When the world heard that Adidas would be re-releasing some of the most iconic Predator boots, boot fans rejoiced.  To be able to experience the most amazing Predator releases that the silo has ever seen…and, to experience those boots with the benefit of modern technology and materials, the boots could be even better than people remember.  Adidas could slap any price they desired on these boots and they would absolutely fly off the shelves.  However, it was not the price that adidas happened to make a mistake with…it was the availability.

With a $300 price tag, these boots would have flown off the shelves for months, maybe even years.  The 1994 Predator remake could have become a boot icon with non-contracted professionals wearing them across the world’s pitches, recreational players that were around for the original ’94 buying two/three pairs at once, and young players drawn to the original Predator logo and crazy fins would create a new generation of Predator die-hards.  This scenario, for anyone familiar with the ’94 Pred, is probably the most likely thing to have happened with this boot.  But, Adidas released these boots in an oddly limited number (less than 2,000 across the world).

adidas Predator 94

adidas Predator remake

While The Instep has already railed a bit against the ridiculous number of limited release boots in the last few years, it is amazing that adidas would have not have realized the piles of money that they could have tapped into.  At $300, selling 2,000 boots would have given Adidas about $600,000.  However, at $300 and with a typical amount of boots we see with a typical release (let’s just estimate around 50,000) it would result in Adidas making roughly $15 million.  As we mentioned earlier, the Pred remake would be a massively successful release making these numbers totally feasible.

The other aspect of this is completely derived from talking with other massive fans of the old Predator and with fellow boot nerds.  To make a boot like this limited, after garnering so much positive fandom just from the mere rumor that these boots are being released, may have actually hurt the image that Adidas would have hoped to snag by “listening” to popular demand.  Now, anyone hoping to grab a pair of these boots will have to wade into the online auction sites and hope that they can find a price lower than $750 for a pair of boots.

In theory, this should have been an absolute grand slam from Adidas.  A beloved boot, a massive following, and the perception of a major brand actually bending to customer will, but by ensuring that either those with the deepest pockets or those with the best connections obtain the boot…it has turned into a massive whiff.  Perhaps adidas will make a move similar to Nike and the Green Speed by making a second release that is more accessible, but it seems unlikely.

Is this a bad move from adidas or it still an act of brilliance?  Were you lucky enough to obtain one of the ’94 remakes?  Will the Predator remakes help boost the profile of the Predator Instinct or will they distract from it?  A very interesting situation over at the German giant…and one that intrigues me to no end…

 

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