Adidas Predator Mania Champagne Football Boots Review

Adidas has remade their Adidas Predator Manias and the new Adidas Predator Mania Champagne remake will be released in May! So what better time is there to review Adidas’ new take on their 2002 classic? The Predator Mania football boots first smashed onto the scene during the 2002 World Cup in Japan and Korea and now they will reappear in the iconic ‘Champagne’ colorway. Will the long awaited return of THE football boots of a generation be the boots we’ve all been waiting for?

We don’t have all the answers, but we do have some strong opinions on Adidas’ baby. Read our take as we look at the Predators in depth in our Adidas Predator Mania Champagne football boots review.

Are Adidas’ Predator Mania Champagne football boots worth buying?

Name 

Anything with ‘Predator’ contained in its name is going to be good, be it boots or anything else relating to football. Nike Superfly Predators. Manchester United? Na. Manchester Predators. The Emirates Stadium, try The Predator Stadium. Actually, perhaps that last one sounded a bit dodgy, but the point remains… Predators are the illustrious name of the game. We admire the ‘Champagne’ addition to this as well. Clearly, Adidas are appealing to a more sophisticated footballer among us. That or the colour scheme of the boots just fitted.

Features – 6/10

A synthetic upper gives the Manias the classic Predator look that was seen back in the early days at the turn of the century. Although this does not provide the most cushioning of materials to welcome the ball onto the foot, a huge advantage of it is that it makes the Predators very easy to clean. The white colour of the boot attracts mud to poison the beauty of the outer surface of this model, but the smooth upper means the bad little mud specks slide off like raindrops slide off a window.

The tongue is the only part of the boot which is made from real leather. This gives it stability and the fact that it’s leather, again, makes it easier to clean.

But I think we all know what the main attraction of this funfair ride is. The Arch to its Wembley Stadium. It’s what the Mona Lisa is to the Louvre. What the sexist, racist, ignorant attitude is to Trump’s personality. The tongue strap. This is what makes the boot recognisable. If you didn’t imagine yourself as David Beckham pulling the tongue over the top of your Predators before bending a free kick into the top corner to win England the World Cup, were you really a British 90s kid? If you weren’t British, maybe Scottish for example, you obviously will have to replace England to Scotland winning the World Cup, although it may require a great deal more of imagination – we are just trying to get a nibble, we are fully aware England are as good at football as Southern Rail are as good at organising train travel.

Look – 9/10

Few things in life are perfect to look at. Cristiano Ronaldo comes very close and the Adidas Predator Manias are nearly there too. The fact that they are called Champagne, and that they are a beautiful white colour just gives that air of refreshment. As well as having the classic Adidas stripes, they are distinctively from the Predator range. This is like wearing a Rolex or driving a Porsche, people see it and instantly you are granted respect and status. We love the look of the Predator Mania Champagnes!

Pro advocates – 10/10

In terms of bloodline, these boots have come from the blonde hair, blue eyes kind of gene pool. The well-renown model has been worn over the years by literally some of the game’s biggest names. Zizi, Becks and Del Piero are some of the Predator alumni, and add Steven Gerrard onto that list for those Liverpool fans.

In terms of current players, Edin Dzeko, currently destroying things with Roma in Serie A, and James Rodriguez, not-so-much destroying things at Madrid (but incidentally still a big transfer target for some big Premier League clubs) have been seen with a pair of these new Predators.

Value for money – 5/10

In a way, you could say that you are getting value for money. If you wanted to see a Connor McGregor fight, many would be willing to pay top dollar and it could be argued that even a few grand is good value because tickets are in high demand and what is you are paying for is a big event. But if you look at it another way, you are paying all that money simply for the name; another fight could be as good but considerably cheaper.

This is the same with the Predator boots. They are THE biggest brand in the game, and you are paying to wear that privilege. In terms of what the actual boot offers, many others can very much compare, but if you are a fan of the Predators then these football boots are a must buy.

Final verdict on the Adidas Predator Mania Champagne football boots

Having downplayed their value for money, we can’t deny that these are still a very good pair of boots. For anyone with a bit of cash at hand, they are more than capable of being used as a primary pair of football boots and will certainly give you a good season. Nostalgia trip anyone?