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.

Sunderland’s Darren Bent went ‘Tweeting’ mad when he personalised his Umbro Speciali football boots.

Darren Bent hit the headlines in the summer for using his Twitter account (http://twitter.com/DBtheTruth) to have a go at Spurs chairman Daniel Levy for holding back his transfer from Spurs to Sunderland. Now he’s becoming renowned for his Twittering, he’s decided to publish his Twitter account name on his football boots.

Darren Bent in his personalised Umbro Speciali football boots

Bent débuted the new personalised football boots when Sunderland drew 2-2 with West Ham.

Bent didn’t get on the scoresheet, but has a modest tally of eight goals from ten games.

The Umbro Speciali featuring Bent’s Twitter account name and logo

Bent has also used the Twitter community to help him decide upon his next pair of football boots which will see him featuring a dynamite design on the sole of the football boot.

Bent will feature one of these three designs on his new football boots

We’ve seen initials, children’s names, squad numbers and more used in boot personalisation, but is this the most bizarre boot personalisation you’ve come across?

Let us know the most unusual one you have come across below in the comments, or Tweet the Footy Boots team at http://twitter.com/Footy_Boots

Sky Sports TV pundit Chris Kamara and The Football Association are asking amateur footballers from up and down the land to show them your skills by uploading your blockbuster goals to The FA’s Official YouTube channel to mark the launch of The FA’s new Grassroots Goal of the Month competition.

If you think you or your team have scored a screamer, be it everything from a 40-yard lob to a well worked tap in, then simply upload the clip of the goal to the FA’s YouTube website. At the end of each month Chris Kamara and his judging panel of experts will select a shortlist of three goals that will then go to the public vote.

The November Goal of the Month competition is open now and videos can be uploaded until the 25th November before Chris and his panel nominate their favourite three goals to face the public vote.

Voting will take place from 28th November before the lucky winner is officially announced on 4th December. The competition is open to any player and team playing in affiliated 11-a-side adult football.

As well as receiving national acclaim, The FA has also teamed up with Umbro to provide the inaugural winners with a fantastic package for their team. This will include a bespoke Goal of the Month winner’s T-shirt, 18 pairs of the latest Umbro Speciali football boots, a brand new team kit, 10 Umbro Dynamis Laser Pro balls, the official matchball of The FA Cup, as well as training hurdles, cones and bibs.

Chris Kamara commented:

This is an unbelievable competition! I feel honoured to have been selected for the judging panel and I cannot wait to see all the fantastic goals come flooding in.

The grassroots game is full of hidden talent and I’m really looking forward to hopefully finding the next Steven Gerrard or Wayne Rooney over the coming months.

The FA’s Grassroots Goal of the Month competition is the latest initiative to come from The FA’s 11-a-side recruitment campaign, which aims to inspire and support adults to keep playing 11-a-side football. The FA has a stated objective to retain 30,800 men’s teams & 480,000 players by 2012.

See Chris launch the competition here.

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.

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.

It’s fair to say that David Nugent’s stay at Portsmouth was anything but auspicious.

Arriving from Preston North End for £6 million in the summer of 2007, there were rumours that the player would be allowed to leave the club in the same transfer window he arrived in!

Soon after, the then manager Harry Redknapp publicly announced that the striker would be free to go if the right offer came in. Hardly confidence building. Mind you, nor was his return of 3 goals in 33 games.

Nugent in action during his Pompey days

But it seems that a change of clubs and a switch of football boots might have done the trick for Nugent. Coming on as a substitute for Burnley on Saturday, Nugent scored twice as his new team recorded a 3 – 1 win over Sunderland in the EPL.

Interestingly, Nugent, who spent much of his Pompey career in the Umbro SX Valor II and indeed, started off this pre-season in them, has now changed to the adidas Predator.

If Redknapp had doubts about his ability, it seems Nugent’s new boss does not. Speaking after the game, Owen Coyle said:

I have always believed in David’s ability and that he is a top-class player.

He has a bit of a stop-start time at Portsmouth and we are trying to give him his confidence back.

