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In the world of football boots, the big boot fan constantly has his ear to the ground hoping to hear and see when the next generation of boots will appear.  New colors are interesting…new collections are neat…collectors editions are cool…but a brand new incarnation of a boot is by far the most intriguing thing within the world of gear.  A Yamamoto paint job is amazing, but it pales in comparison to something new and the impact that it always has on everyone that enjoys football gear.  But…why do the major brands seem to be updating their big silos so often nowadays?  Should the boots not be given more time on the market before they are removed or greatly changed?

When I first started to become intrigued by the amazing world of football gear and boots started to intrigue me a little more than they should, it was during one of the greatest times of great boot change in the history of boots.  The Adidas F50 Prime was set to change the boot industry with its lightweight nature, the Nike CTR360 was set to create an entirely new boot category that would overtake the world, and technology was starting to become one of the biggest selling points of current boots with the T90 Laser fins, the SuperFly stud pattern, and any other crazy additions that the companies could slap on their boots.  However, even with the great change, a boot model could sometimes last close to two full years before being replaced.  Now, it seems a boot can barely last a full professional season before another update is set to take its place.
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As a perfect example, we will look at the Adidas Predator.  In 2009, Adidas released the Predator X and the X was still the Predator on the market for almost two full years.  Then, after being replaced by the adiPower, it still remained on store shelves for over a full year.  Since then, Adidas has rolled out a Predator update within a year of every release!  The original Predator LZ was launched in congruence with the European Championships in May of 2012 and the updated LZ II was released the following Spring!  Even given the length of time the adiPower was available, that is three new releases of the Predator within less than three years.  By the time we have grown used to a boot, a new one is out!  This pattern has been followed by the Adidas F50, the Nike Mercurial, and many other boots on the market!  It seems that only the Tiempo and adiPure have lasted for long enough to truly flesh out enough colorways and for people to truly enjoy them…everything else is gone the moment we become used to it!

With the millions of dollars that companies see rolling in when a new boot hits the market and all of the recreational soccer players in the world rush to buy the latest and greatest, it does make sense from a business standpoint to have as many new items on the market as often as possible.  However, from someone that enjoys seeing a lot of different color options and also enjoying a boot long enough to actually make it feel broken in, I wish that new boot releases would get spread out a bit.  If the current trend continues, colorways might become obsolete and, instead, companies will just release a brand new boot every few months!…but seriously guys (Nike, Adidas, Puma, etc…), please don’t do that!

 

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