Boot spotting: 27th February

Kick start your week in the best way possible, as Soccer Reviews gives you the low down on this weekend’s boot spots. With boot spots from Europe to Asia and even South America, Soccer Reviews has dug up only the best boot spots for you. Which spots made it through our harsh screening process this week?

Nani (Manchester United) – adidas Predator adiPower

It’s hard to believe that a little over a year and a half ago, Nani used to be one of the endorsers for Nike’s Mercurial Vapor range. Today, he’s one of the leading faces of the Predator adiPower line. Nani has missed out on the last few games, but this is the first time we’ve seen Nani playing in the EPL in the new Slime adiPower, which was released during the time he spent out with an injury.

Marco Boriello (Juventus) – Nike Mercurial Vapor VIII (Custom)

Vapor VIII spottings are hardly uncommon, in fact, it seems every Vapor player in Europe is wearing Vapor VIIIs disguised as Mercurial Vapor Superfly IIIs. However, Marco Boriello has become one of the first players to wear blackout versions of the Vapor VIII in a competitive First XI game. We think Boriello may be one of very few players to do this, as many Nike players would be given mock Superfly IIIs as they test out the new Vapor VIII prior to it’s release date.

Filippo Porcari (Novara Calcio) – Nike Tiempo Legend IV Elite

Most of the time, football boot companies try and keep their new boots under covers until they are formally released. But it seems Nike really haven’t tried too hard keeping the new White/Green Tiempo Legend IV colourway under wraps, as Filippo Porcari has made himself the 3rd player to wear the colourway prior to it’s release date. Coincidentally, all the players who have worn the boot have all been in the Serie A, and we expect to reveal the boot sometime in the next fortnight or so.

Naohiro Ishikawa (Japan) – adidas miCoach F30 adiZero

While an adiZero spot is hardly worth fluttering an eyelid at, this one is a little bit different. Japan’s Naohiro Ishikawa definitely doesn’t have the stock standard firm ground soleplate on his pair of adiZeros, it’s actually the artificial grass soleplate, which is only available on the F30 and F10 adiZeros. While it’s strange to see a professional wearing HG studs, it could be because Ashikawa plays on dry pitches most of the time.

Chris Lines (Sheffield Wednesday) – adidas Predator adiPower (Custom)

We love it when players go out of their way to create a pair of boots that matches perfectly with their kit, and Chris Lines has done just that as he made himself a customised pair of White/Light Blue Predator adiPowers. It does look a lot like the White/Blue/Warning adiPowers that have already been released to the general public, but a close inspection of the boot shows that the heel is lined in light blue, while the general release version is lined in black.

Henrique (Brisbane Roar) – Pele Sports Trinity 3E

When a player opts to go for a lightweight boot, it’s not too often that they go for the ultralight Pelé Sports Trinity 3E! Weighing in at an ultralight 170 grams and coming in with a unique stud layout, Brisbane Roar’s Henrique has made himself the first player in our boot spotting articles to wear Pelé Sports most advanced boot to date.

Diego Gonzalez (Lanus) – Nike Mercurial Glide II

We love South America, and it’s not just because they have the football powerhouse that is Brazil, they give us loads of unique boot spots. Even though Diego Gonzalez is a professional who participates in the Copa Libertadores, he doesn’t wear top of the range football boots, but rather the scale down Mercurial Glide II. The Glide II is the only Mercurial to come with a lace cover, so it’s a unique boot choice from Diego Gonzalez.

Naoya Kondo (Japan) – Puma Para Mexico Lite

We know that the Japanese football boot market has quite a few unique football boots that are only sold in the far east, and the Puma Para Mexico Lite is one of these boots. Since Japan is dotted with dusty pitches, the Para Mexico was released for the Japanese market as it can withstand these tough conditions. It’s virtually a Puma King with an AG soleplate, plus it comes with a very unique advertising campaign (you have to see it to believe it). It’s a unique boot and this boot is a break from the often conservative Puma King colourways.

Jan Simunek (Kaiserslautern) – adidas Predator PowerSwerve TRX

We always love a vintage Predator spot, and the Predator PowerSwerve TRX is technically the last Predator to have all of the iconic Predator elements. It had a fold over tongue, it was in the signature Predator Red colourway and it has the PowerPulse built into the soleplate. It’s always great to see a PowerSwerve in our boot spotting, and one that is in such good condition too!

Niklas Andersen (Chemnitzer FC) – Nike Mercurial Vapor V

Ending a boot spotting with a vintage Mercurial Vapor spot somehow feels right, and there’s nothing quite like taking a look back at the Vapor V of old. While the lack of a lace cover may lead some to believe that this isn’t a Mercurial Vapor V, a close inspection of the boot shows the outer stitching of where the lace cover used to be. Not only is it an old Vapor spot, selecting the Orion Blue Vapor V means Andersen gets top marks for colour co-ordination!

That’s it for this week’s boot spotting. What was your favourite spot this week? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.