So much stuff!

Another great year has come and gone in the football boot world. There have been some truly standout boots, some absolute duds and of course far, far, far too many colourways. At least it gave us something to talk about though. Naturally, this means there has been an explosion of stuff to cover and sometimes it feels difficult to keep all of these releases straight. That being said, there has been some truly excellent releases, and we have seen brands like Sokito begin to shake up the market, Adler continuing to build a base of support for itself in its own corner of the market and long may changes continue. We are seeing a shift in market consumption and while adidas had a massive year led by the Predator 24, and Nike released the very popular Vapor 16, it does seem like the big 3 can no longer take their massive sales for granted. Hopefully, this massive increase in competition leads to even better products coming onto the market. So, onto the awards.

Budget Boot of the Year

ASICS DS Light Pro

While this boot is limited mostly to Asia, it is difficult to ignore what a great deal the DS Light Pro is overall. It comes in several different widths, there is an AG model, and they all come in at around $110. There are lots of things on the boot that make it such a great deal. From the kangaroo leather forefoot to ASICS’ every popular Gel tech in the heel. Speaking of the heel, much like more expensive boots in ASICS lineup, the heel fit is superb. A really easy boot to recommend and one of the reasons why ASICS is such a big deal.

Worrying Trend

Nostalgia Obession

There is no future if we don’t create a past. Where are the iconic moments in new boots? Does our current infatuation with the past prevent this from happening? Think of Bellingham’s bicycle kick goal in the Euros, he was wearing a colourway that was designed to invoke different moments a tournament from twenty-two years ago. While I love throwback colourways and remakes, there comes a point when newer boots are not allowed to have their own moments. This is also because of the number of colourway releases, but there is no denying that we are being overly nostalgic a times. Give us something new, let boots have their moments.

Darkhorse Boot of the Year

ASICS DS Light Acros Pro 3

ASICS has had another excellent year and boots like the Acros Pro 3 show us why the brand might have some of the biggest potential to explode onto the international market at some point. There are so many good things in the Acros Pro 3. It has an excellent fit, good lockdown, good touch on the ball, great springback, great support and a very durable upper. It is one of those boots that feels at home in almost any situation and is an easy boot to recommend to anybody wanting a boot that works as hard as they do.

Ripoff of the Year

Most of the Boot Market

Look, there are still excellent deals to be found on the market, but the prices of boots are still increasing at too great of a rate. It is getting to the point where $200 and under boots are seen as more budget options, whereas limited edition boots have regularly been pushing $320 and above. Almost every single brand has boots in their lineup that seem too expensive. Sure, development, production and shipping are not cheap, but there is often little reason to charge so much. A good way to look at this to look at the pricing discrepancies between Japan and the rest of the world. Yes, different places have different taxes and the like but the fact that a lot of the same boots can be up to and over $100 cheaper in Japan than the other parts of the world shows that brands can absolutely charge less for their products.

Loser company of the year

Puma using AI

Puma did not just do this once, but twice. First was the collab with 11Teamsports that used AI to create a design based on the graffiti found around Berlin. Those graffiti artists did not get paid for their work being stolen. Next was the AI kit competition for Manchester City’s Third (Fourth? Who cares) kit design contest. Again, AI scrapes the internet for information and does not credit or pay for anyone’s work it steals. Absolutely absurd.

Dumbest release of the Year

Nike Tiempo Legend 10

Or how to kill a popular line in one fell swoop. It honestly feels like Nike is hellbent on destroying the Tiempo series and I have to say, if I wanted to kill the Tiempo, I couldn’t have done it any better. A sad excuse of a boot that features an upper that is not any softer or better feeling than KangaLite, a material that is over a decade old. To make matters worse, the boots do not fit as well as previous models and honestly just seems like a cashgrab rather than anything else. For me, it just signals that Nike does not respect its customers and while I knew that already, hopefully it becomes more obvious to everyone else.