David has come up trumps today with two terrific finishes and has benefitted from the hard work from the players who were on before he came on.

He is a terrific acquisition for the club and I am delighted to have him.

Premier League results – Saturday

Arsenal 4-0 Wigan
Aston Villa 2-0 Portsmouth
Bolton 1-1 Stoke
Burnley 3-1 Sunderland
Hull 0-1 Birmingham
West Ham 2-3 Liverpool

It wasn’t that long ago that seeing a player wearing a pair of white football boots was something of a rarity.

Indeed, the names of Alan ‘Gladys’ Hinton and Alan Ball are still talked about today after they famously donned white boots over 30 years ago. Take a look at Hinton’s entry in Wikipedia and the second sentence reads: He famously wore white boots. Bearing in mind that he had a 17 year long career and played for England three times, scoring once, that pretty much sums up the impact his footwear had at the time.

But now, white football boots seem to be all the rage – certainly if you check out the choices of the England team that played Slovenia at the weekend.

Of course, over recent months, England have always had a few players for whom white football boots were the norm. Captain John Terry has worn the England Speciali and the Speciali in White / Red. Frank, Frank Lampard is rarely seen without his trusty pair of adidas adiPure II Rome’s and Glen Johnson, Lotto’s biggest name player in the UK, is a familiar sight in his White / Black / Red Zhero Leggenda Tre’s.

Now, perhaps it’s something to do with the all white, Umbro kit but Terry, Lampard and Johnson were joined at Wembley by a whole clutch of their team-mates who decided that white was right.

Shaun Wright-Phillips took to the field wearing a pair of White /Black / Red adidas F50i’s, a decision that was replicated by second half substitute and goalscorer Jermain Defoe.

As the other substitutes came on, so the number of white football boots increased. Carlton Cole arrived in a pair of Nike Tiempo Air legend II’s in White / White (and you don’t get much whiter than that), while midfielder Michael Carrick strutted his stuff in the White / Black PUMA King XL’s.

Seven players out of the squad in white football boots is a decent number, and with a bit of poetic licence, you could increase that number to nine by including Ashley Cole in his White / Blue PUMA v1.08’s and Joleon Lescott in his White / Red Nike Total 90 Laser II’s.

So, out of that lot, what’s your choice of the best white football boot out of the current crop as modelled by England’s finest?

Let us know by commenting below.

Umbro have repeatedly hit the football design headlines this year with the new England kit release and their Tailored By approach.  Their Senior Designer David Blanch very kindly agreed to answer our questions regarding the brand’s new image.

David, thank you for talking to us.  The England kit launch is usually a high-profile event but this year surpassed all others in marketing and publicity and, more importantly, in the direction change of the kit itself.  How long had the kit been in development and when was the new understated and tailored approach decided upon?

We decided to go with a clean, bold kit very early in the process.  This was born out of observing the evolution of football kits over the last ten years and concluding they where becoming unnecessarily cluttered.  We elected to take stock, pause, and think about what ultimately an England kit is there to deliver.

So we started again with a blank sheet of paper and proceeded to rethink and reinvigorate the entire creative process.  Fabio Capello and The FA were highly influential in the new direction, with Capello in particular awe-inspiring as he set out his vision of a strip that embodied what the England football team is about and what would give the team a psychological advantage.

We had seen how Capello was bringing a new sense of team pride and smartness, with players even changing into suits on the bench after being substituted. This link between the confidence of smartly dressed professionals stepping off the team bus and transcending this aura on the pitch was inspiration to our tailored approach.

Tailors had always created football kits prior to sportswear companies even existing and, of course, the Humphreys Brothers who formed Umbro were trained by tailors themselves, so we looked at how tailoring could be mixed with modern technology and positively inform a new design principle. Rather than traditionally draw some designs we physically ‘built’ the kit from the inside out, in a similar way to how a tailor would construct a suit around a tailors dummy.

So the less well-received leaked England shirt was never being considered as the actual final design?

