Germany's Adidas releases special edition Predator 30 boot

With an entirely new silhouette that hints towards the future of the franchise, Predator 30 resurrects one of the boot’s most celebrated features from earlier models – the Foldover Tongue.

The iconic tongue was the hallmark of goalscorers for a full generation of football fans; a standout feature on fan-favourites such as the Predator Mania, Precision and PowerSwerve. It now returns with a softer feel, in-built rubber fins and a tongue strap allowing players to style the boot as they desire.

The Predator 30 is littered with design choices that pay homage to the history of the franchise, including the iconic Predator ‘Eyes’ logo, which appears on the underside of the tongue, the company said in a press release.

The colourway is inspired by the classic red, black and white of earlier iterations, but with a more lux burgundy to mark the 30-year heritage of the franchise. Only 1994 pairs will be available, referencing the year the first Predator boot was released. Each pair comes in a premium presentation box, containing a commemorative gold plaque, illustrated with some of the most popular Predators in history.

The new boot isn’t simply a design throwback. Utilising feedback from consumers and Adidas athletes, the Predator 30 has undergone a series of updates designed to give the wearer the upmost confidence in front of goal, as a precursor to an all-new Predator model set to land in January 2024.

“The introduction of the Predator franchise completely changed how people thought about football boots, both from a performance and a marketing perspective. Over the years, it’s been worn by some of the greatest players of players of their generations, in some of the game’s most historic moments,” Sam Handy, VP product and design, Adidas Football, said.

“Reflecting on the last three decades of innovation, we felt the time was right to hit a reset and be inspired by the elements that first made Predator so popular – its look, feel and focus on goal scoring. We're sure admirers of the early Predator models will be delighted to see the famous tongue making a comeback, and we hope newer fans will enjoy rocking the tongue on pitch for the first time,” explained Handy.

The Predator 30 was worn for the first time on pitch exclusively by Jude Bellingham on November 29 while playing for Real Madrid against Napoli in the UEFA Champions League.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (RR)