Adidas Predator of the Year

Predator Roteiro

I actually started this award as a joke last year, but it feels like I almost have to do this because there are so many bloody Predators on the market now. I understand that it is adi’s USP, brings the brand a ton of attention and a lot of money, but they are close to killing off enthusiasm for the line.

That being said, the Roteiro was a brilliant release from adidas. The fusionskin upper is excellent and gives oldheads like me something to celebrate. The timing of the release was a little weird, but still, I am very glad adi did this release, not least for the fact that I think there should always be a leather Predator available. But man, did adidas ever make this work. Brilliant boot that I feel will be looked on very fondly over the coming years.

Side note, the new Predator 25 is not included in this list because I started this before it released and will probably pop up on next year’s list.

Pick up of the Year

Hummel 8.4 PIO FGX

Fifteen years. FIFTEEN YEARS. That is how long I had been looking for a pair of these Hummel in my size. The ultimate unicorn for me, I had pretty much given up looking after I managed to get a pair in a bigger size last year and figured it was fine to just have in my collection. But in the back of my mind, I knew I still wanted a pair in my size. And finally, I managed to get a pair. Much appreciation has to go to Indalo Boots over on Instagram, who helped me get them from Poland.

So why these boots? Well, I always loved the design and how much detail there is throughout the boot. While it can be a little over the top, I think that is part of what I love so much about the boot. Superb. Now to track down a backup pair.

Go to boot of the Year

Adler Yatagarashu

Of course. No one should be surprised by this pick. They are always the first boot in my bag and the boot I wear the most whenever I am not testing anything. The fit, touch, comfort and performance are all still so excellent and thanks to Adler I have a new custom pair will now become my go to. What an absolutely brilliant boot. Even if I was not working directly with Adler, I would still wear these like crazy and it is one of the reasons I am so passionate about the work Adler does.

Remake/Limited Edition Boot of the Year

Mizuno Wave Cup SS (Samurai Soul)

An incredibly easy pick here. Yes, there have been a lot of great remakes and limited edition releases this year, but for me, nothing can beat out the Wave Cup SS. Every single time I wear the boot it never ceases to impress me. In fact, the reason that this award exists is because if I let the Wave Cup compete for boot of the year, this would be the second year that a Wave Cup remake would be the best boot of the year. An absolute masterpiece of work that I think is probably the best boot of all time for me.

Boot of the Year

Sokito Scudetta

It had to be. Sokito has really done their work and the Scudetta is an excellent boot that exploded onto the market. There are obvious inspirations from previous boots, but the Scudetta goes beyond that by having a better fit and better performance. What is wild is that even the small issues I had with the launch colourway were fixed on the very next colourway. What is even more crazy is the fact that the Scudetta is comfortably cheaper than its rivals. On top of that, the price gets dropped further if you take part in Sokito’s boot recycle program, which drops the price by 20 pounds. And another thing that makes the boot exceptional is the fact that not only does it use recycled and biodegradable materials, but how honest and transparent they are about it. And Sokito is not satisfied, promising to be even better about the production.

Even outside of all of that, the Scudetta is an incredibly impressive boot. The fit, superb. The touch on the ball, also superb. There is great lockdown, excellent traction and it is obvious that the boot is a passion project. Brilliant work. I very much look forward to seeing what Sokito comes up with next.

Top 5 Remakes/Limited Editions of the Year

5. Puma Future x Unisport Big Wave
6. Adidas Predator Elite FT TAA
7. Adidas F50 Messi x Bad Bunny
8. Adidas Predator Elite FT Roteiro
9. Mizuno Wave Cup SS

Top 5 Boots of the Year

This category is limited to boots that I have reviewed.

5. Skechers Razor
6. ASICS DS Light Acros Pro 3
7. Adidas Predator Elite FT (24)
8. Adidas F50 Messi Elite
9. Sokito Scudetta

What is your boot of the year? Please share this with your friends and make sure to follow me on Instagram and Facebook!

Also make sure to check out the Football Boot Hour podcast, which I co-host with Boot Wizard Boot Reviews.

じゃあね！