a bid to help reduce the opportunity to be tackled via the shirt.

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We all know, in the back of our minds, that slipping on a new pair of football boots isn’t going to transform you overnight.

If you currently play as well as Sylvester Stallone did in ‘Escape to Victory’ you won’t suddenly possess the skills of Pele, Maradona and Messi just by slipping on some new footwear.

Bobby Moore, Michael Caine and Stallone

However, as technology ever increases and manufacturers claims grow ever bolder, perhaps the advantages a newly developed pair of football boots can give you aren’t as far fetched as some of us may have believed a year or so ago.

Before we go any further lets be clear. If you change to Superfly’s, you won’t automatically cut a couple of seconds of your best time for 60 metres. If you can’t beat the keeper from 30 yards no matter how hard you try, it’s unlikely that by putting on the new Predator_X that you’ll immediately morph in to Steven Gerrard and if your touch is about as impressive as that of an elephant after a big night out and one too many vodka and Red Bull’s, it’s doubtful that by utilising the Tiempo III that you’ll take on the grace and balance of Darcy Bussell.

I really must work on my first touch!

However, football boot science is such that the constant flow of improvements must create certain advantages. These are possibly heightened at the elite level but may not be quite so obvious for amateurs.

By way of interest, let’s examine what has happened to players who have started wearing the Nike CTR360 Maestri.

First off, I think it’s fair to say that Nike couldn’t have made a better choice than Cesc Fabregas to be the football boot’s lead ambassador. The Spaniard is in the form of his life. He started off by debuting the boots against Blackburn Rovers, a game in which he set up four goals and scored another. A flash in the pan? No way. He’s exuded total control ever since, masterminding Arsenal win after Arsenal win. And he can’t stop scoring either as goals since that Blackburn game against AZ Alkmaar (twice), Spurs and Wolves have proved.

Elsewhere, what about the two strikes of Sergio Aguero against Chelsea? Both were simply stunning. A fantastic volley on the run and one of the truest free kicks you’ll ever see.

There are others. Celtic may not be firing on all cylinders at the moment but Scott McDonald is one of their most consistent performers, Jan Vennegor of Hesselink scored a vital goal for Hull City just the other day, there’s Mario Balotelli in Italy and even Wayne Routledge in the Championship for QPR. All seem to be enjoying a new lease of life since transferring to the CTR360.

Coincidence? Maybe. But then again, maybe not. Let us know what you think by commenting below and, if you’ve worn the CTR360 and noticed a marked improvement in your game, tell us about that too.

Despite being replaced by the v1.10 last month, it’s been interesting to see how many players have opted not to ‘upgrade’ just yet.

The v1.08 was a great success for PUMA, responsible for 65 goals in the Premier League last season on the feet of players like John Carew, Peter Crouch and golden boot winner Nicolas Anelka. Even Ashley Cole famously converted from adidas though he’s since moved on to Nike.

So what was it that made the v1.08 so special? This week, I’m looking at the K-leather incarnation, immediately after testing the v1.10 to see if I can see why certain players are sticking with their now-outdated models.

Comfort/Fit

I’ve used the v1.08 countless times as an example of a boot that isn’t instantly ‘wearable’ – and I’m not about to do a u-turn on it for this review. Whilst the K-Leather version shows a definite improvement in the comfort of the upper, the heel does rub on the first few wears. If you’re planning on picking up a pair, make sure you follow all the advice you can get on wearing them in at this time of year, as the rain will only make the damage done to your heel even worse.

Another issue I had with the boot is the length of the studs on the SG model. PUMA have clearly looked to combine their knowledge of the running track with that of the classic 6-stud football boot, as these studs are like a hybrid of a running spike and a screw-in metal stud. If you’re not playing on really soft turf, you’re likely not to have the boot ‘sink in’ fully, as the studs are just that big.

