It has been another wild year for football boots. The absolute deluge of releases is hard to keep up with at times but at least it gives us all something to talk about. Once again, we had massive amounts of remakes, lots of supposedly new tech and the marketplace continuing to expand out of control. Who knows if it can continue to sustain releases at this rate. On a personal note, this year has easily been the most successful year for the blog ever, with views more than doubling than the previous year. There is still much work to be done and a lot of reviews to come but for now let’s get down to the awards.

Budget Boot of the Year

Athleta O Rei T6

Coming in at around $115, the Athleta O Rei T6 really stood out to me in this category. I admittedly was not expecting much from the boot but there is some solid, if somewhat simple tech on offer. The Grid Shell system works as intended and keeps the foot locked in place and the Natural Motion Laces offer a surprising amount of lockdown in spite of their stretchiness. The leather is fantastic considering the price point and feels like it belongs on a much more expensive boot. There is very little break in time and as an overall package, the boot is excellent. It is just a shame that they are not available outside of Japan because even at a slightly increased price they could make a real impact on the international market given the other boots around its price point.

Disappointment of the Year

Puma’s overwhelming colourway realeases

Puma is an interesting company. Their boots are able to compete with Nike and adidas, they have plenty of top players on their books and they bring a lot of interesting ideas to the market. It is a shame that they feel the need to put out a new colour more than once a month at times. No colourway gets time to enjoy its time in the spotlight before it gets smothered by the next one. As a result of this, it all becomes a blur and some of the better colourways barely get a chance to stand out. Also, other colourways become immediately forgettable as customers struggle to keep up with releases. I can understand satisfying the marketing team’s whim, but give it a rest, please.

Predator Predator of the Predator 2023

Predator.

Limited Edition release of the Year

Adidas Predator 30

Besides the fact that the headline athletes of the new Pred are on fire, besides the fact that the tongue is back, etc. etc., has there been a bigger release this year? Adidas absolutely nailed this release with its premium presentation box, close to OG colourway vibes and the fact they were limited enough and numbered made these a very special release. I would argue that these limited editions will be sought after for years to come by those who missed out (me) and treasured by those who managed to get a pair for their collection. The only disappointment is that so many did not get into the hands of those who wanted a pair. But this release even eclipsed other LE releases from The Three Stripes, like the Messi Las Estrellas. The Predator 30 is just a very special release.

“Ok, Nike deserves some credit for this” Award

Nike Phantom GX

As many will know, I am quite harsh on Nike boots in general and as the market leader, it should be expected. They have the biggest budgets, the biggest reach and the biggest potential to make sweeping changes across the market. As Nike goes, so goes the market. So, it stands to reason that I was skeptical of the Phantom GX when it launched. However, Nike managed to make me appreciate what they did with the Phantom GX. The upper is great, the GripKnit tech is excellent and there is performance to match as well. It is just a shame that the soleplate is a bit weak because I would argue that overall, the GX is the best Nike boot on the market at the moment. A really good boot and anyone who is a Nike lover should absolutely try a pair. I can’t wait for them to screw it up with their next model in the series as Nike often does. Anyways, yeah good job Nike.

Liars of the Year

Nike

C’mon, we were always going to check Nike’s claims that they dropped K leather and other leather boots from their lineup. Boot Wizard’s video on the topic is well worth a watch and only goes to show that Nike tried to pull one over on us. On a personal note, I do not mind that Nike still use K leather on boots like the Premier, but it’s ridiculous to make a claim that production using leather has stopped when it is printed right on the boot’s info that comes in the box that they used leather. As of writing, Nike’s website still claims that the Premier is now made of a synthetic. Just a stupid thing to do. And it’s Greenwashing BS at its finest.

Always in my bag Boot of the Year

Sokito Devista

On the flip side, an actual eco boot company, Sokito, made its way onto this list and into my heart by staying true to their principles and producing great products. The Devista made its way into my rotation almost immediately thanks to the great fit, great performance and excellent comfort. The boot is a labour of love, and it is obvious that the people at Sokito know how to make a great boot. Sokito is definitely a company to keep an eye on in future and here’s hoping that their eco-friendly principles can shake up an industry that is in dire need of innovation in this area.

