Soft shoe shuffle: Ex-Liverpool and England star
Jamie Redknapp on the testing ground.
by JAMIE REDKNAPP
This is about putting the boot on the other foot and finding out
if there is enough protection in modern football footwear. I know
so many of the new football boots are trendy and light but, in view
of recent 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
his lucky ones were damaged at the 1986 World Cup, he sent them
back home for repairs, before continuing a scoring spree that led
to him being the tournament's top scorer.
Now you can design the look, the shape and the colour, not to
mention adding your name, number and flags of nationality. You can
copy your heroes from the Barclays Premier League, some of whom
wear more boots in one game than I wore in a season.
I wore adidas, Mizuno and Nike in my playing career and I was
involved in the original adidas Predator design, visiting their
development centre and watching how the boots were put together. It
has 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 from
which to choose.
Sportsmail asked me to test-drive the latest from the leading
boot manufacturers. Protection has become a problem since
lightweight boots replaced the clod-hopping footwear that felt like
you were carrying half the pitch around with you.
These are the boot manufacturers who agreed to take part in our
experiment. Here's what we found...
NIKE TOTAL 90 LASER II
What do they want you to know? 'Increased sweet spot, improves
shooting 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 me
want to go and strike a ball. Very inviting. It had a snug feel,
nicely comfortable and didn't require time to be worn in. No
worries about blisters. It was solid, too, with good protection.
You can see why Rooney wears these boots. An excellent all-round
boot, can I keep them?
Redknapp rating: 10/10
LOTTO ZHERO EVOLUTION
What do they want you to know? 'Twist 'n Go' technology provides
the first rotating stud improving speed, stability and reducing the
risk 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 black
boots. Lotto introduced a front stud that rotates and is meant to
help movement and flexibility; it's a little bit of a gimmick, but
a decent try. These boots were comfortable and fashionable, but a
little lightweight.
Redknapp rating: 7
UMBRO SX VALOR
What do they want you to know? 'New Michelin technology enhances
touch and a greater feel for the ball. A new TPU lightweight heel
counter 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, but
these are quality boots. I like the introduction of the Michelin
technology which does what it says it will, especially on the
plastic-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 wishbone technology for
superb foot stability, and new covered lacing provides unparalleled
style and total ball control.'
How much? £59.
Who wears them? Michael Owen
My verdict: A classic boot, classic design. Michael Owen wears
Umbro and has scored plenty of goals in them. Nice leather, good
quality and supportive. Contact with the ball was sweet. Not a lot
wrong with these, although school playgrounds may be full of
something more fancy.
Redknapp rating: 7
CONCAVE BOOT
What do they want you to know? 'The sweet spot is 400 per cent
times bigger than on any other boot and independent tests show it
increases 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 I
didn't like them to look at and the plastic box built on top,
presumably to aid protection, looked odd and felt clumsy. Maybe
it's something you grow into, but I'm not sure how many we'll be
seeing.
Redknapp rating: 6
PUMA KING XL FIRM GROUND
What do they want you to know? 'The supersoft full grain leather
upper provides an unparalleled experience of comfort and control as
the 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 were
the boots to have as a kid and they still feel like top of the
range, modern footwear now. Brought back memories of watching Diego
Maradona and Kenny Dalglish wearing these at World Cups.They look
smart, feel great and they are durable and protective. You won't go
wrong with them.
Redknapp rating: 9
MITRE REVOLVE SI
What do they want you to know? 'One piece velcro closure covers the
lacing system giving the ultimate strike of the ball.'
How much? £29.99.
Who wears them? Kieron Dyer, Steve Harper, Antti Niemi and Carlos
Edwards are all currently testing the boot.
My verdict: I thought I wouldn't like these boots as I removed them
from the box, but they felt comfortable, supportive and sturdy.
Good for the younger generation and excellent price, too. They felt
better than they looked and as they are cheaper than the other
boots, 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 allows
the player to customise the boot however they wish with over 35
different combinations. The boot is faster and easier to
maintain.'
How much? From £120.
Who wears them? Lionel Messi, David Villa, Emmanuel Adebayor, Arjen
Robben.
My verdict: Too gimmicky. I didn't like the clear base and they
felt more like golf shoes than football boots. They are
fashionable, sure, they look eyecatching but they didn't feel like
you would want to wear them going into a 50-50 tackle with Steven
Gerrard! Kids will like them and enjoy the chance to customise
their boot.
Redknapp rating: 6
ADIDAS ADIPURE FIRM GROUND
What do they
want you to know? 'Offers ultra-soft ball feel for spraying passes,
deft flicks, controlling difficult balls and elaborate touches
while still being durable.'
How much? £95.
Who wears them? Kaka, Robin van Persie, Frank Lampard and Phillip
Lahm.
My verdict: Fantastic leather, really comfortable and, if you have
football ability, you will enjoy wearing these. I bought a pair of
these for my son and he likes them, too. Wearing them myself, I can
see why Kaka would choose to endorse these - and he's not a bad
player, is he? They provided support and safety as well as comfort
and style.
Redknapp rating: 9
ADIDAS PREDATOR POWERSWERVE
What do they want you to know? 'New Predator technology shifts
weight to the point of impact when kicking meaning players shots
are 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 do
help you to bend the ball when striking a pass or driving a free
kick and shooting on goal. However, I don't like blades on the
bottom of any boots. So while the top half of the boot has
everything you can wish to need, the blades mean it gets marked
down.
Redknapp rating: 7