All this means that if you’re not fully embedded in the turf, you can feel the boot flexing and bowing under your feet – it’s an odd sensation, and I didn’t feel like the boot was supporting me properly, which is exactly the opposite of what you want when you’re playing on soft ground.

One the upside; I do love what the rest of the boot has to offer. After the initial breaking in period, the heel holds your foot in place really well – which is massively impressive on a boot with such a low profile. Also, whilst the upper might not be what you’d expect from K-leather (it’s thinner, smoother and a bit more ‘papery’) it’s a snug fit to your foot, and provides a ‘grippy’ surface for contact with the ball.

Durability

The v1.08 is a boot that has gained no end of durability in its switch to a full leather upper. Firstly, all that synthetic material that weaves its way across the canvas upper of the standard v1.08 has been replaced with a single consistant piece of K-leather.

Having tested these boots across October and the start of November I can vouch that these boots are consistently waterproof, even on some of the most quagmire-like pitches across Yorkshire. In addition to the this, there’s no discernible points of potential weakness across the boot.

Stitching has been kept to a minimum, and even when PUMA have deemed it necessary, the seams are often hidden in the folds of the boot - for example, the stitching down one side of the PUMA ‘Cat’ is nigh-on invisible.

Feel

When it comes to contact with the ball, PUMA have done an excellent job with the lacing of the boot. The side offset lacing pulls the upper snug onto the top of your foot, which leaves an unparalleled area for getting your foot around a ball. With no gimmicks for more power or swerve the taught leather means this area is tailor-made if, like me, you like to really get your forefoot through a ball when crossing or taking a free kick.

The toe end of the boot is a little unusual. Personally, I found that the front end of the K-leather edition is a little too ‘roomy’. Considering that the boot is such a tight fit everywhere else it just seems a little odd that there’s so much room in this area of the boot. I didn’t mind it too much as I don’t tend to strike the ball with the tops of my toes too often, but I imagine that anyone who does might find it a little more difficult to get a proper contact.

Adding to this, the looser fit around the toe end makes playing the ball off the outside of the foot a little bit trickier, as the foot isn’t as close to the ball.

Dribbling with the ball is fantastic in the v1.08, their slightly ’scooped’ shape is perfect for close control, helping give you the truest possible touch when raiding on and knocking the ball forward with the top of your foot. As I mentioned before, the tight leather upper is awesome for receiving passes and taking the sting out of driven crosses. One complaint would, again, be the studs. Being so big and cumbersome you can’t really ‘roll’ your foot over the top of the ball. So if you like changing lanes and pulling the ball under your feet - you might find it a little more difficult in the SG model.

Conclusion

The v1.08 K-leather is a boot that does an enormous amount right. The leather upper, whilst not being ‘traditional’ K-leather, works fantastically - waterproofing the teabag-like v1.08 for the winter season and bending and twisting with the boot. The lightweight construction and glove-like upper is exactly the sort of characteristics you might expect for a boot prefered by wingers and strikers.

Much like the Mizuno Wave Shinken II, I’ll happily recommend this boot for anyone that’s perhaps tried a ’speed’ boot like Vapor V, or indeed the new v1.10 and found them a little too tight around the toes.

My real flaw with the v1.08’s is undoubtedly the massive studs - I think they’re a little bit intrusive when controlling or dribbling the ball with the underside of the boot, and when you’re standing still you can notice them ‘bowing’ in the centre of the boot.

But credit to PUMA, as the only issue I have is with the SG version. You shouldn’t have any such worries if you’re in a sunnier part of the world at the moment, or ply your trade on artificial turf. There will almost certainly be a price drop coming soon to the v1.08, so if you want a nearly weightless attackers boot that’s a little different (or a bit wider if you’ve got big feet) then you’ll definitely find something for your game in these boots.

It’s never easy asking people to predict how new products will perform in the future but that didn’t stop nearly 2000 of you registering a vote in the latest Footy Boots debate.