Honestly, I have no idea where that particular shirt came from.  Whenever new shirts are due to be released we see speculative designs appearing on the internet and that was one of many.  The Tailored By Umbro shirt had long been in development and it was always going to be the next England shirt.

However, I read a lot of the comments on that leak and it was interesting to find that people expressed frustration with the design direction based on what they were seeing.  The overall impression we got was that people felt that kits were “trying too hard”.  This obviously encouraged us as we had, in fact, already started to develop our football tailoring concept instead of proposing an over complicated kit-design that the leaked picture implied.

Designers at Umbro often visit footballshirtculture.com and recognise that many of the comments on kit designs are valid.  If there’s opinion we can take on board we will do our best to do so.

The actual New England shirt is, in fact, award-winning is its minimalist style - selectively retrogressive perhaps - what you see as defining the late naughties when it comes to kit design?

Even though the kits might look relatively simple on first appearance, I can assure you they are far from it.

It’s also important to mention that we have not looked to produce a retro kit. Retro often suggests that you look back and stay there. But what we have done is look at the whole of football’s heritage, learned from it and allowed it to inform good design principles. That, combined with today’s innovation and technology has led us to create a new generation of kit design.

I believe we are seeing a new era in kit design, out with the superfluous flash and in with performance style. The most forward-thinking manufacturers may begin to realise that the most successful designs will use style rather than a superhero approach.

And you’ve also developed the crest, removing the unpopular “ENGLAND” from above.  What brought on this about-face?

The removal of the “ENGLAND” legend above the crest was actually The FA’s decision.  We took the opportunity of a New England crest to develop a whole new level of refinement with new depth and craftsmanship being applied.

We are aware of how important the crest is to fans and players alike so we increased definition and detail leaving us with an altogether more substantial feature of the shirt.  Arguably the club crest is the single most important part of a kit. This high-quality craftsmanship combined with performance as a whole really defines the kind of shirt we wanted to create.

When we see how certain other manufacturers, mentioning no names, create strips so modern and technological that the finished product can resemble something Robocop would play in, how has Umbro managed to ensure the less-visible performance technology is up to scratch?

Focusing on performance, refinement and detailed craftsmanship allowed us to remove the unnecessary parts and be less extreme and less complex with kit designs. We’ve intentionally pared down and focused on every seam – on every component. All the details are still there but they are less overt. Our aim was to keep the garment looking pure, confident and honest, whilst introducing new technology without compromising style.

An example of this appears to be several strategically-placed “pin holes”.  Did testing find this produced results for body temperature regulation akin to that of the meshing we find on some shirts?

Most certainly.  We worked very closely with Progressive Sports at the University of Loughborough, on testing the performance of the kit. Body temperature balance “themoregulation” is one of the most important requirements for the players and subsequently modern day football kits.

We focused on 360° ventilation and we achieved this through the strategic placement of nine perforations, each representing a rose from the crest.  This zonal ventilation method achieved the desired results whilst remaining true to our creative strategy.

Although many are desperate to see England play in the navy shorts and alternative socks, it seems the first choice strip is all white.  Is this as the 2010 World Cup in South Africa will be particularly hot and sunny or will there be a new kit next year?

Firstly, I can confirm that it definitely will be the kit worn in South Africa, assuming England qualifies.

England always have change shorts and socks for their home strip due to Fifa kit regulations.  The only difference on this occasion is that it was decided to make the white shorts and socks the first choice for, again, reasons of visual impact and performance style.

A pure and confident all white kit was chosen but this colour combination has featured in some significant England matches in the past and features prominently in England’s footballing history.  That’s not to say the navy change shorts won’t feature for some matches.

The £50 (RRP) price tag for the shirt raised eyebrows.  Why led to the price being comparatively high, especially during a recession?

When we began the design process we always envisioned the kit worn at South Africa 2010 and, accordingly, set out to create the best football kit the game has ever seen.

Our feeling is that with all the levels of research, attention to detail and sports tailoring that went into its development, people will see true value for money in the shirt.

Obviously the key point of this shirt is that it is tailored.  But how do you reach a compromise between the cut that suits an athlete wearing the kit on the Wembley pitch and a fan who, let’s say, is not as svelte as he once was?

