I AM… THE CONCLUSION

Over the last four weeks we have tried to determine which boots would best suit you for the position you play. For defenders, midfielders, wingers and forwards, we looked at power boots, touch/heritage as well as speed boots.
Nike, Adidas and Puma, as well some slightly ‘lesser known’ brands; Reebok, Umbro, Concave and Under Armour have all been considered.

So are there any conclusions?

It seemed that the most common boot used by defenders were power boots, while midfielders preferred touch or heritage boots. The greatest percentage of wingers use speed boots. Forwards used almost anything, however the touch or heritage boot was the least used.

It is always interesting to see what happens when a new boot is released. Do all the players automatically move across to the new boot or do some prefer old faithful?
The release of Nike’s CTR360 has seen many players move from the boots they were wearing.
The Adidas Predator hasn’t had such an instant impact. They did only make their debut last week however so we wait to see what will happen there.

So you know what you are. And now you know what kind of boot you should be wearing… but which brand? Which boot in particular would be best?

Power boots:

The three main contenders are the Nike T90 Laser II, Adidas Predator X and the Puma v-Konstrukt III. The v-Konstrikt has the smallest market share while the Laser has the biggest. Seeing that the Predator X is still so new it’s difficult to judge just how good it is going to be.
The winner: Nike T90 Laser II.

Speed boots:

There is a huge Nike MercurialVapor V fan club. I personally would recommend the Adidas F50i Tunits: light, strong, changeable. Puma have a good shout with the new V1.10 boots which look very good and catch the eye in their bright yellow – which is the point. Wingers are flashy, exciting, eye catchers – the Puma’s are all of those too. You can’t deny how light the Vapors feel but the best all round performer for me is the F50i.
The winner: Adidas F50i.

Touch and Heritage boots:

Nike Air Legend II’s are just that – legendary, as are the Puma King XL boots. Both are beautifully made leather boots with a brilliant touch. The Adidas AdiPure II’s are also strong contenders. All three are top, top boots. I lean towards King’s, however the advantage of a little extra technology in the AdiPure’s make it a tough call. In the end what you are looking for is a strong boot with a good touch and the AdiPure’s deliver.
The winner: Adidas AdiPure II.

In the end it is all up to how they feel on your foot. Yes, you are looking for certain qualities in the specific boots but at the end of the day no boot can make you a better player. A comfortable boot that sits well on your feet without distracting you is what you are after. They say children should be seen and not heard. Boots should be worn and not felt.