Ladies and gentlemen! Welcome on in to another fantastic edition of The Instep’s bootspotting! Pay no mind to the mindless drivel in between the pictures, and drink in some of the best spots that this week had on offer. We set out every week to give your week the perfect jolt of footy to help you avoid a nasty case of the “Mondays,” and we hope that this week is no different! European clubs are starting their pre-season, Gold Cup craziness is still underway, and there’s a bit of soccer nearly everywhere that you look. So, let’s buckle up and dive in! Away we go!
Puma EvoSpeed 17 SL-S Reus DF
Michel Morganella (Palermo)
Although Morganella customized the boots with some red laces that, somehow, make these boots even louder, there’s no doubt that Morganella is rocking the SL-S Derby Fever that Puma created for Marco Reus. It’s still slightly frustrating that Puma, Nike, and adidas all tend to have players change out of boots like the Derby Fever custom series a bit too quickly. Aaron Ramsey is still wearing his special edition New Balance boots, but Puma didn’t have many players wearing their Derby Fever boots for more than one game (some players never even got a chance to do that!). We’re happy to see some players keep these fantastic colorways alive!
Under Armour ClutchFit 3.0
Jermaine Jones (LA Galaxy)
This picture perfectly showcases Jones realizing that not everything associated with Pogba is hype. Manchester United (minus Lukaku) seemed to do whatever they wanted against LA, but the Galaxy didn’t really seem like they wanted to be there much themselves. It’s always a big money maker when the bigger European clubs come over here, but it always raises some unwanted questions around the quality of the American league. No matter how you feel about the pre-season/mid-season mix that we’ve got going, it looks like Jones is looking forward to going up against some non-Poga players as soon as possible. Still…can this boot just continue to solidify the ideal that any boot looks good in neon yellow?
Adidas X 15.1
Ivan Paurevic (FC Ufa)
One day, when I’m too old and frail to continue playing this game and testing boots, somebody is going to tell me about how this particular colorway of X 15 had something special going on that I never even knew about. The amount of pros that still refuse to let go of the synthetic and leather versions of this colorway absolutely astound me. The X 15.1 was an impressive first foray for the newly minted adidas revolution, but there wasn’t much about that boot that would make me hold onto it instead of switching into something a bit newer. Perhaps Paurevic could point me in the right direction, but I’m not sure…
Puma One
Kristine Minde (Norway))
The Puma One is making its presence felt across the footy world, but it seems to have made a bigger footprint in the women’s game than anywhere else. Puma is always a bit known for pushing the boundaries a bit more with their colorways than other brands, so it’s a bit surprising to see a launch boot from the big cat utilizing white/orange/black. It has a color combo and silhouette that lets boot enthusiasts know exactly what the boot is from a distance, but casual fans could easily confuse it for another brand from afar. Perhaps a note from Nike on their newest releases…plaster a giant “PUMA” branding or the cat on the sides. We’re sure Puma has some loud colorways in the works…and we can’t wait to see them.
Concave Halo+
Mohamed Abukar (Lazio)
Concave is a brand that merely needs a few more voices in their corner to become a legitimate brand to try and steal some market away from the big dogs. Quality options and an intelligently designed piece of technology means that the brand now feels like a viable option for players wanting something different without taking a risk on a brand that doesn’t have their product together yet. This could be the recently released Aura from Concave, but some of the indentations on the upper make me think it’s the tech packed Halo+. Abukar could be another in a long list of decent pick-ups for the brand…look out for Concave to continue making positive moves as the brand continues to grow.
Nike HyperVenom Phantom III
Alexandre Lacazette (Arsenal)
The new HyperVenom Phantom hasn’t had a bad colorway yet…don’t @ me. The only thing that I haven’t enjoyed for every Phantom is that Nike seem to be releasing a lot of them with the green tip of the soleplate (the launch, Tech Craft, and a few others)…how tough would it be to change up the soleplate? Arsenal, along with a host of Premier League teams, are facing extreme pressure in totally new ways (new ways for that particular club, at least). A season where not getting back to the Champions League places might mean a mass exodus…and the London based club wondering where it went wrong. Champions League or bust…
Adidas Predator Lethal Zones
George Francomb (Wimbledon)
The birth of hybridtouch, which still might be the most underrated synthetic of the last decade, along with a departure from what fans believed the Predator stood for…a release that might still be misunderstood to this day. The Predator LZ would be readily accepted as a member of the ACE family, but its ideals felt too far removed from the Predator to keep fans from believing that this boot was worthy of the stripes and Predator moniker. Francomb has kept his boots in immaculate condition, and we can’t blame him…this won’t be the only old-school Predator to make the spotting this week…
Adidas Copa 17.1
Graham Zusi (USMNT)
I swore off trying to decipher the USMNT a while back. However, anybody that has seen Zusi try to track back against real pace has to wonder how depleted the USMNT is on the backline to see Zusi as the best option. Still, if there’s one boot that is a showstopper colorway without fail, it has been the new Copa. A boot that surprised me quite a bit, it doesn’t hurt that it always looks great. Zusi has been a convert since the initial Cupa 17.1 dropped, but we’re a bit surprised that he hasn’t moved into a new colorway. However, in his defense, the blue Copa looks great with the USMNT Gold Cup kit. We just wish he was wearing them with his club team instead of the USMNT…
Puma evoPower Vigor Graphic
Sanne Troelsgaard Nielsen (Denmark)
If anybody that has worn boots doesn’t praise the evoPower Vigor from the rooftops, then they haven’t actually spent time with the boot. An incredible fit and upper means that Puma will, once again, see their Power boot in a great position to feature on our boots of the year post when 2017 comes to a close. Nielsen has chosen the newest, and most intriguing, new EvoPower colorway…and we’re definitely a fan. We’re a little torn since Puma decided to release a blackout evoPower right on the heels of the Graphic, but we’ve found a perfect solution for that conundrum…just get both…right?
Adidas Unknown
Yosuke Kashiwagi (Urawa Red Diamonds)
So, we have some ideas, but we need you to tell us what Kashiwagi is using as his boot of choice. A google search shows that he loves this boot and has them in all sorts of different colors, but it didn’t help us nail down exactly what this boot is. Our best guess is that it’s something that is limited to the market in the Far East, which is always frustrating…but we’ll get over it. Any clue what Kashiwagi is wearing? Also, why does adidas seem to have an affinity for this shade of orange that is only fit to be an homage to pumpkins and Halloween? HELP US OUT?!
Adidas Predator Powerswerve
Laura Fusetti (Italy)
A Predator that sits right on the edge of the debatable Predator era. The Powerswerve sits right before the Predator X, which was followed by the adiPower and then the LZ. Fusetti is giving us a look at a boot that many enthusiasts still believe is the last rightful heir to the Predator moniker. Sadly, I loved the X, adiPower, and LZ…so I’m certainly not the best judge of Predator lineage. However, I know that if you love striking the ball, then this was a boot that would tick all the boxes on your checklist. Add in the type of tech that we expect from a Predator release, and you’ve got the classic formula that adidas knows works…could we see them revisit that formula again?
We hope that this gets your week started off right! I’m sorry that we eased a bit away from the Swoosh this week, but their newest colorays has dominated the headlines a bit anyway…so they didn’t need our help! We’re sure that we will right this “wrong” before too long, as it doesn’t take much to get a sweet pair of Nike boots in the spotting. Le us know what spots we missed, what spots we nailed, and what in the world those orange adidas are! See you again next week!
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