Before we head into a new decade we're taking our annual look back to select our top 20 football boots of 2019. The list that always takes ten times longer than it should and the list that changes position hourly until we finally find the strength to post it and be done with it. Tin hat on, scroll away and rip it to shreds...
20: Diadora Brasil 'Made In Italy' Whiteout
Before we get to all the ground-breaking technology, next-level innovations and concepts we're starting with the old school and a timely reminder that an all white leather football will forever be relevant. Step forward Diadora with their pristine whiteout edition of the Brasil 'Made in Italy' series. Just pipping the Mizuno Morelia Neo II Beta to a spot in the top 20 this year.
19: Lotto Stadio Made in Italy
Another stone cold classic was brought back to life this year in the shape of the Lotto Stadio. That all black leather upper paired with the green of the soleplate and trademark tongue was another modernised blast of footballing nostalgia, capping a fine year of resurgence for Lotto in football.
The esteemed Copa collection moved into a limited edition space at the start of the year as adidas celebrated their 70th anniversary by remixing the most iconic football boot of all time. The COPA70 represented a marriage of generations and a symbol of adidas Football innovation. Granted it's one for the collectors, but a flex of adidas' firm hold in football.
17: Nike Mercurial Superfly VII "New Lights"
This was hard. How do you choose just one standard Mercurial Superfly 7 colourway for this list? The all white drop? The all black drop? The limited edition orange launch? All serious contenders, but we opted for the launch colourway. The "New Lights" edition was everywhere on pitch and was the first drop that gave us a look at the new-gen boot with modernised graphics.
16: Nike Tiempo Legend 8 "Dazzle Camo"
2019 also so the arrival of the new-generation Nike Tiempo Legend. This aint the last you'll see of it on this list, but the "Dazzle Camo" edition which was used in the tease phase of the launch was nailed on to feature. Worn by the likes of Gerard Pique and Sergio Ramos, the intriguing design was launched in limited quantities.
15: adidas Predator 19+ "302 Redirect"
When it comes to Predator 19+ on-pitch colourways, we've been spoilt. One standout combo from the 2019 offerings was the "302 Redirect" drop which kicked off the 2019/20 season for adidas back in May. That shimmering silver upper combined with the black stripes and red flashes through the laceless design was very smart indeed.
The F50.6 Tunit was a revolutionary design of the 00s, and this comeback on the X silhouette stirred up a lot of hype, we're not denying that... but it was just that little bit too chunky to be a real contender towards the top of the list for us. A decent tribute, but one that flattered to deceive a little.
13: Nike Mercurial Superfly Mbappé 'Bondy'
A late December entry to the mix, Kylian Mbappé's debut signature Nike Mercurial Superfly boot has all the ingredients of a special edition. The bespoke upper design, the personal touches and call outs across the upper, and a distinctive aesthetic that makes it stand out on a pitch. A significant release as Nike shift their focus from CR7 moving into a fresh decade.
12: adidas Predator 19+ "Dark Script"
It's incredibly hard to leave a blackout adidas Predator out of any top boots list. So when the Three Stripes threw a little shiny graphic across the upper of the "Dark Script" edition then this was always a banker for our top 20 list. The lack of on pitch presence only added to its lure.
11: Nike Tiempo Legend 8 "Nouveau White"
Similar rules apply here with the Tiempo whiteout. The eight-generation Tiempo dropped in 2019 as Nike gave a makeover to a series that was still present this time last decade. The "Nouveau White" drop, with it's diamond-esque upper was the pick of the launch colourways. No, they look absolutely nothing like this four months into the season.
10: Nike Mercurial Vapor XIII "Tech Craft"
The "Tech Craft" series is an ever-present in these end of year awards and 2019 is no different. Nike re-stripped the Mercurial Vapor XIII with a black and gold, premium leather makeover in September and that's literally all that was needed to make our top 10.
Dropping in as one of the hottest limited editions of the year is the adidas X 99.1. Reaching into their esteemed archives to pick out a featherlight favourite adidas launched a super lightweight construction inspired by the first ever F50 in 2004, to celebrate the 15th birthday of the adidas speed boot market.
8: Nike Mercurial Vapor XIII Neymar "Speed Freak"
Nike served up fresh season style for Neymar as the Paris Saint-Germain striker received his first signature Mercurial design of the 2019/20 season. Dropping under the title 'Speed Freak' the boots were scattered with personal meaning for the Brazilian. Strongest looking Nike signature boot for us this year.
Right, it's getting tough now. If this was the only Predator Mania re-releases of 2019 would it be higher in this list? Absolutely. But, it comes third out of the three Mania drops simply because the laceless edition in the OG colourway and the OG silhouette are on a different level. Still, the 19.1 white edition probably featured on pitch more than the others.
6: Nike Mercurial Vapor XIII "Euphoria Gold"
This here is our best looking Mercurial of 2019. Closing out the domestic season with a premium punch of golden game, Nike unveiled a duo of designs to land as the 'Euphoria Gold' pack. The PhantomVNM and Mercurial Vapor XII were dressed to impress in suits of style for the FA Cup final. Just 2000 pairs of each boot dropped.
5: adidas Predator Accelerator 25Y Zidane
Any other year and a gold re-make of the adidas Predator Accelerator is untouchable in pole position. Launched as part of the adidas '25 Years of Predator' pack, the golden design was a tribute to Zinedine Zidane's 1998 editions. The 'ZZ' branding on the heel providing the special edition stamp of approval.
Limited editions and signature release always dominate these lists so it takes a strong standard drop to compete at the top end here. The Nike PhantomVNM burst onto the scene as a completely new silo at the start of the year and saw massive uptake by players, even more so than the boot it replaced: the Hypervenom. The introduction of genuine shot-enhancing technology was long overdue, and massively welcomed by players.
3: adidas Predator Mania "Red/Metallic Silver"
Here we are, on the podium. All three of these boots could lay claim to the throne and we'd find it difficult to disagree with them. Hands up, we had this at number one until we gave it a bit more though and came to the conclusion that adidas have re-created Mania editions in the past and something a little newer probably deserves to be above this. Stunning though aren't they, absolutely stunning.
If it was a straight shootout between this and the third place OG Mania then we'd probably switch the positions, but this is adidas blessing the perfect marriage of throwback and future. The Predator 19+ with Mania rub-fin elements is exactly what you wanted when the Predator cam back in 2017. You've had to be patient, but now you've got it.
To beat a year of Mania magic takes something special, and Nike served up exactly that. The Predator re-makes have been and reigned in prefocus years so Nike re-releasing the first-generation T90 Laser out of the blue was the blast of nostalgia we all lapped up. One of the greatest shooting football boots of all time. Just 2,000 pairs dropped worldwide and you already know you ain't missing out if they drop a Laser II edition.
