Competitive
Every year I feel like we surely cannot have any more releases than the previous year and every single year I am proven wrong. There has been an absurd amount of releases this year, and I honestly believe that if around half of them were not released, we would not have lost anything important. The flip side of this is that there have been a lot of excellent releases as well, and lot of smaller brands (influence-wise, not financially small) have been making a bigger and bigger space for themselves in the market. I would also argue that we have never had a more competitive market, and the Boot of the Year Award could go to numerous boots.
On a personal note, this year I have more than doubled the number of reviews I have done, with myself personally doing twenty-eight, plus one guest review. There are a couple of boots I wish I could have reviewed, but I have not got the chance to as of yet. However, even without those admissions, there is heavy competition for a lot of these awards. A couple of rules real quickly: Remakes cannot be boot of the year, and the boots need to have been released between December 2024 and November 2025. We’ll call this the Substance Football Ruleset. Anyways, without further ado, on to the awards.
Budget Boot of the Year
TLSS has started making a small space for themselves in the boot market as a whole, and a lot of attention has gone to the Tactician, and for good reason. The Tactician GOAT has a nice kangaroo leather upper, is available in both an FG and an MG outsole, has a KaRVO insert, suede lining, and a rubberised toebox for additional durability. The boots are not perfect of course, I personally find the heel to be too wide, and the midfoot shank needs to be far more stiff. Still, for a boot that retails at around £120/$163/€138, there is a lot of boot for the money.
Best boot for the money
Adidas pulled off a masterstroke by deciding to let adidas’ Japan design team take almost complete control of the design and make up of the Icon series. What the Japan team has done has given us an excellent boot that is comfortable, has good performance, and an excellent fit. It is one of my favourite boots of the year, and I hope that next year adidas decides to put more money towards marketing the boot because the design is the perfect foundation for an entire line up of boots. Speaking of, I should get another pair as soon as possible.
Predator of the Year
Adidas Predator 25 Elite Obsidian Strike
I started this award as a joke a couple of years ago, but it continues to make more and more sense as time goes on. For this year, the Predator 25 is an excellent boot, but the leather Obsidian Strike stands above the rest for me. Now, it should have been a different colourway as it would have most likely led to more sales. In spite of this, I find myself thinking that the Obsidian Strike is one of my favourite Predators, ever. I really enjoy what is on offer from these boots, and they are very enjoyable to play in. It feels like a Proper Predator. I do wish the soleplate was a bit better given what has just been released, but I still love the Obsidian Strike.
Annoyance of the Year
Rising Prices
Yeah, so brands are still making their boots far too expensive. I wish more brands would look at brands like Sokito, TLSS, even Kipsta to realise that boots should and absolutely can be cheaper. We are already seeing new releases being discounted within a few weeks of launch, if not the launch day themselves which you would hope – HOPE – that it would give bigger brands a pause for thought. Also, Mizuno especially, ya’ll need to seriously drop the prices of your boots. It is getting harder and harder for people outside of Japan to justify the prices. Time for a change.
My biggest miss of the Year
I should have reviewed the Mirai II as soon as it released, but for good reason I thought it would be a continuation of the stiffer K Better material. It was not until a good friend of the blog tried them on and pointed out how nice they felt that I decided to review a pair. And what a pair they are. The K Better upper is very soft and plus out of the box, and the boots have great stability and manage to feel like a modern boot, in spite of the simpleness of the design. The soleplate is also excellent, and it is a shame that the boots did not sell well as Puma Japan has now scrapped the boot. Here is hoping the Puma King 20 Ultimate HG can live up to the standard set by the Mirai II.
AG Boot of the Year
I mean, of course it has to be the Scudetta AG. Having won my Boot of the Year award for last year, an AG outsole was the one thing the Scudetta seemed to be missing. It would be one thing if the Sokito decided to go with a standard AG outsole, but I appreciate that they took their time and made sure to deliver something worthy of the excellent upper on the Scudetta. The AG outsole is actually designed for AG rather than being an FG outsole with shorter studs. It has great snapback and a lot of stability through the entire soleplate. This is something that most brands normally do not do as a softer soleplate is better at absorbing pressure. It is great that Sokito stuck to their guns with the Scudetta AG. I am not even a big fan of AG boots in general and yet I feel like I should always stuff the Scudetta AG in my bag, just in case.
Most comfortable boot of the year
It had to be, it is still the elite when it comes to comfortable boots. The Mizuno Morelia II Japan continues to set the standard for premium leather boots and while the changes this year are smaller than other years, they are still very much appreciated. Mostly. The addition of a suede lining is something that Morelia fans have been asking for as long as I can remember and it is a very welcome addition. While the removal of the rivets has seemingly not affected the durability, it is a bizarre choice, especially as the price in Japan has risen. Still, the Morelia II is still the best leather boot on the market, and it is the one that every leather boot still needs to be measured against.
Best Mizuno Release of the Year
The Proto is an unexpected release that feels like a love letter to the Rebula series. The fit is superb, and the leather is incredible. Even better, the touch on the ball is outstanding and I get a smile every time I’m on the ball in the boots. The only issues I face with them is that the boots need an extra lacehole for more lockdown, and I would have preferred an FG soleplate rather than the AG one we got. A weird decision for an otherwise brilliant boot. Hopefully we see a return of the boots at some point going forward because I would love an FG model. Lovely boots overall, though.
