Why the Adidas Predator Should Be Re-Released

According to Adidas, the Predator Powerswerves (the eighth incarnation of their most famous football boot,) offered players an "8% increase in shot power." That means that if you shoot footballs at 100mph with other boots (which you don't), your shot speed will now be 108mph with Powerswerves. In hindsight, it's blatantly obvious the above statement by Adidas is a load of spin to lure unsuspecting amateur footballers in to its own clutches to the tune of £129.99. Yet it worked a treat. Fans went out and bought Powerswerves in their droves (myself included) and truly believed every time the stepped out on to the pitch, they could smash 45-yard rockets and defence splitting passes with their eyes closed. This alone is evidence of the power marketing has over consumers, yet if any football boot was in less need of such manipulative advertisement, it was the Adidas Predator.

First hitting the shelves in 1994, the Predator was unique in being the first football boot to attach rubber panels to the upper to aid swerve and bend whilst passing and shooting. Adidas had tapped in to a gold mine and it's a testament to the quality and popularity of the boot that nearly 20 years on, the Predator brand is still alive and kicking. However, it's not the same. 

The release of the Predator X in 2010 was the first sign things were changing. Gone was the famous tongue that had been a mainstay of the boots since it's inception. It was clear Adidas were going in a different direction but no one could foresee what happened next. With the release of the Predator LZ and a change of emphasis in marketing focusing more on touch the power, it became clear that football boot fans (yep, they exist) were witnessing the death of the Adidas Predator we knew and loved. The LZ have been fantastic sellers and are at the cutting edge of football boot technology, but they don't have the charm and nuances of the older Predator models. It's like comparing the uber-clinical and mechanical performance of Arnold Schwarzenegger in Terminator to the passionate and human turn by Sylvester Stallone in Rocky; both are great but only one really gives you what you want. 

So, now to the crux of the matter, could one of the old style Predators be re-released by Adidas? I've seen countless posts by fans on forums, blogs and videos related to football pleading in hope more than expectation to be able re-buy a forgotten classic. There's even a Facebook and Twitter campaign called Bring Back The Tongue started up by a man with the simple aim of gathering enough momentum to persuade Adidas to create a re-release. Classic Predators are frequently seen on eBay fetching upwards of £150 even in a used condition and sites like Pro Boot Room and Classic Football Shirts have seen the gap in the market and are doing well by re-selling old Predators. There certainly is the demand out there, it's just not high-profile enough and I can't believe Adidas don't know about the cult following boots like the Predator Mania have. Surely Adidas have at least considered the idea of a re-release?

Adidas should look no further than their own Copa Mundial as a great example of an old boot still being popular with the modern football fan. Revamping something like the Mania with more modern materials making them slightly better lasting and tweaking the oustole with some more modern alternatives, as they have done with the Copa Mundials, would give Adidas an excuse to bring them back and provide them with a way of marketing them. However, I could see Adidas unwilling to essentially release another heritage boot alongside the Copa Mundial since it's such a consistent and popular seller. Why would a company sacrifice it's own sales? Obviously I don't have the figures in front of me and I don't know how realistic a problem this is, but I could see this being a deal-breaker from Adidas' point of view.

If a re-release were to happen, the following would be my requests...

1. Only re-release one of the Precisions, Manias, Pulses or Absolutes. The other Predators are either too old, not popular enough or just simply not that great.
2. Price them no higher than £15 more than their original RRP. Charging £200 for a pair of re-issued Manias would be scummy from Adidas and a sign of complete disrespect to the consumer.

To conclude, I believe a re-issue will happen at some point; just not yet. The Predators, especially the Manias, are too much of an icon for a lot of football fans to not bring back but sadly I think we'll be waiting a while.