We spent time working with tailors and developed a new fit that moves better with the body. What we’ve achieved, with the tailors’ influence, is actually make the kit fit slightly closer to the body – especially under the arm, over the shoulder and at the waist.

It’s not only the shirt that benefits from Umbro’s football tailoring, the shorts have also been re-fitted to slim down the silhouette and improve movement. You may have noticed some players roll the top of their shorts over, normally this is to improve movement. On the new shorts we have lifted the inner rise so it will fit better and improve range of motion.

Each player in both the men’s and women’s England teams had bespoke fittings of the kit so what they wore on the pitch was perfectly suited to their shape and needs.

This new football tailored fit isn’t just for the players either, rather than sell kits in small, medium, large etc, Umbro are sizing the shirts by chest sizes i.e. 38”, 40”, 42” etc. for retail because it’s important that everyone can experience the advantage of a tailored fit. What you’ll notice is that it fits you slightly differently around the body.

The new fit isn’t over slim, either. This isn’t a spray-on, super-tight shirt by any means. I don’t want people to think that because it is tailored it’s going to feel tight. It’s not; it’s just shaped around your body.

Your new client, Manchester City, also have a new Tailored By kit.  In fact, all of their new kits are traditionally-styled.  Did you feel you needed to make an immediate impact with designs that would reflect their famous history and status?

When we spoke to Manchester City they were keen to make a bold statement of intent on the Premiership in every respect.  We have seen that in their style of play and signings this season and this fits with the kind of kits we have produced for them.

City were keen not to follow the crowd and, for example with their new away kit, we created a strong black strip that would give them confidence away from home.

Again, the home and third kits are not simply retro but rather take inspiration from high watermarks in the club’s history.  Manchester has always influenced style and the club reflects this too.  As such their kits were created with this in mind and through paying attention to what the fans believed to be important in a City kit we’ve blended culture, style and performance.

In the case of the third strip, we were very fortunate that the sponsor Etihad Airways was open to us moving their name to not take away from the impact of the sash.  When they saw the finished result they were actually thrilled, as were most fans.  As an example, Noel Gallagher expressed his approval on his blog.

How does having the might of Nike as the parent company help the design process?

With Nike coming in, it has actually allowed Umbro to become more focused than it has ever been before – especially in the area of fabric technology. Nike appreciates Umbro’s positive influence on global football and their input has provided us with additional resource to put behind even better football kits. We’ve really upped our game and the Nike support has helped us do that.

Do you pool talents when it comes to designers as well?

Other than on the technological side, all the designs are the work of Umbro’s creatives.  Umbro has a large group of extremely talented individuals and combining these talents with that of the likes of Aitor Throup and Saville Row’s Charlie Allen we produced designs that we’re very proud of.  Nike have also expressed how happy they are with our football tailoring principle.

David Blanch was talking designfootball.com. Thanks also to footballshirtculture.com and the Umbro blog.

Here at Footy-Boots HQ we’ve really been wondering, “What’s so Special about the Speciali?”

Umbro have certainly placed a lot of trust in the Speciali, emphasizing the football boot’s features and advantages with some stylish marketing. So joining in with the likes of Michael Owen, Gaël Clichy, Deco, and Pepe is Matt Dawson with his take on Umbro’s world renowned classic boot.

I have to admit I have a soft spot for Umbro, it dates back to my early days as a football fan when Michael Owen was taking centre stage in world football. The fact that Umbro is one of the few remaining brands that focuses solely on football is enticing to me as well. But having been let down by both Umbro’s X-Boot and SX range, I was a little concerned the Speciali were going to do the same.

Aesthetics

Though these boots may not suit the likes of you who love vibrant coloured football boots, I have a fondness for the classic look of the Speciali. Not to say that I haven’t worn my fair share of eye-catching football boots, but the pure design mixed with the British Racing Green colours make for a very understated elegance. The little details such as the white and gold lining along the A-Frame are a nice finishing touches as well.