Asked which of the latest football boots from adidas, Nike and PUMA would have the biggest impact, both immediately and in the long term, the result was incredibly close with the adidas Predator_X just edging out the Nike CTR360.

In the end, the Predator_X received 48% of the vote, the CTR 45% with the v1.10 from PUMA coming in with 7%.

Short term, it could be argued that in fact, the CTR360 has made the biggest impact what with goals and assists from the likes of Fabregas and Aguero but it should also be remembered that it was released a month before the new adidas model.

Against that, there are still a number of players yet to debut the Predator_X such as Steven Gerrard and possibly a few more who may make the switch from their current boots.

The name most closely linked to such a move is Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema who is rumoured to be swapping over to the latest adidas boot from his trusty adiPure II’s.

Similarly, to be absolutely fair to the v1.10, it is by design a speed boot and therefore will appeal to a niche market, hence it’s lower rating.

In any event, having tested all 3 new boots (Predator_X, CTR360 and v1.10) Footy Boots can report that they all perform in their own unique way and it’s unlikely that anyone will disappointed after purchasing them. As for performance on professional pitches across the world, it could be argued that the jury is still out.

This season’s Champions League is turning out to be one of the best ever. Unfancied teams are beating or holding the big guns, a number of past winners are struggling and some new names have cropped up to give the tournament a much needed breath of fresh air.

So, as the competition starts to hot up, we’re giving you the chance to pick the best XI from all of the current squads.

Based on Matchday Four, Footy Boots editor Andy Kay has complied our fantasy side and to say it’s controversial is putting it mildly.

Players from Rubin Kazan and CSKA are in while plenty of big names such as Lampard, Essien, Rooney, Benzema, Pato, Hulk and Ronaldinho are not.

Do you agree with his selections or has he got it wildly wrong? And if so, what would be your best XI? Let us know by commenting below.

Goalkeeper

Victor Valdes – Barcelona

It can’t have been easy for the Spanish stopper, standing around watching his team mates in temperatures of around -7c. But the mark of a good goalkeeper is being able to pull out all the stops after long periods of inactivity. Valdes more than did this with a number of crucial saves which allowed his side to take a vital point from the game.

Victor Valdes wears Nike Tiempo Air Legend II football boots.

Defenders

Cesar Navas – Rubin Kazam

Like Valdes, Navas was another Spaniard to shine on a freezing cold night in Russia. The Rubin Kazam defender had to be on his game throughout as Barcelona mounted attack after attack. It’s been a good competition so far for Navas who, but for a foot injury, could have been playing with English Championship side Ipswich Town this season! Who said metatarsal injuries were always a bad thing?

Cesar Navas wears adidas adiPure II football boots.

Hilton - Marseille

The Brazilian didn’t have too much to do at the back as FC Zurich were a bit powder-puff but a central defender who scores goals is worth his weight in gold. Hilton did just that as the French team moved to within a point behind AC Milan and Real Madrid.

Hilton wears adidas Predator X football boots.

Ashley Cole - Chelsea

It wasn’t an entirely comfortable night for the Londoners in Spain but Cole put in another solid display at left back. He was blameless for the host’s two goals and did little to damage his reputation as one of the best left backs in the world. The simple fact is that Cole is capable of performing live week in, week out. Unlike his Mrs!

Ashley Cole wears Nike CTR360 football boots.

Dario Dainelli - Fiorentina

The Fiorentina captain was relatively solid at the back but gets the nod (excuse the upcoming pun) because of his incredibly brave header which gave the Viola a 2 – 1 lead which they eventually turned in to a 5 – 2 win. Despite getting a face full of the Debrecen goalkeeper’s fist, Dainelli still managed to guide his header in to the net as the home team went second in Group E, a point behind Lyon but more importantly, 5 in front of third placed Liverpool.

Dario Dainelli wears Bikkembergs Tirosegno football boots.

