The Best Boot Releases Of January 2019

First out the gates was the "Black Lux Pack", and what was not to like about the seriously sleek style of Nike's 2019 debut? OK, but apart from the fact that it's still not available in the UK? Yup, the fact it was only available in the US was the only kicker to the gold and black luxury that we've been teased with. Not long to wait now though. It also marked the first time that there was no Hypervenom included in what was a sign of things to come...

Next up, adidas entered the fray with the "Archetic Pack",  an offering that was not supported on pitch, but looked fantastic none-the-less, with the COPA 19, Predator 19, X 18 and Nemeziz 18 all going dark, with flashes of metallic reds and blues running throughout. Oh, and as a bonus there was also the Copa Gloro, which fully deserves its place in the pack.

Then adidas went and hit us with these absolute beauties. The COPA 70 was the result of adidas kicking off its 70th year anniversary by remixing the most iconic football boot of all time. Based upon the original COPA from 1982, the COPA 70 featured a Primeknit upper on top of the new COPA 19+ soleplate for a mash-up that represented the evolution of the brand in football over the last seven decades. Past meeting present in a premium place.

PUMA kicked off its 2019 campaign with a reinvented Future that landed along with the new ONE 19.1 as part of the "Power Up" pack. Spotted in blacked out guise on the feet of several pros at the tail end of 2018 the Future 19.1, now joined by the K-leather adorned ONE 19.1, was launched with blasts of red and flashes of blue taken from gaming and arcade culture, inspiring on-pitch bursts of energy and creativity.

Part one of the Nike "Game Over" pack finally gave us the much-anticipated PhantomVNM. Created to arm attacking talent, the PhantomVNM took the place of the Hypervenom, sitting nicely alongside its new brother-in-arms, the PhantomVSN in a bright crimson and black look. The Phantom family has been designed to work together to unlock defences, and together they look quite the pair.

The new Furon 5.0 arrived in a reasonably understated black and emerald green look as New Balance got off to a steady start. It was joined in the look by the criminally under-represented Tekela, which boasted a stunning metallic green soleplate that instantly caught the eye. As for the new Furon, the main call out was an enlarged sweetspot, achieved thanks to a smaller lacing system. Doesn't seem to have hurt Sadio Mane...

adidas got its on-pitch game going with the "Exhibit Pack", which featured fresh designs for the COPA, Predator, X and Nemeziz. Clean sweep, bold colours, dished out to the full Three Stripes squad of contracted players to wear. The mirrored chrome soleplate of the X had enough to make it the standout in this pack ahead of the bold colourway of the Nemeziz.

Mizuno rolled out their first release of 2019 in typically understated style. Turning to their most trusted and long-serving Morelia Neo II 'Made in Japan' silo, the Japanese brand tweaked the visuals by adding a splash of silver and yellow to the traditional black leather upper. Simple but effective, the Mizuno way.

In something of a I-didn't-realise-you-were-going-to-wear-that-too moment, Umbro rolled out the Velocita IV in a strikingly similar look to what New Balance did with its pair. Awkward. The gradient effect and diamond vamp do enough to set it apart and its a good look on pitch on the feet of Michail Antonio.

Last and by absolutely no means least we had part two of the "Game Over" Pack, which saw the Nike drop the Mercurial and Tiempo in core grey look with yellow accents. The Mercurial – Superfly and Vapor – featured a graphic that's a first aesthetic update on the current model in the form of yellow stripes running down the outside of the boot from the 'M' branding on the heel. The Tiempo arrived in a very similar colourway to the Mercurial, giving the "Game Over" Pack a very split feel.