Comfort/Fit

Here in West Texas comfort is a telling sign in a football boot when you are playing in the dry heat with rock hard soil underneath your feet.

With the Speciali comfort is unrivalled by any other football boot I’ve ever worn. The high density memory foam insole is extremely comfortable featuring Poron inserts for a soft and cozy feel, a bit like that of a house slipper. The toe box is roomy which is important for me as I have particularly wide feet. The boots are much lighter than I expected and offer your foot room to breathe, yet the leather molds nicely to your foot once broken in.

Durability 

Only having had the football boots for a short time, I can’t yet determine what the lifespan of these boots will be. However, I can say the football boots are manufactured very well and the quality of materials is exceptional. The boots are stitched and cemented like its predecessor which is always a good sign. Despite not featuring a lace cover, there’s no need to worry about the laces becoming worn down and frayed. The nylon laces are well woven and thick, ensuring a tight fit. The one downside to the laces is that they tend to catch on the Velcro pad where the traditional flip tongue attaches.

Touch

The Speciali’s supple k-leather and clean upper makes for a superb feel for the ball and offers great touch. An improvement from the original Speciali, the Umbro Double Diamond logo is pressed and printed onto the football boot rather than a large stitched patch. The football boots are great for dribbling and passing, and despite not being a flash boot, allow for all the flair, flicks, and tricks that the F50i and Vapor tout.

Traction

One of the few things that worried me when purchasing the Speciali was the stud placement and design. The studs didn’t appear that they would allow proper weight dispersion in the heel area because they sit further forward from the heel than on most football boots.

Another anomaly was that the heel studs were shaped in the same mold as the rest of the studs, which I thought wouldn’t allow for sufficient traction. My fears were relieved in my first run out with the boots, with the studs engaging and releasing with the turf properly. The weight dispersion in the studs made it feel as if you were walking on a plush carpet, making it an extremely comfortable experience for your feet. My only complaint is that the heel studs are positioned in such a way that you feel as if your weight is on your heels at times, so you’re not being able to spring forward as quickly.

Features

With its style inspired by the Wembley archway, the A-Frame lacing system offers a tight fit cradling the mid foot area and is a great mechanism for maintaining your laces tightness. The Fast Flex groove in the outsole really allows for greater flexibility and helps you accelerate after that cross-field ball. Without any real “gimmicks”or technologies involved in the football boot, Umbro played off the marketing side of the boot well with a light-hearted, nostalgic take on them.

Conclusion

Having worn the past few generations of the Vapor line consistently, these boots have brought me back to my senses. With the Speciali you truly get your money’s worth along with a clean, classic look so your skill can do the talking on the field for you.

Nike’s influence seems to have rejuvenated the design team at Umbro and I’m glad to say they’re back with much higher standards and a completely new feel. The Speciali really are a homage to football boot heritage and are very underrated in my eyes. Umbro really took it back to the basics with this football boot, and it shows the useless gimmicks costing you another 30 quid just aren’t worth it.

Review by Matt Dawson

Given their penchant for neon coloured football boots like the Mercurial Vapor IV Citron & Berry and the Blaze Orange T-90 Laser II, it was something of a surprise to hear Nike announce that their intention was to have all their players playing in black football boots for the first couple of months of the new season.

Nike’s ‘Back to Black’ range

Back when Footy Boots first broke this story in July there was a massive difference of opinion – some seemed to disagree with the move, and were obviously looking forward to seeing Nike’s newest models in glorious techinolour; whereas others welcomed the nod to the old-school, grateful for giving their tired eyes a rest.

From an analytic point of view; this was always going to happen. One of the big manufacturers was going to hit a point where there they couldn’t do anything more with the colouring on boots until the introduction of new models – a colourway critical mass if you like. This has probably come sooner than expected as with the advent of services like NikeiD, many people can just go out and buy the boots in the colours they want.

Nike Mercurial Vapor Superfly

But have Nike made a bad move in terms of timing by launching their ‘Back to Black’ campaign?