Midfield

Cesc Fabregas – Arsenal

Is there nothing this man can’t do at the moment? Fabregas is in the form of his life and he prompted his Arsenal side to a convincing 4 – 1 win over AZ Alkmaar at the Emirates Stadium which puts the English team on the brink of qualification. Not only that but he’s scoring goals for fun lately and added a couple more in this game. Just brilliant.

Cesc Fabregas wears Nike CTR360 football boots.

Kaka - Real Madrid

Kaka pulled all the strings as he return to his former club, a sure sign of his commanding display was how quickly his warm reception turned to jeers as Madrid dominated the early proceedings. And it was from Kaka’s shot that Madrid were to take the lead as Benzema knocked in the parry from Dida. Just the kind of performance required by the Spaniards on what could have been a difficult night at the San Siro.

Kaka wears adidas adiPure II football boots.

Milos Krasic - CSKA Moscow

He may also be in the running for worst haircut of the week, but the Serbian international more than showed off his footballing credentials against Manchester United at Old Trafford. Any thoughts that Krasic and his CSKA team mates were going to be overawed were laid to rest as they raced in to a 3 – 1 lead, Krasic scoring one of the goals. Although United pegged them back to 3 – 3, Krasic will have enjoyed his 25th birthday.

Milos Krasic wears PUMA v1.06 football boots.

Yoann Gourcuff - Bordeaux

As boos rang around the Allianz Arena, Bordeaux playmaker Yoann Gourcuff and his team mates walked off the pitch safe in the knowledge that they had booked a place in the last 16 whilst also leaving Bayern Munich four points off send place in Group A. Gourcuff scored his side’s opening goal, could have had another and ran a tight ship in midfield when the German’s looked to get forward. Another good night’s work by the current French player of the year.

Yoann Gourcuff wears adidas adiPure II football boots.

Forwards

Sergio Aguero - Atletico Madrid

You won’t see two better strikes from one player in a game for a long time. The second half substitute rammed home a superb volley to give Atletico Madrid the lead against Chelsea then stepped up to plant a late free kick past the despairing Petr Cech to earn the home team a 2 – 2 draw. That’s what you call making an impact from the bench and the volley was worth the entrance money alone.

Sergio Aguero wears Nike CTR360 football boots.

Didier Drogba - Chelsea

Mind you, Aguero didn’t have it all his own way at the Vicente Calderon Stadium. Didier Drogba marked his return to European action with two goals of his own. The first, a pretty routine header and the second, a fantastic solo effort that perfectly demonstrated his pace and power. Will need to keep it up if Chelsea are to go all the way this year. Much more helpful to his team when standing up as opposed to writhing around on the deck for no apparent reason.

Didier Drogba wears Nike Vapor Superfly football boots.

The new adidas Predator _X made its European debut last night in Matchday Four of the Champions League.

First off, it was clear that players had continued their preference of using the new boots in the White / Brown / Yellow colourway over the more traditional Black / White / Red by a majority of around 3 to 1.

But that said, it did seem that in total, the Predator_X boots were a little thin on the ground.

At Old Trafford, Wes Brown and Antonio Valencia wore the new boots for Manchester United versus CSKA Moscow as did Simao and Michaell Ballack in the match between Atletico Madrid and Chelsea (though it was the CTR’s and Superfly’s of Aguera and Drogba respectively that stole the show).

As far as we could make out, not one of the 22 starters at the San Siro wore the Predator_X though they did gain representation when Raul came on as a second half substitute for Real Madrid as they drew 1 – 1 with AC Milan. But adidas did get on the score sheet through the adiPure’s of Karim Benzema with Ronaldinho equalising for the home side in his own signature line.

Again, we struggled to see the Predator_X at the beginning of the match between Bayern Munich and Bordeaux though 76th minute sub Jussie wore them when he replaced Wendel whilst elsewhere, they were used by, amongst others, Helio Pinto of Apoel Nicosia, Sascha Riether of Wolfsburg and Hilton of Marseille.

