Fill your boots, lads. So many styles, what\'s the best and safest

Tag : football outsole

by JAMIE REDKNAPP


This is about putting the boot on the other foot and finding out ifthere is enough protection in modern football footwear. I know somany of the new football boots are trendy and light but, in view ofrecent metatarsal injuries, are they really safe?

David Beckham started a trend by changing his boots for every game;Gary Lineker used to wear the same boots for years and when hislucky ones were damaged at the 1986 World Cup, he sent them backhome for repairs, before continuing a scoring spree that led to himbeing the tournament's top scorer.

Soft shoe shuffle: Ex-Liverpool and England star Jamie Redknapp onthe testing ground
Now you can design the look, the shape and the colour, not tomention adding your name, number and flags of nationality. You cancopy your heroes from the Barclays Premier League, some of whomwear more boots in one game than I wore in a season.

I wore adidas, Mizuno and Nike in my playing career and I wasinvolved in the original adidas Predator design, visiting theirdevelopment centre and watching how the boots were put together. Ithas since become a truly big business.

A new season brings new designs. I went shopping for my son,Charley, to buy his first boots. There is such a wide range fromwhich to choose.

Sportsmail asked me to test-drive the latest from the leading bootmanufacturers. Protection has become a problem since lightweightboots replaced the clod-hopping footwear that felt like you werecarrying half the pitch around with you.

These are the boot manufacturers who agreed to take part in ourexperiment. Here's what we found...

NIKE TOTAL 90 LASER II
What do they want you to know? 'Increased sweet spot, improvesshooting and passing accuracy.'
How much? £120.
Who wears them? Wayne Rooney, Fernando Torres, Rio Ferdinand.
My verdict: Fitted like a sock around my foot and instantly made mewant to go and strike a ball. Very inviting. It had a snug feel,nicely comfortable and didn't require time to be worn in. Noworries about blisters. It was solid, too, with good protection.You can see why Rooney wears these boots. An excellent all-roundboot, can I keep them?
Redknapp rating: 10/10
LOTTO ZHERO EVOLUTION
What do they want you to know? 'Twist 'n Go' technology providesthe first rotating stud improving speed, stability and reducing therisk of injury.'
How much? £90.
Who wears them? Luca Toni, Simone Perrotta, Gregory Vignal.
My verdict: I didn't like the colours. I've always preferred blackboots. Lotto introduced a front stud that rotates and is meant tohelp movement and flexibility; it's a little bit of a gimmick, buta decent try. These boots were comfortable and fashionable, but alittle lightweight.
Redknapp rating: 7
UMBRO SX VALOR
What do they want you to know? 'New Michelin technology enhancestouch and a greater feel for the ball. A new TPU lightweight heelcounter and Kontact outsole keep the foot stable and protected.'How much? £99.
Who wears them? John Terry.
My verdict: The colours didn't appeal, a bit too flashy for me, butthese are quality boots. I like the introduction of the Michelintechnology which does what it says it will, especially on theplastic-coated modern balls. Comfort and protection very good.Tried too hard to be trendy.
Redknapp rating: 7

UMBRO SPECIALI 2008 FIRM GROUND
What do they want you to know? 'Utilises original wishbonetechnology for superb foot stability, and new covered lacingprovides unparalleled style and total ball control.'
How much? £59.
Who wears them? Michael Owen
My verdict: A classic boot, classic design. Michael Owen wearsUmbro and has scored plenty of goals in them. Nice leather, goodquality and supportive. Contact with the ball was sweet. Not a lotwrong with these, although school playgrounds may be full ofsomething more fancy.
Redknapp rating: 7

CONCAVE BOOT
What do they want you to know? 'The sweet spot is 400 per centtimes bigger than on any other boot and independent tests show itincreases accuracy by 30 per cent and power by 15 per cent.'
How much? £99.
Who wears them? Kenny Dalglish helped test the boot.
My verdict: They were surprisingly comfortable once on, but Ididn't like them to look at and the plastic box built on top,presumably to aid protection, looked odd and felt clumsy. Maybeit's something you grow into, but I'm not sure how many we'll beseeing.
Redknapp rating: 6

PUMA KING XL FIRM GROUND
What do they want you to know? 'The supersoft full grain leatherupper provides an unparalleled experience of comfort and control asthe range celebrates its 40th anniversary.'
How much? £90.
Who wears them? Michael Carrick and Kevin Doyle.
My verdict: Beautiful boots to wear, lovely feel to them.These werethe boots to have as a kid and they still feel like top of therange, modern footwear now. Brought back memories of watching DiegoMaradona and Kenny Dalglish wearing these at World Cups.They looksmart, feel great and they are durable and protective. You won't gowrong with them.
Redknapp rating: 9

MITRE REVOLVE SI
What do they want you to know? 'One piece velcro closure covers thelacing system giving the ultimate strike of the ball.'
How much? £29.99.
Who wears them? Kieron Dyer, Steve Harper, Antti Niemi and CarlosEdwards are all currently testing the boot.
My verdict: I thought I wouldn't like these boots as I removed themfrom the box, but they felt comfortable, supportive and sturdy.Good for the younger generation and excellent price, too. They feltbetter than they looked and as they are cheaper than the otherboots, they represent good value for money. Good boot, nice feel.
Redknapp rating: 7

ADIDAS+F50.8 TUNIT
What do they want you to know? 'Patented ADIDOT technology allowsthe player to customise the boot however they wish with over 35different combinations. The boot is faster and easier to maintain.'
How much? From £120.
Who wears them? Lionel Messi, David Villa, Emmanuel Adebayor, ArjenRobben.
My verdict: Too gimmicky. I didn't like the clear base and theyfelt more like golf shoes than football boots. They arefashionable, sure, they look eyecatching but they didn't feel likeyou would want to wear them going into a 50-50 tackle with StevenGerrard! Kids will like them and enjoy the chance to customisetheir boot.
Redknapp rating: 6

ADIDAS ADIPURE FIRM GROUND
What do they want you to know? 'Offers ultra-soft ball feel forspraying passes, deft flicks, controlling difficult balls andelaborate touches while still being durable.'
How much? £95.
Who wears them? Kaka, Robin van Persie, Frank Lampard and PhillipLahm.
My verdict: Fantastic leather, really comfortable and, if you havefootball ability, you will enjoy wearing these. I bought a pair ofthese for my son and he likes them, too. Wearing them myself, I cansee why Kaka would choose to endorse these - and he's not a badplayer, is he? They provided support and safety as well as comfortand style.
Redknapp rating: 9

ADIDAS PREDATOR POWERSWERVE
What do they want you to know? 'New Predator technology shiftsweight to the point of impact when kicking meaning players shotsare more powerful and can develop more swerve.'
How much? From £120.
Who wears them? Steven Gerrard, Michael Ballack, Xavi Alonso.
My verdict: I've always been impressed by Predators, they really dohelp you to bend the ball when striking a pass or driving a freekick and shooting on goal. However, I don't like blades on thebottom of any boots. So while the top half of the boot haseverything you can wish to need, the blades mean it gets markeddown.
Redknapp rating: 7


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