10 Sep 2022 14:58:14
Seeing as there is a break this weekend and to change the subject a bit. Best football boots ever? Adidas World Cup, Nike Tiempo, Mizuno Morelia, Nike Mercurial, Predator's (which ones? ), Mizuno Rebula, Nike Tiempo, Puma Kings. a few to think about. If I had to stick my neck out I'd have to say the Mizuno Morelia for me. Fancied myself as a cultured Italian style defender in my playing days although I did have blonde hair.

There is some criteria. They need to have some element of leather. An all vinyl boot does not qualify. Would like an element of black colour in the boot although not essential if it only came in colour generally like the Mercurial as I am a bit of a traditionalist. Just to add, Nike Mercurial R9. Not just the modern Mercurial.

1.) 10 Sep 2022
10 Sep 2022 19:50:44
Might not have been the most fashionable, but I loved the reebok sidewinders!

2.) 10 Sep 2022
10 Sep 2022 21:07:02
Haven’t posted in a LONG time, but i’ve always been here. This is a topic that interests me. I’ve played at various levels of football, from amateur league for my village team (which honestly was the most enjoyable) to playing working my way into the Northern Ireland mix at 16. I done my ACL and LCL at the same time though, and it never truly healed. Only playing 5 aside with work and friends recently, due to moving abroad to a far warmer climate which has seen the end of my 11-aside career due to the heat almost incapacitating me around the 60 minute mark. I’ve pretty much been a striker or number ten whilst playing, and i’ve ventured through a lot of different boots.

Nike Mecurial Vapors - I always wanted to try these around the time of R9 and Henry wearing these, as they were always seen as the flashy boot. I got them far later in my playing days, closer to the ones we see now, for one season, and I absolutely hated them. They are the worst fitting boot I have ever seen, and how players aren’t walking around like Cowboy’s i’ll never know. I thought I maybe needed to play around with the sizing, so for the next pre-season I bought two pairs of different sizes. Both were out after two weeks. Would NOT recommend, however I do regret not trying them when they were only a few years old.

Adidas AdiPure IV - I had these in Scarlet Red, countered against my team’s kit beautifully at the time. What a fantastic boot. The fit of the boot and the comfort, my lord. Incredible. It honestly felt like you were playing in a pair of fluffy slippers. The only downside is that the thickness of the leather, which was extremely soft, which was the reason for their comfort also came with a downside for me personally. You lost the feel of the ball, with the additional thickness taking away my natural feel of the ball. I believe they are the perfect boot for a player who strolls through the game, which is seen by the fact that Toni KROOS is still wearing these boots even though they terminated in production some 6-7 years ago. Great boot, but not my favourite.

Adidas F50.6 Tunit - These boots became popular during the 2006 world cup period. They were really the first advancement in boot technology, so I had to try them. I quite liked them from memory, but not enough to get another model the next season. Nothing particularly stands out in memory, other than them being cool as f**k at the time.

Adidas F50 adiZero 2014 Champions League - Simply horrendous. These were available in either that plastic’y material, or in quilted leather. Due to my previous experience with leather being too thick with the AdiPure’s I went with the plastic. What a mistake. I picked this material, added to the previous point, because they were much lighter than the leather. I had quick feet, and I felt that was the best decision. It wasn’t. They felt great on the feet, don’t get me wrong, but I have never experienced a football boot have such a negative impact on ball control. If you were to ask any teammate I’ve played with they would all say about my control of a ball, but bloody hell when I put these boots on it went out the window overnight. I guess it didn’t help I was playing in Northern Ireland, where the majority of the time the pitch is slick, or it’s raining, but I have never experienced anything like it. They felt great whilst shooting or passing though, loved them for that. Wouldn’t recommend.

Pantafola D’Oro Lazzarini - I always saw these boots online whilst browsing, and for some reason wanted to try them. I bought them for a laugh a good number of years ago, and bloody hell. I mentioned within the AdiPure part that it felt like playing in fluffy slippers, well. let me tell you. These boots were like having s*x for the first time in 6 months. They were like that moment when you get into bed with freshly cleaned sheets. Your feet were tantalised into a warm bed of cotton balls, incredible. Aside from the comfort, not a overly impressive boot. Nothing stood out, and I don’t feel like they would last more than two years, simply due to how soft the leather is. If anyone needs a new pair of slippers mind, buy these and cut the studs off.

Adidas Predator Powerswerve - Without a doubt the BEST boot ever made. I think i’ve probably had about fifteen different pairs of Powerswerve’s, and all in different colour ways. I was always the type that could never have the same boot twice, and the variations of the Powerswerve made that easy. They were the perfect combination of everything, with the perfect amount of leather which made them comfortable but didn’t take away the feel of the ball. They were heavier than your Vapors or F50’s, but they didn’t falter much in the speed department. The way the leather was moulded on the exterior of the boot made wrapping your foot around the ball have such ease it was like taking candy from a baby, whilst the extended tongue which was held down with a wrap allowed for putting your foot through the ball with similar ease. The aesthetic of the boot as well, extraordinary. It was my biggest regret, in terms of football boot selection, when I moved away from these. Couldn’t recommend another boot higher.

