Worthy of the name and hype

Adidas pulled off maybe the best launch of the past ten years when they put the upcoming Predator on the feet of Trent Alexander-Arnold and Jude Bellingham. Both players were in excellent form during the initial teaser campaign which was successful in building up absurd amounts of hype for the release. Then, the actual launch campaign and videos introducing the boots led to the Predator being one of the most successful launches for a long time. Of course, all of this work by adidas would have been meaningless if the adidas Predator Elite was not up to scratch, but they managed to produce a product that is not only worthy of the Predator name, but worthy of the hype as well.

Fit and Feel

The most noticeable thing about the adidas Predator Elite FT from out of the box is how premium the whole boot feels. The tongue, the Hybridtouch 2.0 upper, and the glossy soleplate all exude quality. There are little touches as well, such as the number 30 being stitched on the underside of the tongue, and the “Est. 1994” also stitched on the tongue that add to the deluxe look of the boots. The boot is probably one of the most premium high-end boots to release from the big three brands in a while.

This does not mean that adidas are slacking on the fit, either. While there is not much width as something like the previous Predator Accuracy, the switch to the standard floating tongue construction means that there is a lot more adjustability to the fit of the boot. At the same time, the tighter fit means that the boot feels sleeker, in spite of given its more classic power boot vibes.

And this new Predator is definitely a power boot. True, it is lighter than power boots of the past, but the design and overall feel of the boot feels like a modern interpretation of the style. The Hybridtouch 2.0 upper is fairly soft and breaks in quickly, while the Strikeskin grip elements are power boot esque, through and through.

Speaking of the upper, the break-in time is surprisingly quick, only taking a couple of sessions for the boots to feel properly ready to go and there have been almost no hotspots during this period. Almost. This is because the one thing that adi seems to have slightly neglected is the heel. It is comfortable enough and there is good lockdown, but through the first two sessions there were some hotspots on the outer side of the heel.

Amazingly, despite the fact that the boot designed to be worn with the tongue pulled way down, like a classic Beckham style, the lockdown is really good. A lot of credit needs to go to the designers because they managed to come up with such a classic-looking design while still having the lockdown you expect from modern boots. That being said, the Predator Elite without the foldover tongue does provide better lockdown because of the laces going further up the foot.

The lining of the boots is also very nice and there are no weird shapes on the inside of the boot which gives a great feel when slipping the foot into the boot. This also means that there is a nice uniform feeling on the inside of the boot.

As far as sizing is concerned, I went with my usual adidas size, which is half a size down from normal. Now, I prefer a very tight fit on my boots, tighter than most and it is because of this that I recommend most people go true to size.

Touch

The boot really shines when it comes to performance. The adidas Predator Elite FT has some interesting indentations across the foot but these are more to allow the upper to better flex with the foot rather than any touch benefits. Obviously, the Strikeskin has a lot to do with the touch on the ball and the raised fins allow for a bit of cushion when controlling the ball with the inside of the foot.

Dribbling is a fairly seamless experience because of the lack of any grippy elements on the outside of the foot. The Hybridtouch 2.0 provides a nice touch on the ball and because it softens up pretty quickly, the feeling is only enhanced the longer one uses the boots.

Of course, if you dribble with the inside of the foot there is a bit of an adjustment period getting used to the striking elements. Especially since they feel slightly taller than ones found on other recent Predators.

Passing and Shooting

Naturally, this is where the Predator Elite FT really shines. Short passes are a somewhat simple affair, but the Strikeskin still provides some extra oomph on the ball and you can even put a little bit of spin on shorter passes, such is grip found on the inside on the foot.

Long passes and crosses feel absolutely brilliant. Even from the first few times the ball is hit with any kind of power or swerve, it is obvious that the boots are very special. There is nothing else like it on the market and the Predator really separates itself from the rest of the boots in the control category. The Strikeskin encourages long balls, curved crosses and the like because of the excellent grip on the ball. There is a slight adjustment period, but it feels natural very quickly.

Shooting is equally excellent. The Predator is very aggressive when it comes to shooting and pushes the wearer to try and hit the ball as hard as possible. It is silly how much fun it is to hit a dead ball in the boots and the boots are definitely power boots. Deadballs are a dream to hit in the Predators and every session in the boots I spend much longer than I normally do just smashing freekicks in.

It is also pleasing to note that even in adverse conditions, like snow for example, the Strikeskin still performs really well and manages to give more than enough grip on the ball.

The soleplate also does a great job anchoring the foot in the ground properly when shooting and it is something that gets ignored by a lot of brands when it comes to hitting the ball with any kind of power.

Grip

For most surfaces, the firm ground soleplate is great, it provides plenty of grip and manages to not have a lot of stud pressure. The stud shape seems well thought out and not like an afterthought, as can happen on other boots.

However, the FG soleplate should absolutely not be used on artificial surfaces. Whereas the soleplate excels on firm ground, softer ground and even hard ground surfaces (to a point for HG it must be said though), the studs are too long for even the most premium of synthetic surfaces.

When using the boots on AG there is a lot of “drag” where one can feel the boots getting a bit stuck in the surface. It is not as bad as some firm ground boots, but still I cannot recommend that the FG plate ever be used on AG. This is a shame because at the moment there does not seem to be an AG option for the FT model.

Aside from this warning though, the soleplate has great traction and provides a good amount of stability, grip and performance. If the soleplate could be adjusted slightly to make it work better on AG, then the Predator Elite FT would be a no brainer for any occasion.

A word of warning

To follow up with the warning about not using the FG model on AG surfaces, there have been multiple instances of the FG soleplate cracking when used on artificial ground. There obviously could be multiple factors involved, and obviously every mass produced product might have some issues, the firm ground is a no go on artificial ground. I cannot stress this enough, do not use the FG model on synthetic surfaces.

Conclusion

In spite of this warning, it is difficult to argue against what The Three Stripes has accomplished with adidas Predator Elite FT. The boots are absolutely amazing and well worth the hype surrounding them. The performance is excellent, the fit is really good, and the boots do everything that one would expect of a “proper” power boot. It is very rare that a boot justifies the hype surrounding it but that is what we have here. It will not be surprising if the Predators end up on top of multiple boot of the year lists when all is said and done. The boots are incredible, and I highly recommend them to pretty much everyone. Well done adidas, you gave us a proper power boot that not only looks the part, but has the performance to back it up as well.

What do you think of the adidas Predator Elite FT? Please share this with your friends and make sure to follow me on Instagram and Facebook!

じゃあね！