The ultimate football boot

Posted by T3 Online on Tue 9 May 2006

The new adidas Predator lets you kick the ball really, really hard. Just ask Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard.

The World Cup is so close we can practically smell Gary Neville's armpits, which means it's high time that the football boot evolved. Enter adidas, with its latest version of the famous Predator - the Absolute.

This football boot is all things to all (football-playing) men. Want to add a bit of clout to your shots? Insert the PowerPlus insoles. Want the lightest Predator ever? Take 'em back out again.

The boot was developed in tandem with brainiacs at the University of Calgary, and adidas claims that it's able to deliver the same kind of "sweet spot" science you'd find in a pricey golf club. Take a shot and you'll see a 5% increase in ball speed compared to regular boots - and apparently that's been proved in tests.

The Predator Absolute will be sold at the usual outlets for around £120, and you'll see it on the feet of Frank Lampard, Steven Gerrard, Raul, Michael Ballack and Zinedine Zidane in this summer's soccer extravaganza.