Global Boot Spotting - 28/10/13



After a big week of innovative, signature and straight up crazy boot releases players across the world stepped out of the tunnel to give us our first look at how the latest boots looked on pitch. Reflective boots, space-like boots and boots with a great big lion on the front, it's been a mad week...
 

David Villa (Atletico Madrid) adidas f50 adizero
David Villa was laced up in the adidas Enlightened Pack F50 to score his third and fourth La Liga goals of the season as Atletico Madrid hammered Real Betis 5-0 on Sunday. The Enlightened Pack is the first boot collection of it's kind to feature in football by using reflective technology.

Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid) Nike Mercurial Vapor IX CR7 Galaxy
Nike and Cristiano Ronaldo picked, what was on paper, the perfect game to launch his new signature Mercurial. Nike hooked CR up with his brand new Galaxy Mercurial hoping he'd net the winner in el clasico with the whole world watching. Barcelona didn't read that script and it was fellow Nike stars Neymar and Alexis that stole the headlines as Barca secured bragging rights with a 2-1 win.

Christian Maggio (Napoli) Lotto Solista
The adidas Enlightened Pack dominated pitches in the Champions League this week and although the collection is the first boot range to feature the reflective technology it's not the first singular boot. Earlier this year Lotto launched the Solista, the world's first totally reflective football boot and Napoli's Christian Maggio has been sporting a pair since day one.

Archie Thompson (Melbourne Victory) adidas Yamamoto F50 adizero
Another boot that sparked a huge reaction this week was the adidas Yamamoto F50 adizero. One of the craziest football boots ever seen with only 2000 pairs launched. David Alaba and Lucas Moura were two of the highest profile names in the unique boot but it was Melbourne Victory's Archie Thompson who was the first player to slip into them against Brisbane Roar on Friday.

Nicolas Anelka (West Brom) Nike HyperVenom
Nicolas Anelka has chopped and changed his boots almost every game this season and the latest pair which he turned out in for West Brom on Saturday was the Nike HyperVenom stealth colourway. Anelka had an unhappy return to Anfield as his side were beaten 4-1 by his old club Liverpool.

Laurent Koscielny (Arsenal) adidas Predator LZ
The Champions League was lit up in midweek by the adidas Enlightened Pack with the majority of adidas' players switching into reflective editions of the Predator LZ, Nitrocharge, F50 and 11Pro. Arsenal's Laurent Koscielny was in the Pred as Arsenal slipped to a 2-1 defeat to Dortmund at the Emirates.

Sidnei Sciola Moraes (Perth Glory) PUMA evoSPEED 1
Sidnei Sciola Moraes of Perth Glory was sporting a rarer PUMA evoSPEED colourway at the weekend. The silver/green evoSPEED was only worn by Gael Clichy in the Premier League but is a decent match up for Moraes' Perth Glory kit.

Lionel Messi (Barcelona) adidas F50 adizero Messi
As adidas rolled out their Enlightened Pack Leo Messi's signature F50's were given special treatment to bring them in line with the rest of the Enlightened players. The black stripes on his adizeros were replaced with reflective strips to catch the light from the San Siro floodlights. As per usual Messi notched but Barca had to settle for a 1-1 draw against AC Milan.

Jose Angel Crespo (Bologna) NikeiD Mercurial Vapor IX
Bologna's Jose Angel Crespo was wearing a pair of NikeiD Mercurials against Livorno on Sunday. Crespo obviously has his club's home colours in mind when designing the boots and they did the business as he bagged the only goal in the game to give his side their first league win of the season.

Dani Alves (Barcelona) adidas F50 adizero
Dani Alves made the somewhat bizarre decision to change from the Nitrocharges he's been wearing all season into the launch colourway of the previous F50 adizero model. Alves smashed in that wonder goal against Real Madrid in the Copa del Rey last January wearing this boot so maybe it's a superstitious decision?