With every new year comes the positivity of potential releases. We are already seeing leaks of a new Predator that looks like it has the potential to be something great and as well as seeing the first remake of the year in the form of the Predator Precision. Of course, I am sure we will see plenty of other remakes this year, as well as some hopefully great normal releases. Puma and New Balance will be brands to watch as they continue their upward trajectory, but you know adidas and Nike won’t take things laying down. Personally, there are several things that I am hoping to see this year.

Adidas Predator Powerswerve Remake

Starting with Powerswerve remake. The Powerswerve is an interesting Predator because while for some it is the last “Proper” Predator, at the same time it does not quite have the same history or moments like other Predators. There is no Beckham free kick moment. For me though, it is not only the best Predator, but it even still holds up well today, as every time I wear them, they still feel and look the part. Granted, they may be heavier than most modern boots, but putting a newer soleplate on the same excellent upper should make the boot feel less bulky. Plus, we have gotten remakes of every other pre-2010 Predator, so it feels like it is time adidas. I asked last year, so I will ask again.

Mizuno lower their overseas prices

This has become more and more of an issue over the past year. The release of the fantastic Mizuno Alpha Japan has been tempered somewhat by the fact that the retail price is so high. Overall, Mizuno’s made in Japan boots are some of the most expensive on the market and in some cases the boots are fifty precent more expensive outside of Japan versus their prices in Europe and the US. I believe that Mizuno want to be competitive in international markets, but in order to do this, their prices need to come down. Of course, it is not as if other brands are guilty of this as prices across the board are becoming eye-watering in some cases, But, even so, Mizuno has room to improve here and should make the change if they want greater success.

Adler becoming a bigger presence in the Int’l Market

Of course, pressure on Mizuno to lower their prices would increase if a brand like Adler becomes more well known internationally and makes it mark as Adler not only makes their boots in Japan, but they come in cheaper than most Mizuno boots. It can be argued that Adler has better leather options than Mizuno. I am of course biased seeing as how I work with Adler at the moment, but I really do think the brand has a chance to become more well known and help shake up the traditional boot market, showing that tech can be packed into leather boots without betraying their classic roots. Plus, I just really like the boots.

ASICS to re-enter the International Market

ASICS has slowly but surely been increasing their presence outside of Japan, but the brand is still limiting itself to SE Asia and Australia. With the great boots they have on offer right now, like the X Fly Pro, and the fact that players like Kyogo Furuhashi are tearing it up overseas, surely now is a good time to bring the brand back to Europe and the US. Their pricing is good, and the boots all seem to have good unique selling points. ASICS is a massive company, and it should not take much pushing for their boots to be successful in Europe, at the very least.

Less of…everything

If there is one thing that I have consistently argued for is for less boots and less colourways to be made. If we look at the current situation in just the football market, we can see that there are constant sales almost within a month of some boots releasing. You would think that companies would stop and pause on their actions, but instead production seems to be speeding up instead of slowing down. This tells that companies don’t want to make some money, they want to make all of the money, which isn’t possible. Meanwhile, this also could suggest that prices are rising because brands almost expect that a good part of their sales may come when the boots have been marked down. The counterpoint is that surely companies would then lower their prices, but then I point again to the argument that companies seem to want all of the money. So, less greed I guess would be a good place to start. I kind of hope sales tank for some brands so that they learn to scale things back.

A Year of Great Releases

At the same time, while I want less of everything, I want the stuff that does release to be high quality, or at the very least the boots that people have been wanting. But I really do hope that brands do well with their releases because it will force every other brand to step it up. Early signs are good as well as the Phantom GX seems like a big upgrade over the GT 2 and some people (like JayMike of Unisport) have given positive reviews of the new Copa Pure. The new Predator seems promising, and surely adi will replace the Speedportal. One wonders if Puma’s (too soon) replacement of the Future Z 1.4 will improve upon what seems to be a good boot. Maybe Mizuno has something up their sleeve. Either way, I am hoping this year is an excellent year for new boots.

What are your boot wishes for 2023? Please make sure to share this with your friends and be sure to follow me on Instagram and Facebook!

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