adidas Predator - A Fond Farewell

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As many of you know, there are some major changes in the works for adidas soccer shoes. As of July 1st, all of the current adidas soccer lines (silos, from the brand terminology) other than the classics are going to be retired to make way for a new generation of soccer shoes. The adidas campaign #BeTheDifference has been promoted widely to showcase the new lines of footwear, including the Ace, the X and the all-new Messi. You can see the videos for more on the new styles. But an unfortunate bit of collateral damage to this enthusiastic embrace of the future is the demise of the Predator. 

Other than the adidas Copa Mundial and the Puma King, the Predator is perhaps the most iconic name in soccer footwear. Debuting in 1994, the concepts behind the Predator revolutionized the possibilities of what a soccer shoe could be, and forever changed the approach to design, performance and marketing. The original version promised, or at least suggested, the ability to control, swerve and manipulate the movement of the ball for the average player in a way that only professionals were truly able to do. And while the marketing of the performance capabilities of the shoe was tempered over the years, the Predator brand became more and more popular, featuring on the feet of some of the greatest athletes to ever play the game.  There is a nice history of the boot at Complex, complete with pictures to show the evolution of the shoe over it's 20-year run. 

And while the Predator will live on in adidas lore, the final iteration of this classic style is one of the best. For the 2015 adidas Black Pack of shoes, the Predator Instinct is a fitting farewell to one of the most popular boots of all time. All of the high-end features are there (Hybridtouch upper, 3D rubber grips, Control frame outsole), but it is the clean design of the all-black final Predator that really stands out. As far as endings go, adidas could not have done any better.

So to the adidas Predator, we say goodbye. A fond farewell to a beautiful and innovative shoe, and a new classic in its own right.

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