There's some serious heat coming out of the adidas kitchen right now. The re-issue of the Predator Precision, the all-new Nemeziz, and new-generations of the ACE & X have built huge hype, and now Ivan Rakitic has given us a glimpse at a future silhouette.
The Barcelona midfielder returned from international duty this week, slipping into a blackout, laceless silo from the three stripes. First inspection reveals a boot that takes cues from the ACE 17+, with a laceless, knitted collar design. The modified collar construction and, most interestingly, the prominent grooves on the instep and forefoot of the boot suggest adidas have serious plans for their next generation control silhouette.
The small matter of a World Cup next year means there's no use second guessing what adidas have planned for Russia 2018. One thing we do know is they'll be doing all they can to set the pace between now and next summer. Rakitic's black-out boots are our first look at what adidas players will be packing in their bags for Russia. Just 278 days to go. Game on.