The dawn of a new season is one of the key times in the football equipment market – with players of all levels and ages making their mind up and taking the plunge on a new pair of boots for the next 9 months, so surely as a company you’d want your product to be as obvious and bold as possible?

Looking at some of the prominent goal scorers from this weekend’s EPL action, Jermain Defoe, Emmanuel Adebayor   and Wade Elliott were all playing in a blistering blue adidas combo- Defoe & Adebayor in the f50i’s and Elliott in adiPure.

The striking adidas f50i

Other brands are going against Nike and moving away from black boots in a bid for getting noticed. Umbro are pushing the new White/Red Speciali (being sported by the rejuvenated Darren Bent), Under Armour are being represented by Danny Murphy’s White Dominate Pro’s and Peter Crouch is giving Puma plenty of camera-time in gold v1.08’s.

Umbro’s latest Speciali

Interestingly, from a scientific point of view the most ‘apparent’ colour to the human eye on the visible light spectrum is Green; however given the contrast to the grass that the beautiful game is played on very few green boots make it to market (only the ‘Unseen Green’ Puma v1.06 and f50.8’s in ‘Slime Green’ spring to mind)!

So, while Drogba, Rooney and Robinho were honouring their sponsor’s wishes by lacing up in Nike’s darkest, perhaps it players like Keane, Torres, Bendtner and Carlton Cole who opted for the more vibrant shades who’ll be doing them the biggest favour!

What’s your opinion? No-one’s going to think Nike are going to be in financial trouble over this move, but do you think they’ve made their football boots a little less attractive to buyers? Or, do you think that as long as Rooney, Drogba & co keep bagging goals that’s all the motivation people need to buy Nike boots? Let us know!

John Terry debuted the Umbro Speciali football boots when he captained England to a 2-2 draw against the Netherlands in August 2009.

There’s no getting away from the Umbro Speciali range right now. Umbro have been going to town in marketing this football boot and they have been doing so in style.

Their latest offering in the range is this plain, but classy, white red version of the Speciali, which made its debut on the feet of England skipper John Terry against Holland.

Whilst Terry did his best to hold the England defence together despite a series of schoolboy mistakes, he will have felt assured that his appearance in these football boots was top notch.

John Terry’s customised Speciali White Red.

John Terry’s customised Umbro Speciali football boots featured the names of his children (Georgie & John), the match insignia and of course the St. George’s Cross.

John Terry commented:

The new Speciali is the best football boot Umbro has ever built. I’ve been testing it out and it’s not only a stylish and functional boot, but also gives the perfect fit and comfort I need to play at this level.

This football boot features a specially designed sole-plate for Terry, different than the SG model available on general sale. You can also expect to see Arsenal’s Gaël Clichy wearing this colourway for the Gunners this season in the Premier League.

Umbro Speciali Highlights 

• The football boot’s premium soft leather creates outstanding fit
• The 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
• There are fast flex grooves in the outsole for greater flexibility
• It’s the lightest Speciali Umbro have ever made

The Umbro Speciali red white will be available in the UK shops from September, but our US visitors can order them now - order.

Learn about this football boot by reading the Speciali Review

Image attribution: umbrofootball

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Umbro’s most recent retail release is the Umbro SX Valor II, in a white / silver / orange colourway.

The SX Valor II Ultra, has been billed as a performance-enhancing football boot, with a focus on aiding additional power and swerve, not a ground breaking feature then.

The SX Valor II Ultra does however feature the wishbone shank for added support and rigidity, a valuable feature, whilst the dual density insole brings extra stability to the football boot.

The in-sock design with perforated front provides the comfort, protection and breath-ability that players benefit from in game conditions.

The football boot is finished with an ergonomically designed flip tongue with internal lacing and Velcro fastener.

The upper is made up of a combination of K leather and synthetic materials.

The SX Valor II ULTRA features Umbro’s no nonsense ‘Control Series labelling’, cutting out the jargon and explaining the technology in clear, simple terms:

• Touch Control - enhanced physical contact for comfort, feel and grip
• Impact Control - provides protection from opponents and the elements
• Motion Control -  enhances superior movement and provides stability

Glad we’re all clear on that then…

Umbro SX Valor II Ultra

Price: £120, delivered

Sizes: 6-12

Order your pair of SX Valor II Ultra football boots HERE

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Much as Umbro would probably like this story to go away, sadly for them it doesn’t look like doing so.