Hilton scored in Marseille’s 6 - 1 demolition of FC Zurich

However, we should see some top adidas players in the new footwear in tonight’s Champions League encounters.

Dirk Kuyt could be a key player for Benitez and Liverpool tonight

In particular at the Stade Gerland in the game between Lyon and Liverpool with Ederson, Cissokho, Bastos, Kuyt and Voronin all having used the Predator_X last weekend.

Hilton image courtesy of uefa.com 

The last month has seen three of the biggest names in football boot manufacturing bring out a signature product.

At the end of September, PUMA came up with the first new boot of the current football season with the highly visible, and so we’ve learnt since, very impressive v1.10.

A week later and Nike added to their current collection with a brand new boot, the CTR360. What followed was one of the most impressive debuts ever of a new football boot as CTR ambassador Cesc Fabregas ran the show against Blackburn at the Emirates, setting up four goals and scoring one himself.

And this weekend, following their launch on Monday, the top names in the adidas stable will showcase the new Predator_X in the English Premier League and beyond.

At Footy Boots, we’ve been lucky enough to road test all 3 boots (v1.10, Predator_X, CTR360) and we can assure you that all of them perform.

Sure, there are a couple of design features on each of them that might grate but in the main, they each do what they say on the tin, even if some of us might question a few aesthetic aspects across the range.

So, that leads us on to today’s poll which is this:

Which brand’s new footwear will have the biggest impact on the game in the immediate and long term future?

Of course, it might be too early to tell. adidas haven’t even got their boots seen on a pitch as yet and each boot has been tailored to a different market be it speed, control, power etc. But with such a high source of knowledge, expertise and opinion available to us through Footy Boots readers, it’s a question we’re going to pose anyway!

Make your selection below and then qualify your argument by commenting below.

And ensure you come back to Footy Boots on Monday morning as we’ll be reporting on which players turned out in the new Predator_X and which colourway they chose.

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It has to rate as one of the biggest shocks in Champions League history.

The Kings of Europe, unbeaten in the competition this season and with six wins out of seven and one draw in La Liga, going down at home to the tournament newcomers.

But that is exactly what happened at the Nou Camp last night as Barcelona were humbled by Rubin Kazan of Russia.

Added to that, the man who scored the winning goal is something of a Nike football boot journeyman.

Karadeniz (left) enjoys the win at the Nou Camp

Chances are that not many people will have Gokdeniz Karadeniz in their Champions League fantasy teams but he might feature more heavily now after he finished off a superb breakaway move to stun Barca as the visitors completed a 2 – 1 victory.

Karadeniz wore the Nike Vapor SL last night, the Citron / Charcoal / Silver boot matching nicely with Rubin Kazan’s all green strip. But looking back at his choice of footwear over the past year or so, it’s clear that the Turkish international likes to swap around. Back at the end of September, he turned out in the Vapor V Max Orange / Abyss / Silver colourway for the Champions League encounter with Inter Milan while his boot of choice towards the end of the Russian league campaign was the Nike Vapor III.

For the record, Karadeniz joined the Russian champions in March 2008 from Trabzonspor for around €8.5 million. At the time, he said he was looking for a club that could offer him greater chances on a bigger stage. Last night, he took that chance with aplomb to send shock waves around Europe.

Karadeniz (number 61) celebrates winning the Russian title with team mate Alan Kasaev

Indeed it was a night of surprises in Europe with 31 goals scored in the eight matches. In Group E, Liverpool were beaten at home by Lyon while Fiorentina won a thriller away to Debrecen 4 – 3.

Sevilla have already qualified from Group G following their 3 – 1 win in Stuttgart and Rangers embarrassing 4 – 1 home defeat by Unirea Urziceni.

Arsenal have had their lead at the top of Group H cut to just a single point after they conceded a late equaliser away to AZ Alkmaar with Olympiakos now the London side’s main challenger after a 2 – 1 victory against Standard Liege.