I have tried other boots, such as Puma King’s, Nike Mercurial’s with the ankle sock, Puma evoSpeed’s, Adidas World Cup’s, Adidas Copa’s to name but a few. None are really worth mentioning anything about.

{Ed014's Note - what a great reply mate!?

3.) 10 Sep 2022
10 Sep 2022 23:30:55
Fantastic post MPez, enjoyed that.

4.) 11 Sep 2022
11 Sep 2022 08:06:58
Great post Mpez.
I'm from the same neck of the woods and also made it to N Ireland schoolboy level before a broken pelvis ended that. Played in the Mid Ulster League for a few years after that before calling it quits at 24. My favourite boots were from the early 80's, I can't remember the exact model but they were Patrick with two green stripes on the ankle. They lasted me a couple of years while at Lurgan Celtic Boys alongside Gerry Taggart and Neil Lennon. Proper football pitches back then when you needed to bring your boots in the bath with you each game to get the mud off!

5.) 11 Sep 2022
11 Sep 2022 10:06:33
Great post Mpez, good to see you back.

6.) 11 Sep 2022
11 Sep 2022 10:13:16
spent my birthday 5 pound postal order (ask yer grandad) that I got from my Granny on a pair of George Best boots that were the latest thing CIRCA 1969 - back plastic/ leatherette with his autograpgh in gold lettering up the side. I had been in the sports shop a week before and asked the owner (Aubrey Hill Sports) Holbrooks lane Coventry if he would ake them out of the window save them for me as my birthday was coming up. he said no, first one here with the money gets them son.

Cashed that postal order and ran down Holbrrook lane to buy those boots, and had enough money to buy the George Best sports bag to put them in.

4-5 years later was spending 8 quid on a pair of Addidas Santiago boots - a classic and worth a fortune today. then Gola boots came on the market but I was always an Adidas kid.

7.) 11 Sep 2022
11 Sep 2022 11:19:43
Probably Patrick Keegan or Santiago Redpaul. I think both were green. My 1st pair of boots ever were a pair of Nike Valencia. Had to be my dad to spend about £28 on them which he begrudgingly did.

Then a pair of Nike strike force (around the time of the once a year indoor soccer 6 which was on TV? Ruel Fox was like Pele in it) . Got to South West England school boy level. Had a couple of games at old Conference level for Weymouth around 18 years old.

Dislocated my shoulder 5 time in 18 months then never really got back, more due to beer, ciggies and girls. Went on to become a pubs league legend instead. Owned and tried loads of boots.

Always found Adidas too narrow for me. The toe box on the mizuno I wore in the late 80's and the Morelia I found were incredible. Great feel.

8.) 11 Sep 2022
11 Sep 2022 12:40:51
It's got to be the Adidas Predator Mania, quite simply the greatest boot ever and worn by just about everyone who was anyone back in the early 2000s. Even Jonny Wilkinson wore them that's how iconic they were. Wilkinsons Adidas Predator Mania on the left foot, Backham Adidas Predator Mania on the right foot, perfection.

9.) 11 Sep 2022
11 Sep 2022 11:24:51
Mpez, good to see you on here, mate. Been a while.

10.) 11 Sep 2022
11 Sep 2022 14:48:16
I had a white pair of Lotto boots I the 90's that were made out of soft soft kangaroo leather. Thought I was the sh1t when I wore them. Amazing ball feel, but boy did it hurt if someone stamped on your foot.

(And no, they didn't help me jump higber)

11.) 11 Sep 2022
11 Sep 2022 18:00:54
For me the Gola football boots will always have a place in my heart. We could never aford the top makes but the joy each season as a young boy of going to the local market to get your new boots for the season, they never really changed in design but was as proud of wearing them as all the other kids in Addidas/ Nike etc.
One year we tried the Umbro and they did not last as long so was never aloud them again!

12.) 11 Sep 2022
11 Sep 2022 19:05:31
Adidas Copa Mundials for me all day long. Loved them boots. I tried Puma kings for one season but went back to mundials.
My mum also bought me some white sondico things, I used to take them in my boot bag but never had the bollocks to wear them. Would’ve never loved it down. Great memories!

13.) 12 Sep 2022
12 Sep 2022 17:00:04
Umbro Speciali were my go to boot. Soft kangaroo leather but was durable in the tackle. Really light and flexible considering they offered loads of support. Available in both studs and moulded studs dependin on weather. Not much change out of 100 notes even 20-25 years ago but they lasted the season unlike the plastic boots of today.
Adidas did have some good boots, the copa mundial and world cups were decent but just not wide enough for my feet.
Eventually it was the studs of an old pair of predators that finished me off and caused me to hang my boots up almost 20 years ago now. The good old days hey ?.

14.) 13 Sep 2022
13 Sep 2022 16:12:43
Had some Patrick I liked and that was back in the day when you could use metal studs (think they may have been platini's but can't fully recall) . Also had a pair of of hi tec boots that keano used to wear later on which were one of the best boots I ever wore.