I've never been a massive fan of high collared, laceless boots, purely from an aesthetic view.
Maybe it's because I'm an older player, in my 40s, nostalgia kicks in and any deviation from a good old fashioned black cleat just grates me. Bear with me, I'm learning, I now fully understand that there's a market for heritage leather boots but ultimately we move on, football is beautiful because it's dynamic, ever evolving to new ideas on the pitch, and this is true off pitch with the equipment you wear too.
There's nothing wrong with keeping one hand on the past, but use your free hand to grasp the future too.
On another note, check out the Predator Mutator 20.1 low cuts review here:
I don't want to cover too much old ground here. I want to look at this quite generically, as a modern boot on the market, the tech, the fit and more importantly the high sock n laceless features rather than the story behind the Predator and it's comeback. So let's get on with it. Kettle should be boiled, grab a chocolate egg from freezer (yep, I love frozen choc) and have a read and see if the Predator Mutator 20+ is the dream boot for you.
Out of the box, you do feel magic, instantly it feels good in your hands, feels expensive and well made. The synthetic feels solid but flexible at the same time, its a medium weighted boot by 2020/21 standards and you can't help but feel the spiky Demonskin surrounding the boot. Even the ones on the heel plate catch you off guard, ouch! I've mentioned before, that sock boots have had to win me round. Initially, I wasn't impressed with such a revolutionary change in design, but soon after, I was hearing a lot of bad things online. I have no problem with new tech even if my heart needs a little convincing but only if it's not a gimmick. There's 2 things I wanna focus on with this review, the high sock and the laceless features.
Getting this boot on, proved very difficult, shipping it with a shoe horn was a good call by Adidas. With hindsight, it's just a little different to put on, requires a little bit of open mindedness. Once I got into the knack of it, I can't really mark the boot down, most boots these days have a ritual where you waste a couple of minutes trying to wriggle your foot in.
Once on, it's a strange feeling. You've all heard of my ankle travails in the past, so not having a lacing system made me apprehensive. I was worried that the lockdown you get from tightening laces to your personal fit, wouldn't exist and that the boot would hang off my foot and as a result make me susceptible to ankle injuries.
I was expecting a loose, ill-fitting sensation, but it never came. I wanted to be sceptical, but I couldn't be.
I was pleasantly surprised.
I think the sock and laceless feature combined to double whammy me. The lack of laces, I can truly say, didn't affect the feel of the boot round my foot. The sock, essentially does the job of the laces plus adds its own ankle support. They worked in a couple of ways. The high collar wraps tight around your ankle which helps lock your achilles to the base of the heel plate. Then the mid foot upper flyknit takes hold, its stretchable, but tightly pins the main body of your boot to the sole. They combine to do a great job.
This was a sensation that was very personal to me, so I have to add that as a caveat. A lot of other reviewers have said that the sock is too loose and because there aren't laces, it's potluck as to whether the Predator Mutator 20+ hits or misses the target. I guess this is the case with all boots, but with laces you can compensate. If you're feet and ankles aren't average, you may experience looseness or strangulation to the point where the boots are useless to you.
Right onto sizing, people have been critical of the Predator Mutator's midfoot narrowness, across the whole range (low cut, high cut 20.1s). For me, true to size was perfect. I felt an early pinch across the midfoot on my first paces up and down my bedroom, but soon enough it dissipated. A lot of trusted reviewers I value, have stated that the toe box of the Mutator range is large which muddles the whole sizing debate further when there's so much squeeze in the midfoot area. I've always been a fan of spacious toe boxes.
Now, this is very peculiar to me, so take that into account. I love football, but I don't want to damage my feet for the beautiful game. I don't want to cram my toes into a boot for a couple of games a week. Maybe my way of thinking makes sense to you, so take it more to heart.
The studs are aggressive, but very similar to the 20.1 low cuts. They definitely have a lot more bling-factor with this chrome, multi-colored irridiscent look. I also think they will be fine on AG surfaces, giving you a lot more grunt, but not being overly grippy. The other factor is that it is a split 2-piece soleplate. I've previously liked the idea of a 1 piece, for stability and it comes back to my ankles again, but the flexibility of the 2-piece has grown on me and the stud pressure isn't noticeable.
