How a pair of football boots changed the adidas aesthetic And how they are back in the spotlight on the football pitches 30 years later
The ball spins quickly and defies the laws of physics. It spins around itself to stay at the right height without losing tension and to land in the corner under the right-hand post. The curved, almost golf-like trajectory of Trent Alexander-Arnold's right foot in minute 19 of Liverpool's game against Fulham, as if it had been wrapped in a scarf before the shot. And the silky grain of TAA's right-footed spinning top is due not only to the phenomenal footballing skills of Juergen Klopp's winger, but also to a shoe that was developed almost 30 years ago by tying the rubber of a table tennis bat to the shaft with a band. The DIY invention of a former Australian footballer became a style legend, a technical revolution and ultimately a model that permanently changed the adidas aesthetic and saved the company from bankruptcy. And now, almost three decades later, they are back in the spotlight on football pitches played on by today's greatest talents without having missed a single day.
adidas Predator's history
Almost thirty years after the first model, adidas has decided to return to the past and reverse the parabola that characterised the Predator model until now, releasing a new version: the Predator 30. Combining details and inspiration from the entire adidas archive, the Predator 30 tells a story that has already become a legend and inspires a new generation of football players. In fact, the testimonials chosen by the Three Stripes to wear the latest model on the pitch were not yet born when adidas launched the first edition. Trent-Alexander Arnold and Jude Bellingham are not only talented and already strong, but more importantly they know the heritage of the shoes they wear and how it has shaped their passion for the ball since their first steps.
It's a complete dip into nostalgia, a marked departure from the model's philosophy, which has always had the future as its horizon. However, it is a decision that fits perfectly with today's football shoes scene, which seems to have lost the urge to innovate and change, relying instead on the familiar. Of course, the Predator 30 has all the qualities and features designed for performance on the pitch, from the Strikeskin technology that improves grip and control over the ball, to the Hybrid Touch upper inherited from the Accuracy version that provides more stability on the ground, but the tongue on the laces, the elastic band that was originally intended to hold the rubber and the completely free instep tell of a very specific moment when everyone wanted to bend the ball like Beckham or hit the volley like Zidane. The Predator 30 are only available in examples from 1994, the year they were first released, and allow us to relive that excitement.