And Inter are bottom of Group F after they were held to a 2 – 2 draw by Dynamo Kiev. Barcelona are still top despite their surprising defeat.

Additional images courtesy of uefa.com

There have been some highly visible boot launches of late. PUMA brought out the v1.10 closely followed by the introduction of Nike’s CTR360.

Nike CTR360 Maestri

The Superfly and Vapor V have new colourways and on the horizon we have the eagerly anticipated reveal of the adidas Predator X, a new colourway for the Speciali plus new football boots from Mizuno and Reebok.

And, with the World Cup just around the corner, the flurry of new football boot activity will only get greater as the kick off in South Africa gets ever nearer.

Despite the current economic situation, it seems that the football boot market has escaped the down turn which has been great for us and probably not too bad for you!

But it got us thinking. Even with such a healthy, ever expanding product range to choose from, which football boots remain out there, doing a job from times past?

Naturally, the adidas World Cup and Copa Mundial still have a part to play.

Indeed, Belgium’s Emile Mpenza was twice on target in the Copa’s against Turkey recently. And let’s not forget that Argentina’s Mario Bolatti was wearing the adiPure I when he sneaked home that late goal for Diego Maradona’s side against Uruguay on Wednesday. Additionally, we are not too far away from a retail sales date for the Tiempo ‘94.

adidas adiPure I

But what other ‘old style’ football boots are still getting some serious wear time? That’s where you come in.

We’d like to know which players have bucked the trend of wearing the very latest models, colourways and designs in favour of something that would look more at home in a football version of the Antiques Roadshow.

Find anyone still wearing these and we’ll give you a prize!

Lets us know who you’ve spotted playing in ‘bygone boots’ by posting a comment below. It doesn’t matter if they are internationals, top league players or even lower league players that we might not be too familiar with. And if you’ve got a picture of them, even better.

We’ll keep an eye on your comments as they come in to see if there’s a clear favourite or if the choices are relatively random.

With Wayne Rooney out injured, England are expected to play Gabriel Agbonlahor and Peter Crouch up front in their final World Cup qualifier against Belarus at Wembley.

Rooney, who has enjoyed fantastic success for the national team in the Nike Total 90 Laser II, has a calf injury which means the Aston Villa and Spurs strikers have a chance to shine, as do Nike and PUMA.

Agbonlahor has made only two starts for England so will be eager to grab his chance wearing the highly visible Vapor Superfly. Crouch meanwhile has a decent scoring record while representing the 3 Lions in the PUMA v1.08.

Speaking ahead of the match, England coach Fabio Capello said:

We need to play other styles, style A, B, C. I want to see some players in different positions.

Sometimes, during the friendly games, we’ve changed it. But we need to practise other styles. I want to see some players in different positions.

When I decide the squad, I decide always different styles that I can play with it with the players who will be with me. Why wouldn’t they have that capacity?

Meanwhile, in the pick of today’s other games, it’s crunch time in South America with Argentina desperately looking to qualify automatically for South Africa next year.

The Argentine’s have endured a poor run under Diego Maradona but got back on track with a last gasp win over Peru last time out.

But it won’t get any easier for them tonight with an away game to Uruguay. The home team has lost just once in front of their own fans recently and will be confident of recording a win which will take them through.

In what is the oldest South American derby, the first game between the two sides took place in 1901 (and many believe that it was the first international to take place outside of the British Isles), it could come down to one piece of magic.

For Argentina, this could just be the stage for Lionel Messi in his personalised F50i’s. The Barcelona player, like many of his international team mates, just hasn’t been able to deliver consistently for the national team under Maradona but, as the old saying goes, form is temporary, class is permanent.

As for Uruguay, nothing would please them more than getting one over on their age-old rivals. And in Diego Forlan, they have a proven goalscorer who has already netted 7 times in qualification thus far. Interestingly, it’s a win-win situation for adidas as Forlan also wears the F50i, though he prefers the White / Black / Red colourway.