Worst AG boot of the Year
It is a really bizarre choice on Mizuno’s part to give a premium boot such a cheap soleplate. The AG soleplate feels cheap and is literally the exact same one Mizuno uses on their Pro level model boots. And it shows. The material is far too flexible, and I find that even the rear heel studs are not properly enforced and therefore have a tendency to overflex. Even stranger is the fact that the Morelia Proto’s AG plate feels more stable overall and I am not sure where the disconnect happened. I am guessing that the Morelia AG plate is made of a cheaper material than the Proto, which would explain the discrepancy. Still, the upper is nice, at least.
Surprise Package of the Year
Honestly, I was really not expecting much from the Shadow 3 Elite. Sure, I have heard Footloose Boot’s constant praise of the boot. But I mean we all have unique boots that we are obsessed with. And to be fair to Footloose has a point. The upper is excellent and has great lockdown and stability, and even the soleplate feels great on softer surfaces. Just absolutely do not use them on AG. Another thing I was impressed with is the heel. As many people who read this blog will know, a lot of brands fail to make a comfortable and/or supportive heel, but the simple-looking design of the Shadow heel is well constructed and comfortable. Overall, great release.
Disappointment of the Year
I know that Boot Wizard and I are the dissenting voices compared to the rest of the community on this boot, but the Alpha 2 Japan felt like a step backwards from Mizuno. The overall fit of the boot got worse versus the previous model, and Mizuno slightly overdid it with the ZeroGlide. If you are looking for a ridiculous amount of lockdown, nothing beats the Alpha 2. But even the Alpha 1 had an excellent amount of lockdown, so for me it made little sense to make it even more hardcore. Add this to the fact that the upper got stiffer and harder to break in means that the Alpha 2 did not live up to the standards of the original for me. And again, while more than a few people will probably have the Alpha 2 as their Boot of the Year, the fact that so many retailers in Japan struggled to sell the boot speaks volumes. Even harder to ignore is the fact that Mizuno has made the choice to already introduce a new model before the Alpha 2 has been out for a full year makes my opinion feel vindicated. Also, as an aside, I still do not think the Alpha needs a Japan model, it’s not leather and the only difference is the addition of KaRVO in the forefoot.
Fun Boot of the Year
The Brazilian/Japanese brand does not do a lot of boots, but their release of the Proxima back in March is a good reason why they should keep going. The WETSAND Tex upper is an interesting material that gives you an all over grip on the ball. It is this rough texturing that while it takes a little bit of getting used to, it’s surprisingly soft and breaks in quickly. Add that to the fact that the boot has a good and highly-adjustable fit, with nice comfort and support, the Proxima is a nice boot that is fun to play in and is more than just a gimmick boot. Plus, it has a lovely MG option.
Remake/Limited Edition Boot of the Year
Adidas F50+ Spider X Unisport Collab
Yeah, I bloody love these boots. They are a fun throwback design-wise but are also updated enough to where I feel confident in taking them into match situations without feeling like I am giving up performance for vibes/looks. At the same time, I almost do not want to use them too much as they are definitely one of the boots I want to hold onto the most. A lot of credit needs to go out to JayMike, Unisport and the design team at adidas for nailing the details and the overall vibe of the release. It looks awesome, it fits awesome, and some very nice details make it such a unique and special release. Lovely, lovely stuff.
Best Signature Boot
Sokito Scudetta Mr. Lulu
It is no secret that I absolutely love the Scudetta, but the Mr. Lulu edition made with and for Ola Aina is here on merit. A lot of companies claim they work hand in hand with the player when making signature boots, but Sokito shows that they did by uploading the process to their YouTube channel. Even more impressive is the fact that the detailing on the upper has been replicated from drawings that Ola Aina himself made. You also get his handwriting on the material breakdown that features on the side of every Scudetta colourway. I personally love the Africa detail on the boots. Also, I love the fact these were designed for AFCON.
Boot of the Year
The X Fly Pro 3 was the first boot review that came out this year. And yet I did not come across a single boot I liked better. There have definitely been some that have come close, the Furon V8 being one example, but nothing has been able to match what ASICS have made here. The Silkywrap upper was mindblowing when first getting it in hand and on feet. It does seem that Nike will surpass it with upcoming Tiempo Maestro, but this should not take away from the fact that ASICS have done something special with this upper and boot as a whole. And the boot is more than just the Silkywrap upper. ASICS changed the shaping of the boot to be more anatomical, so the overall fit is not only better than previous models, but it is one of the best fitting boots I have worn this year. The soleplate has been updated and has better snapback than previously. There is an extra lacehole for a runners knot, the midfoot stability is good, and the heel is incredible. It is one of, if not the, best-fitting and more comfortable heels on the market. When put together as a whole, the X Fly Pro 3 is a very comfortable but still high-performing boot that stands above all other releases this year.
Top 5 Boots of the Year
5. Adidas Predator Obsidian Strike
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じゃあね！
Lockhart Boot Blog 
Read it as soon as it dropped on my phone but had to read it again – quality work as always Andrew!!! Thought the Furon would find a way into one of your superlatives but its not No. 2 for nothing!! Still really hoping the fix that Morelia 2 AG soleplate, much wasted potential…. Thanks again for another year of amazing reviews 😀
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Thank you for reading and your support! Yeah, maybe it’s the best knit? This has been a beast of a year, tbf. Yeah, here’s hoping the Morelia AG gets an update. You’re welcome and thanks again for your support!
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While it is encouraging for some that synthetic is so ever closer to mimicking real leather, it is a very sad turn for me personally as my 6E wide feet can only wear authentic leather products and synthetic whilst being soft, does not stretch as much as leather. Now with Nike bringing in tech leather, as industry leader, I fear that is the direction that everyone is following, if not already, even for the likes of Mizuno.
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Ah yeah, that’s especially frustrating as maybe brands still outright ignore the needs of people like you who need a wider fit. Leather will always be around IMO
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