Iconic. A word often used, but rarely, deserved.
The Adidas Predator Mania, were fully deserving of the title. This boot was a true Predator, some would say "the" Predator. The Predator Accelerators, came and had everyone purring, the Precisions arrived and conquered Greece in 2001, but at the 2002 World Cup in Japan & South Korea, where Beckham mania was sweeping Asia, it was these boots which ruled.
In 2020, Adidas re-issued the boots, with a modern soleplate, would it be a case a nostalgia, being checked by reality.....or would the Mania, reach the fever pitch it created back in 2002?
Let's find out.
When I unboxed these, I was apprehensive. I'm a 90's kid. I grew up admiring David Beckham, Zidane, Rui Costa, Del Piero, Raul in their pomp...they were the poster boys of the era, and Adidas had signed them up as ambassadors to market their new iteration of the Predator. The Accelerators and Precisions had set a very high bar, but when released, the Mania's delivered on every level and more. They had become more streamlined, it definitely was Adidas putting a firm foot forward into the modern era. I wasn't sure if my first impressions would be different this time. But boy was I please.
The first thing that hits you, is the kangaroo leather. Although we have heritage boots of the same material, most modern silos are synthetic, new technology, making our favourite footy accessories, ever lighter. Some times its easy to forget leather, but the plush skin of the Mania remake, hits you full on, it oozes the leather vibe so well, you can even smell it.
First impressions are this is a true replica, Adidas have kept faith, with the whole essence of the Mania, the only difference, gone are those awful, injury threatening blades, and in it's place, the modern sole plate of Adidas' other boots. They freshen the whole look and are a welcome addition. Everything about this cleat, pleases me. Previous remakes, never stay true to the soul, they looked plastic, cheap and ultimately were a cash cow, made for memories, but not much else, so I was grinning as I stroked these, hmmm.
After spending some time (way too long, and probably unhealthily) just looking and feeling the boots, I tried them on. Everything I remembered about the original predators, was here. Nothing missing at all. There's no flyknit, no collars or cuffs, this is all about no nonsense. But boy did they feel good.
With the arrival of the modern age, and synthetics, I worry that all the tightness and lockdown, would have an adverse affect when reviewing the Manias...but no, comfort was the first thing that hit me, the cushions inside, were plush and the modern soleplate felt good, weight balancing, and distributing my ample weight nicely, so stud pressure so far. The lockdown isn't the best, with the foldable tongue to cover the laces, it encases your foot in glorious leather but doesn't grip your ankle and foot. But that's the design, although not soldered to your feet, the extra manoeuvrability you gain, is the pay off. I didn't feel as suffocated in these, I felt I had more freedom. Freedom to play.
15 minutes in, and no pain, which is such a relief. With the design coming from nearly 20 years ago, I was concerned that they would start showing their age, but it just proves that they were not only iconic, but were tools that were designed to do a job.
Let's get these out on the pitch though. See how they fare.
I strapped into these animals for our first game of 2022, and initially I felt they were a little big, we record our games, so looking back at the 7edit ( found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJqQpnP5boA) they weren't, aesthetically, they looked siick on cam.
I worry too much. I needn't. These beasts, ably had my back.
15 minutes in, and I had already scored and the boots showed now signs of letting up. They were supple, still felt great, and I literally had no pain. It's almost customary to feel a little with newer cleats, they always need to be worn in, what differentiates a good modern boot with the bad ones, is the time it takes.
But no, the Predator Mania's were the real deal. Fresh out of the box, no discomfort, and 1 game in, still nothing. I felt the tech, the customary Predatory strips/fins, had lasted the test of time. Again, I never truly know whether this is a placebo, that I'm imagining that all these gimmicks make a difference. But that in itself is a bonus. Any boot that makes you feel like an Avenger, has to be a good thing, right.?
There was something about the leather upper, maybe? It felt like a shock absorber. Cushioning the ball as it came to me, gave me a little edge in the control department. I felt I had more power too. Accuracy, more punch, and it was reflective in my performance. I bagged a hat-trick, including a worldy goal, on the volley. Only the Puma Ultra's had eclipsed this performance. So not a bad days work.
I did a review for the Predator Accelerator remakes a while back, and this was a case of nostalgia over reality, I tried to be honest and overall, I felt they hadn't aged well as a re-make. They just felt like tanks, and there was this overriding feeling that I was wearing pillows. The Mania remake, could of been more of the same. But it isn't. It truly delivers on all fronts. It's begs the question why Adidas don't keep these permanently on their silo line, making tweaks every few years. They seem to have the basic structure to deliver....so why not stick to it. I feel the Mania's deserve this.
Incidentally, I bought the black/red/white colourway for tradition but also bought a red pair, to channel my inner David Beckham vibe. Someone has to make FC7 look sexy, right? They felt exactly the same as the black ones, so I'm really looking forward to utilising them, perfect for the new FC7 shirt with SEGA as our new sponsors I reckon.
Overall, the Adidas Predator Mania 2020 remakes, well they are pure class, end. They defined a generation and have lost none of the glamour they had, when first unveiled. They are truly iconic, but they do the business on-pitch too, and that's all you can ask for.
Pure genius of a boot.
Price: £280
Fit: True to Size
Tech: Predator strips for gripping the ball, giving your shot a punch, curve and control.
Comfort: Perfect. The lockdown isn't as tight as modern boots, but this isn't a negative.
Look: The heavyweight of tradition on it's shoulders, the Mania remake looks as perfect as the original. Pure class.
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