With the English season upon us, the Football Association’s Community Shield provides the first taste of top division competitive soccer. In a rare twist, this season’s game features a team no longer in the top flight of English soccer. Due to Wigan’s miraculous run in the FA cup last season, and not so miraculous run in league play, they were able to capture the cup while also securing demotion to the Championship.

Who: Man Utd (EPL Champions) vs Wigan (FA Cup Winners)
Where: Wembley Stadium, London
When: 11 August 2013 with a 14:00 Kick-Off

Boots to look for

The biggest boot saga in the game will be what boots Robin Van Persie decides to go with. RVP spent much of last season in a refined version of the Adidas adiPower Predator well after the debut of the Predator LZ. The decision caused some controversy with Adidas as they generally requires their sponsored players to use the most up to date version of a boot.

[Also: Curious Case of the adiPower Predator]

More recently, Van Persie  has been spotted wearing the newest version of the Adidas F50 adiZero. The red, white and black of the adiZero he’s worn meshes much better with the red and black color scheme of the Manchester United kit. If this picture is any indication, it is safe to say we will finally see the Premier League’s leading scorer in an up to date boot for the upcoming season.

Wayne Rooney would be the obvious option to get a look at the new Nike Hypervenoms, unfortunately Rooney has been ruled out of the match due to a shoulder injury, as well as the ongoing speculation he will transfer out of Manchester. The Rooney saga means we will have to turn elsewhere to get the first glimpse of Nike’s newest boot. Depend on Manchester United’s 22 year old English striker Danny Welbeck for a glimpse of the Hypervenom in Action. He’s worn the launch colorway throughout the preseason, but there is no telling how long he will stick with it with a couple of other colorways  now on the market.

[Also: Nike Hypervenom Phantom Review]

New managers and kits all around

The biggest story off the field will be the debut of new managers for each club. Manchester United staple Sir Alex Ferguson has retired, and was replaced by Premier League veteran David Moyes. Manchester United’s new kit has ditched the subtle stripes seen last year, and added a small black collar. Nike always releases a classy kit for one of the most popular clubs in the world, and this year is no different. You can see more of the New MUFC Kit here.

Wigan‘s relegation saw their coach Roberto Martinez leave for fellow Premier League squad Everton, as announced on June 5th.  Wigan chose to replace Martinez with Owen Coyle who successfully coached Wigan to a win in their first game in The Championship this season. Wigan’s new kit features little change from the stripes they wore in the Premier League last season. One thing to note is the maker of the kit: MiFit. MiFit reached an agreement with Wigan in 2010, and became the latest in a long line of brands attempting to grow through Premier League sponsorship.

With new boots, kits and managers this year’s Community Shield will be a delight for fans of both gear and tactics. Hopefully the play on the pitch will be exciting as well. Do you have any predictions for the scoreline? Are you excited for the return of the Premier League? Share your thoughts in the comments.