This week saw a whole raft of new releases as brands began to flex their collective muscles for 2020. And joining those new releases on the feet of the pros, as always, have been a collection of special editions and throwback classics, rounding out quite the collection for this week. It’s Monday, it’s Boot Spotting, lets see what’s caught our eye…
Antoine Griezmann (Barcelona) PUMA Future 5.1
PUMA kicked off its 2020 campaign in a big way this week, releasing the predominantly yellow 'Spark Pack', and the majority of PUMA athletes made the switch into them for this weekend's fixtures. Yeah, the colourway looks better on Borussia Dortmund players, but we opted to show Griezmann, who wore them in Barcelona's 1-0 win over Granada.
David Silva (Manchester City) PUMA ONE 5.1
The PUMA ONE 5.1 completed the 'Spark Pack', and along with the Future, it debuted on pitch this weekend. David Silva was one of a number of players to make the switch into the new colourway in Manchester City's 2-2 draw with Crystal Palace.
Sergio Aguero (Manchester City) PUMA ONE 5.1 LE
Silva's Manchester City teammate, Sergio Aguero is another player who, under normal circumstances, would be switching into the 'Spark Pack', but having set the all-time Premier League hat-trick record last weekend, these aren't normal circumstances. So instead, the Argentinian hitman wore his special edition ONE 5.1, gifted to him by PUMA in honour of his achievements. He went on to bag a brace in them. A hat-trick would've been pure poetry...
Mitchell Duke (Western Sydney Wanderers) Nike PhantomVSN II
Nike's first next-generation release of the decade, the PhantomVSN II, was launched this week in two colourways: the 'Future Lab' and the 'Kinetic Black'. It's the former that will be supported on-pitch, and it was on the other side of the world that we got a glimpse of it in action on the feet of Western Sydney Wanderer's Mitchell Duke in their 1-0 loss to Perth Glory.
Kwame Yeboah (Western Sydney Wanderers) Nike Mercurial Superfly VII
The PhantomVSN II will be joined in the 'Future Lab' Pack by the PhantomVNM, Tiempo and Mercurial, and it was the latter that was also present in WSW's loss to Perth, on the feet of Duke's teammate, Kwame Yeboah. The main 'Future Lab' pack isn't available for retail until later this week.
Dele Alli (Tottenham Hotspur) adidas Predator 20+
Dele Allí has already been seen training in the new Predator 20+, but now he's worn them on-pitch in Spurs' 0-0 draw with Watford. The much-hyped Predator 20+ is due to launch imminently, and this black-out look with shimmering Three Stripes could potentially fill the obvious Predator-shaped hole in the recently released 'Shadow Beast' Pack.
Latif Blessing (LAFC) adidas Nemeziz 19+
While the 'Shadow Beast' collection only launched recently, indications are that we're due a new on-pitch pack release from adidas sometime soon, and as LAFC returned to pre-season training we got a look at a previously unreleased colourway for the Nemeziz 19+ on the feet of Latin Blessing, suggesting that this is likely to be the next look for the agility silo.
Oliver Norwood (Sheffield United) adidas Predator Archive Mutator
Arriving ahead of the launch of the Predator 20+, adidas launched an amalgamated monster mash-up of a Predator known as the Predator Archive Mutator. A few pros have dabbled with it in training over the last couple of weeks, and Sheffield United's Oliver Norwood was the latest to give it a run out.
James Lea Siliki (Rennes) Nike Tiempo Legend IV
James Lea Siliki turned the clock back to 2011 for Rennes' match with Nimes this week, pulling out the launch colourway of the Nike Timepo Legend IV. There was a a rumour doing the rounds last year that Nike were set to re-release this boot, but it didn't materialise. Here's hoping it's still in the pipeline...
Hamza Choudhury (Leicester City) adidas NitroCharge 1.0
Originally launched back in 2013, Hamza Choudhury brought a bright blast from the past to the training ground in the form of the adidas NitroCharge 1.0 from the brightly coloured 'Samba Pack'.
Cathal Heffernan (Republic of Ireland U15) adidas AdiPower Predator
Another one from 2011, and this time it's the adidas AdiPower Predator, which was seen on the feet of Republic of Ireland U15 captain, Cathal Heffernan as they beat Australia U17 2-0. The AdiPower Predator is one of the influences on the recently released mash-up Predator Mutator Archive.
Aden Flint (Cardiff City) adidas Predator Mania
Lot of time for this one: Aden Flint bagging a brace in Cardiff's 4-3 FA Cup third round replay win over Carlisle in an OG pair of Predator Mania in the gun metal grey colourway. Hell of a match and hell of a pair of boots.