Enter the Demon...
The laceless system means that there's more surface area on the boot. And that means more Demonskin. It's the unique selling point of this boot and I believe you get approximately 200+ more spikes compared to the 20.1 models.
I've already said that this isn't a gimmick in my 20.1 review. It adds a level of control to your first touch and your shots. It could be a mental thing but I honestly feel that they do make a difference. Even if I'm wrong, and it's all completely in me noggin, that added confidence you get, could be the fine margins that do make a difference on-pitch.
The look. Hmmmm, these are sick. I'm still not 100% convinced of the look of the high sock. When I wore these out of the box and for my first couple of games, I was wearing black socks. So the collar blended in. For me, that made the boot seamlessly transition into my leg.
BUT, when I wore non-black socks, mentally the picture changes. I felt it. The higher sock didn't feel natural, I could see it quite clearly in the corner of my vision, and it made me self-conscious. If I give credit to the boot for perhaps giving you a mental edge for being Predators with history dripping off the boot.........then it's only fair to be balanced and say that this did affect me adversely too. It's sounds incredibly shallow, but you're lying to yourself if you think looks aren't important ha. But it's true. When you catch your reflection and your new boots are FIRE, it makes you more comfortable, confident all of which plays out on the pitch.
Overall, this boot is a brilliant addition to my collection. On their own, they look sick, they feel sick and they play sick. I got this pair free (I knoowwwww). So I have to remember to bring price into this review.
Are they worth the mark-up, say against the 20.1 Mutators, CopaSense or PhantomGT?
Well, yes and no. They just don't offer a legitimate reason to be priced around the £180 mark when they first came out. Importantly they have dropped to around £120 now but are rarely in stock. The 20.1 high tops do the same job, but have laces. You get more spikes, sure, but that would mean they are roughly 30-50 pence a spike, and I'm not having that. They are worth it for the tech over say the Phantom GT or CopaSense, but the same tech goes against you when compare it to the 20.1 takedowns. So yes.......and no.
If you find a pair on eBay and can get them for around the same price range as the PhantomGT, then you won't regret it. These are a pair of boots you can't take risks with however, they really need to be tried on beforehand, and if you do find a brand new pair and are willing to pay top dollar, then as long as you have return options available, go for it. If they fit well for you, these boots are brilliant.
Price: £180
Fit: True to Size
Tech: 200+ more spikes than the laced 20.1. No laces means less lockdown, however, the tight but comfortable compressed sock compensate that to an extent. Split 2-piece sole.
Comfort: Cushioned, tight but unrestrictive, super comfortable
Look: It's a sexy boot, that oozes Predator nostalgia. It looks super modern if the 20.1 low cut traditional appearance is something that doesn't float your boat.
Rating: 8.5/10
Additional notes:
Perspective & Misconception
Another important thing to mention in conclusion in this review, is perspective. If you're a boot nerd like me, part of the enjoyment of boot hunting is the plethora of reviews you will scour through on the web. It's important to listen/read as many as you can. One reviewer may touch upon something that another will miss. Everyone is different, we all have different feet and we can only review what WE can review. At FC7 we'll be getting other members to do reviews too, so we gain a larger spectrum of sizing, views and opinions. Other reviewers are often the 1 woman/man shows. I'm not criticising but everyone has their own perspectives. We're only human, make mistakes and have misconceptions.
In this review I had misconceptions about sock and laceless systems. I had opinions formed in my mind, but actually trying out the boot, broke down those misconceptions. I'm sure there are other boots that will vindicate me but the whole point, is that I've reviewed several boots. A lot of people that read our reviews, won't have. So those misconceptions that they form might mean they miss out on their perfect boot. We all have them too, whether it's AG studs, Nike/Adidas/Puma, leather, laceless etc. When you're next looking to buy boots, go in with a truly open mind.
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