It’s going to be some game in Montevideo and Forlan knows it saying:

It’s not nice having to play the decisive game against Argentina. It’s where my girlfriend and many of my friends are from, and I had a great time there as a player. But that’s just how things have turned out and we need to win. It’ll be tough but all we’re thinking about is reaching South Africa.

Whilst a few countries like Brazil, England and Spain can go in to their final two World Cup qualifiers safe in the knowledge that they have already made it to South Africa in 2010, the situation isn’t as clear cut for a number of other sides.

Their matches this weekend and next Wednesday will determine whether they too will be part of the greatest tournament in the world.

Footy Boots looks at a few players who could make all the difference for their team mates, coach and population at large.

Argentina v Peru / Uruguay v Argentina

There’s a religion in Argentina called ‘El Diego’ that has 100,000 members such is the popularity of former World Cup winner Diego Maradona. But following a 6 – 1 hiding in Bolivia followed by 3 successive defeats, Mardona has his work cut out to get his side in to the mix for next year’s final’s.

It’s not that they don’t have the talent – far from it. Just that Maradona has failed the get the best from his squad. So step forward Lionel Messi.

The Barcelona forward, in his custom built adidas F50i’s must make a contribution against bottom side Peru on Saturday and away to Uruguay on Wednesday.  But even 2 wins might not be enough. It could be the play-off’s for Argentina or worse still, four years of national mourning!

Russia v Germany

This is a straight shoot out between the Russian’s and German’s in European qualifying Group 4. Whoever wins will top the group going in to the final matchday and with Germany at home to Finland and Russia away to Azerbaijan, Saturday’s game is the important one.

Both coaches have called on their sides to keep a clean sheet so the actions of the forwards is going to be crucial. Germany have Miroslav Klose, currently in third place in the Castrol Performance data. Klose is expected to wear the Nike CTR360 Maestri.

Meanwhile, Russia’s top scorer is Roman Pavlyuchenko. He may be struggling at White Hart Lane but he’s hit 5 goals in qualifying so far. Back in September against Wales, Pavlyuchenko played in the adidas F50.9 Rome but has been training this week in the F50i.

Ukraine v England

A strange game to choose perhaps seeing as England have already qualified whereas the best Ukraine can hope for is a play off spot. But one player will certainly be fired up for the game – Ukraine’s Andriy Shevchenko. His stay in the Premier League with Chelsea never really worked out and only today the Daily Mail newspaper included Shevchenko on their list of the 50 worst striker‘s ever to play in the EPL. At number 8 in case you were wondering.

So Shevchenko, now back at Dynamo Kiev and wearing the Reebok Valde Pro, will be doubly keen to show that he’s still got it. Two wins for Ukraine would be enough to take them in to 2nd spot above Croatia.

Republic of Ireland v Italy

The Republic are in an extraordinary position of still being able to win Group 8 but also missing out all together. But a positive result against Italy on Saturday will guarantee Trapatoni’s men 2nd place at least with the final positions coming down to Wednesday’s games when the Republic host Montenegro and Italy the Cypriots.

At least the Republic goes in to the Italy clash with a striker in rich vein of form. Robbie Keane, who wears the Nike Total 90 Laser II, has scored 6 times this season, 4 of those coming in a 5 – 0 home win for Spurs over new boys Burnley.

Honduras v USA

Another Spurs player could be instrumental in this game, the much capped Wilson Palacios. The Honduran ace has played in every EPL game for Tottenham this season and has helped his international side to pick up 9 points from their last 4 games.

The USA currently tops the group with 16 points, with Mexico on 15 and Honduras 13. San Pedro Sula is the venue for tomorrow’s encounter between the Hondurans and the USA who will be without star striker Clint Dempsey.

Palacios, in his Umbro Speciali’s, will be hoping that he, along with the likes of David Suazo and Carlos Pavon can put one over on the States and continue their fine progress towards South Africa 2010.