Mizuno better watch out Brand of the Year

ASICS

In a year that saw the release of the newest Morelia Neo models, Mizuno seems to be treading water, while its great Japanese rival, ASICS, is catching up rapidly. The X Fly Pro 2 had its leather improved and made it an excellent option for those wanting a simple boot with a speed soleplate and the it can be argued that the X Fly 5 is almost at the level of the Morelia Neo. Sure, the Neo has nicer leather and a slightly better fit, but as an overall package, the X Fly 5 has made many improvements that arguably make it a better boot overall. ASICS could have a massive impact in the international market if they stop limiting themselves to Asia. At the very least, it would show that there is a less expensive high performing alternative to Mizuno.

Personal Boot of the Year

ASICS X Fly Pro 2

Speaking of ASICS, the simple improvement they made the leather of the X Fly Pro series means that they finally have a killer leather speed boot. Sure, it does not have the same wow factor as other speed boots, but the fit is brilliant, the soleplate excellent and the comfort superb. And really, on a basic level there is not much more you could want from your boots. Maybe they could look to introduce an X factor to the series in future, but in the meantime, ASICS can be proud of the work they’ve done with the X Fly Pro series. Special mention has to go to the Synthetic LE model which manages to be hands down the best synthetic leather on the market. Incredible.

I wanted better Boot of the Year

Adidas X.99 Speedportal Leather

Man, what an absolutely frustrating release. There is so much potential with the latest X 99 release and adidas had to go and cheap in the most annoying way possible. The leather is really good as it is soft and supple and has an excellent touch on the ball. The soleplate is awesome and offers great springback and the midfoot synthetic is more than passable but the connection between the synthetic midfoot and the leather forefoot is absurd. I cannot understand why adidas decided to leave the stitching and connecting parts of this section stick out so greatly in this area of the boot. It is almost like they just did not care and rushed the boot to market which given the random release schedule (it appeared available in different places at widly varying dates) this does seem to be the case. It could also be that adidas did not know how to fix the stitching issue. If that is the case, they should not have bothered to bring the product to market at all. I wanted better and we deserved better.

Underrated boot of the Year

Adidas X Crazyfast.1

It is a shame that adidas continues to make so many elite models for their boots because it means it is more difficult for any one boot to stand out on its own. A lot of the attention for the Crazyfast went to the Plus model, which I actually liked, but the real winner for me is the .1 model. Adidas fixed the issues with that the previous generation of the X had and the Crazyfast.1 is the sleeper hit of the year because of this. The upper is nice, thin and breaks in easily. The soleplate still offers great springback and the while the heel looks like it would feel overly bulky, during play it feels natural. Again, the heel is amazing and seems to fit almost every heel type. The Crazyfast is sure to be overlooked when adidas drops their next speed boot, but they are worth keeping around at the very least as a comfort speed boot option if the need arises.

Boot of the Year

ASICS X Fly 5

A few years ago, ASICS beating Mizuno for a high performance leather synthetic hybrid would be unthinkable but ASICS have made so many great strides with the newest X Fly model that it is difficult to ignore the performance advantage that seems to exist between the two boots. Sure, the leather on the Neo is definitely nicer, and it could be argued that there is maybe a slightly better fit, but as an overall package, the X Fly is much more complete. The soleplate is excellent on multiple surfaces and offers great grip without ever feeling like you are stuck in the ground. The fit allows for a variety of foot shapes without ever feeling too constrained or too loose. The heel cup is comfortable, supportive and soft. The forefoot is not too pointy or too rounded and the build quality is excellent. It is obvious that ASICS have worked hard to improve their products time after time, and it is to the point that we all need to recognize that they have real potential to become a force to be reckoned with. Now, they just need to make their products more widely available.

Lockhart Boot Blog’s Top 5 reviewed Boots of The Year

5. Nike Tiempo Legend 9 Elite Mi

4. Mizuno Morelia Neo IV Japan

3. ASICS X Fly Pro 2

2. Sokito Devista

1. ASICS X Fly 5

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じゃあね！

Post Edit: There are only no Adlers on the list because I reviewed them all last year when they launched.