John Terry in adidas adiPURE II football boots, Chelsea Vs Inter Milan.

John Terry, England and Chelsea captain and regarded as ‘Mr Umbro’ in the UK, has now been spotted in adidas boots not once but twice whilst on Chelsea’s pre-season tour in the USA.

The timeline goes like this. Terry plays against Seattle Sounders in his trademark Umbro Speciali football boots, but by the time he returns to the training ground the following day, he’s swapped them for a pair of Black / White adidas adiPure II’s.

At that point Footy Boots contacted Umbro about the situation and were told:

Umbro was fully aware that John was training in these boots due to a delay in transit of his new Umbro Speciali boots. We had full dialogue directly with John about the matter and his new Specialis are now with him and he looks forward to playing in them.

Strange then that in last night’s encounter with Inter Milan, which Chelsea won 2 - 0, Terry played in a pair adiPure II’s, though it was clear that measures had been taken to mask the more obvious adidas features.

Adidas had this to say:

We are unsure why John Terry is wearing the adiPure II football boot, however they are a fantastic classic leather boot.

We can only assume therefore, that either his new Speciali’s were delayed again despite Umbro’s statement to the contrary or that the player himself is making the decision not to wear them.

Either way, it doesn’t reflect well on Umbro particularly as previous reports had linked them with Manchester City’s bid for the Chelsea player, the kit manufacturer having recently enterred in to a 10 year deal with the Eastlands club. Even now there is talk that City are preparing a fourth bid for Terry in the region of £40 million.

Old team mates, Freddie Ljungberg and Ashley Cole in Puma V1.08 football boots.

Meanwhile, Terry’s Chelsea and England team mate Ashley Cole also seems to have switched boots. An adidas man, who last used the new F50i playing for England last month, has trained and played in the new Royal / White / Black colourway of the PUMA v1.08.

Cole will have had plenty of intimate knowledge of the v1.08 as Chelsea’s Nicolas Anelka wore them as he topped the Premier League scoring charts last season.

However, PUMA have confirmed Ashley Cole hasn’t signed a deal with them and isn’t under contract.

Whilst Adidas confirmed that Cole is no longer in contract with them:

  Ashley Cole’s contract came to a natural end at the close of last season, the player and adidas have decided not to renew the contract.

You won’t see it on the shelves any time soon, but details are emerging about the new football boot from Umbro - the Stealth Pro.

Umbro Stealth Pro - Silver / Black colourway

The Umbro brand is enjoying something of a resurgence of late. Boot-wise, they are aggressively marketing the Speciali, whilst Umbro received plenty of plaudits for the latest England kit, for both the design and the reveal.

So what can we expect from the Stealth Pro?

The World Cup colourway - Silver / Black / Orange - Expected May 2010

The Science of Speed

It’s claimed by Umbro that the development off the new Stealth series has been the most accurate and expensive of a football boot ever!

In return Umbro reports that they have come up with a boot which is faster than any other and one that has delivered better testing results (both laboratory and by Premier League players) than any of it’s predecessors.

These impressive results centre around protection, shock absorption, cushioning, traction plus the correct and best feel and touch!

Umbro Stealth Pro - Red / Navy colourway

Technical Specs

Support- external heel foxing+ carbon protection.

Pro Fit- memory foam in tongue body moulds to top of foot for snug fit and hard tackle protection.

1. Structural support.
2. Chassis holds the foot in the best possible biomechanical position.
3. Carbon shank for biomechanical midfoot support.
4. Cosmetic film graphic.
5. An extra layer of cushioning to protect the delicate players foot.

The Umbro Stealth Pro in it’s World Cup Cup colourway of Silver / Black / Orange arrives in May 2010.

What do you make of the Umbro Stealth Pro? Add your opinion here …

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