Predator (shoe)

Adidas Predator are a range of football boots developed by German sportswear manufacturers Adidas based on a prototype concept from the Australian former footballer Craig Johnston. The common feature of the Predator range is the presence of rubber patches or strips on the top of the shoe, designed to increase friction between the boot and the ball. In late 2010, Adidas designed the new "Power-spine" technology, which they claim improves shot power by reducing the amount the foot bends back as it kicks the ball.

In 2014, Hungarian inventor László Oroszi won a court case against Adidas in relation to the Predator Precision range, forcing Adidas to pay royalties on that range of the boot.

The Predator line was discontinued in May 2015 for football but was brought back in late 2017 to replace the ACE boots whereas the rugby line is still going strong. The new elite level predator brought back by adidas is named the Predator 18+, which features a primeknit upper with a laceless design as in Ace 16+ and 17+. The boost insole which was used in the Ace 17+ was also used on the new predator. There is a laced variant which is also available.

Footballer Craig Johnston retired from the game in 1988 to return to his native Australia to help care for his seriously injured sister. Whilst coaching a group of schoolchildren in Australia, he came across the idea of using rubber instead of leather to build ridges on the top of a football boot to, theoretically, aid control of the ball.

Johnston spent a lot of time and money developing prototypes and experimenting with designs. Those designs were rejected by various sports shoe manufacturers, including Adidas. He then persuaded German footballers Franz Beckenbauer, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge and Paul Breitner to be filmed whilst using his prototype football boots in snowy conditions. This was enough to convince Adidas to take up Johnston's design, buying the rights with Johnston receiving a 2% share of all sales.

There have been 12 different predator models, with a cheaper version without all the predator technology going by a different name. For example, the Predator Pulse's budget variant was called the Pulsado.

The eponymous Predator elements have developed over time. The principle behind the project, however, involves attaching rubber strips to the forefoot that Adidas says increases the speed of the ball. The initial focus in Predator commercials was on shooting strength, but this gradually move more to the effect on ball spin and precision. The first Predators were also available without Predator elements under a different name. While the Predators were made of black kangaroo-leather with white stripes and red elements, the equivalent boots without Predator technology were black with white stripes and blue accents. The Precision equivalent, however, was black and white only, while the Supernova (Predator Mania without the Predator elements) was black with either silver or gold heel caps and stripes. David Beckham wore these boots for most of his career, as did Zinedine Zidane.

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