Soccer Cleats 101 Soccer Cleats News and Reviews
Recent releases aren’t always the best releases. Over the years, there have been plenty of top releases that, in their time, were considered the greatest boots to be released. A select few have even weathered the test of time such as the adidas Copa Mundial and still finds favor with some more traditional players.
Below, we talk to some of the SC101 team to find out what their preferred performance boot of all time is and why they find sanctity while wearing them.
This is our version of “Best Boots Worn of All Time”.
Jim chooses: “Nike Bomba Finale”
My personal favorite would be the adiPower Absolado turf but for my favorite performing boot I would have to go with the Nike Bomba Finale. Since I play most of my time on turf I need a boot that I can rely on and the Bomba Finale does not disappoint. I find that no matter what boots I get in I always go back to the Bomba Finale (though still occasionally using the Absolado). It will be a sad day indeed when they inevitably come apart. It features a very nice kangalite upper with Nike grind along areas of high abrasion and they top it off with a very neat shot shield that is located along the strike zone and instep. The shot shield functions in several ways but most notably it helps keeps shots low when used correctly and it also does aide in ball control as well as passing.
The turf configuration is also a tremendous part of the boot as it utilizes both rubber and plastic studs which creates fantastic grip on every turf surface I’ve encountered thus far. It also adds a bit of spring as the plastic in the outsole acts a tad bit like a spring board which is lacking in most turf boots. If the CTR and T90 had a love child it would be the Bomba Finale.
They were introduced around 2010 and have just recently been replaced by the Finale II, so they are going to be easy to find in a number of colorways on eBay but can be found in limited numbers on Soccer.com and most online soccer retailers.
Ethan chooses: “adidas adiPower Predator”
I would have to say my favorite pair of boots of all time is the adidas adiPower Predator. This boot is a dream for a defender who likes to play out of the back (like me), and it has a little bit of everything! These boots are special to me because the design really started my interest in soccer boots. The external heel counter and stud pattern played off the success of the F50 making for a very interesting soleplate.
The main focus of this pair was the striking silicone elements performance. I haven’t seen a silicone type material used on a pair of soccer boots since then, making these sort of unique. It includes a Taurus leather upper but manages to keep the weight around 8 ounces for a size 9 US Mens. I believe they were released June 1st, 2011 so they have been around for quite a while now.
You can still buy these on a few online soccer stores for over half off but if I were to get another pair I would definitely check out eBay first as I have seen a number of these go for around $50+shipping!
Kevin chooses: “Mizuno Morelia”
This question is easy for me to answer, the answer is the spectacular and wildly underrated Mizuno Morelia.
Growing up, like most boys I was influenced by marketing and endorsements, I always wore Nike, Puma or Adidas and couldn’t see past them. The first pair of boots I bought outside the big 3 were Morelia’s and I haven’t looked back since. The quality, comfort and looks in my opinion are second to none. The Copa Mundial and Puma King are widely viewed as the top of the heritage boots, I’ve worn them all and trust me, the Morelia is every bit as good and a bit more! They have soft, supple K-leather, an outstanding level of comfort, the best lacing system and are a solid a pair of boots as you will find. What more do you need? No technology, or gimmicks would improve these beauties. The Morelia has been around longer than me, they were first released in 1985 and have been worn by legends such as Rivaldo, Roberto Carlos, Hulk, Kluivert and Zola.
I know you guys are unfortunate in the States and Mizuno aren’t readily available apart from finding pairs on eBay. In the U.K it is much easier to pick up a pair.
Richard chooses: “Mizuno Ignitus II KH”
If I was answering this question a little over a month ago, I’d have said Adidas Predator Precision, followed by the words, next question. But I’m going to shock my system up a bit and go with my Mizuno Ignitus II KH’s. The Ignitus KH’s are special because of the story which comes along with them. I was supposed to spend a week in Japan in April of 2011, a month exactly before Japan got hit by the magnitude 9.0 earthquake and tsunami which led to the Fukushima nuclear incident. As a result my trip ended up getting cancelled.
Now the fact that two years later my sister went out on the hunt and spent some good money (still won’t tell me how much!) to bring a pair of Japanese football boots to me as a gift because I missed out on the chance to go there and search about myself means the world to me. Also the fact that I seem to have turned into a big of goal scoring machine over the past month, leads me to believe that there might just be a bit of magic about them! The Mukaiten panel is pretty unusual in that you have to position your foot unusually and strike the ball in an unnatural manner to have a chance of making it work. The 360 Bio Vamps have been the bread and butter for me reminding me of the old Predator Precision Predator element. The biggest surprise tech wise is the bulky triangular studs which have been all kinds of awesome on every surface I’ve played on, and I can see why Keisuke Honda asked for them to be put on his bespoke personal edition boots.
The Ignitus II KH’s were released to the Japanese market towards the tail end of 2012 and I haven’t seen any pairs available outside of Japan.
Interesting to see that the choices have been relatively recent releases (compared to boots like the first Mercurial).
Apart from mine, 25 years and still going strong.
Personally, my choice also goes to the adiPower Predator – such an under appreciated boot!