The Adidas Predator Mania boots are arguably the most beloved of all time – and now they've been re-released, with a little help from the one and only Zinedine Zidane
(Image credit: Adidas)
The Adidas Predator Mania boots were immortalised with just one swing of Zinedine Zidane's left foot.
The fiery Frenchman helped to create an icon of the game when he scored a worldie in the Champions League final in 2002. Now, Adidas are releasing an updated version of the Predator Mania, 20 years after Zizou's brilliance cemented them in our hearts.
The Mania saw a reinvention of the Predator back in 2002, when the three stripes of Adidas were incorporated onto the area of the boot that players would cross the ball with.
Worn by the likes of David Beckham, Raul and Alessandro Del Piero, these beauties were influenced by Japanese culture, with the World Cup that year being held in the far east. The Mania was brought in for the 2002 World Cup but lasted up until the run-up to Euro 2004, with a grey/silver colourway becoming popular in 2003.
The original design of the boot, from the power zones to the thick, soft leather remains completely untouched. As with the Predator Pulse boots – which were re-released last year – the only change is that the heel from recent Predator models has been added to give some sturdiness to the boot.
The best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week.
Perhaps the most famous colourway aside from the black ones is the champagne shade most notably worn by Beckham. Adidas released a remake of that particular vintage a few years ago – they're on Pro:Direct's website – but they're out of stock.
Then and now: Zizou in 2002 and 2022 (Image credit: Getty/Adidas)
For the anniversary of these particular boots, it's fitting to bring back Zidane, who scored arguably the most famous goal ever from a Predator against Bayer Leverkusen – and it's a great touch that Adi got him to recreate the original photoshoot, which took place in Oxford.
Mark White has been at on FourFourTwo since joining in January 2020, first as a staff writer before becoming content editor in 2023. An encyclopedia of football shirts and boots knowledge – both past and present – Mark has also represented FFT at both FA Cup and League Cup finals (though didn't receive a winners' medal on either occasion) and has written pieces for the mag ranging on subjects from Bobby Robson's season at Barcelona to Robinho's career. He has written cover features for the mag on Mikel Arteta and Martin Odegaard, and is assisted by his cat, Rosie, who has interned for the brand since lockdown.
