What's the best and safest football footwear?
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Fill your boots, lads. So many styles, what's the best and safest football footwear?
Soft shoe shuffle: Ex-Liverpool and England star Jamie Redknapp on the testing ground.
by JAMIE REDKNAPP
This is about putting the boot on the other foot and finding out if there is enough protection in modern football footwear. I know so many of the new football boots are trendy and light but, in view of recent metatarsal injuries, are they really safe?
David Beckham started a trend by changing his boots for every game; Gary Lineker used to wear the same boots for years and when his lucky ones were damaged at the 1986 World Cup, he sent them back home for repairs, before continuing a scoring spree that led to him being the tournament's top scorer.
Now you can design the look, the shape and the colour, not to mention adding your name, number and flags of nationality. You can copy your heroes from the Barclays Premier League, some of whom wear more boots in one game than I wore in a season.
I wore adidas, Mizuno and Nike in my playing career and I was involved in the original adidas Predator design, visiting their development centre and watching how the boots were put together. It has since become a truly big business.
A new season brings new designs. I went shopping for my son, Charley, to buy his first boots. There is such a wide range from which to choose.
Sportsmail asked me to test-drive the latest from the leading boot manufacturers. Protection has become a problem since lightweight boots replaced the clod-hopping footwear that felt like you were carrying half the pitch around with you.
These are the boot manufacturers who agreed to take part in our experiment. Here's what we found...
NIKE TOTAL 90 LASER II
What do they want you to know? 'Increased sweet spot, improves shooting and passing accuracy.'
How much? £120.
Who wears them? Wayne Rooney, Fernando Torres, Rio Ferdinand.
My verdict: Fitted like a sock around my foot and instantly made me want to go and strike a ball. Very inviting. It had a snug feel, nicely comfortable and didn't require time to be worn in. No worries about blisters. It was solid, too, with good protection. You can see why Rooney wears these boots. An excellent all-round boot, can I keep them?
Redknapp rating: 10/10
LOTTO ZHERO EVOLUTION
What do they want you to know? 'Twist 'n Go' technology provides the first rotating stud improving speed, stability and reducing the risk of injury.'
How much? £90.
Who wears them? Luca Toni, Simone Perrotta, Gregory Vignal.
My verdict: I didn't like the colours. I've always preferred black boots. Lotto introduced a front stud that rotates and is meant to help movement and flexibility; it's a little bit of a gimmick, but a decent try. These boots were comfortable and fashionable, but a little lightweight.
Redknapp rating: 7
UMBRO SX VALOR
What do they want you to know? 'New Michelin technology enhances touch and a greater feel for the ball. A new TPU lightweight heel counter and Kontact outsole keep the foot stable and protected.' How much? £99.
Who wears them? John Terry.
My verdict: The colours didn't appeal, a bit too flashy for me, but these are quality boots. I like the introduction of the Michelin technology which does what it says it will, especially on the plastic-coated modern balls. Comfort and protection very good. Tried too hard to be trendy.
Redknapp rating: 7
UMBRO SPECIALI 2008 FIRM GROUND
What do they want you to know? 'Utilises original wishbone technology for superb foot stability, and new covered lacing provides unparalleled style and total ball control.'
How much? £59.
Who wears them? Michael Owen
My verdict: A classic boot, classic design. Michael Owen wears Umbro and has scored plenty of goals in them. Nice leather, good quality and supportive. Contact with the ball was sweet. Not a lot wrong with these, although school playgrounds may be full of something more fancy.
Redknapp rating: 7
CONCAVE BOOT
What do they want you to know? 'The sweet spot is 400 per cent times bigger than on any other boot and independent tests show it increases accuracy by 30 per cent and power by 15 per cent.'
How much? £99.
Who wears them? Kenny Dalglish helped test the boot.
My verdict: They were surprisingly comfortable once on, but I didn't like them to look at and the plastic box built on top, presumably to aid protection, looked odd and felt clumsy. Maybe it's something you grow into, but I'm not sure how many we'll be seeing.
Redknapp rating: 6
PUMA KING XL FIRM GROUND
What do they want you to know? 'The supersoft full grain leather upper provides an unparalleled experience of comfort and control as the range celebrates its 40th anniversary.'
How much? £90.
Who wears them? Michael Carrick and Kevin Doyle.
My verdict: Beautiful boots to wear, lovely feel to them.These were the boots to have as a kid and they still feel like top of the range, modern footwear now. Brought back memories of watching Diego Maradona and Kenny Dalglish wearing these at World Cups.They look smart, feel great and they are durable and protective. You won't go wrong with them.
Redknapp rating: 9
MITRE REVOLVE SI
What do they want you to know? 'One piece velcro closure covers the lacing system giving the ultimate strike of the ball.'
How much? £29.99.
Who wears them? Kieron Dyer, Steve Harper, Antti Niemi and Carlos Edwards are all currently testing the boot.
My verdict: I thought I wouldn't like these boots as I removed them from the box, but they felt comfortable, supportive and sturdy. Good for the younger generation and excellent price, too. They felt better than they looked and as they are cheaper than the other boots, they represent good value for money. Good boot, nice feel.
Redknapp rating: 7
ADIDAS+F50.8 TUNIT
What do they want you to know? 'Patented ADIDOT technology allows the player to customise the boot however they wish with over 35 different combinations. The boot is faster and easier to maintain.'
How much? From £120.
Who wears them? Lionel Messi, David Villa, Emmanuel Adebayor, Arjen Robben.
My verdict: Too gimmicky. I didn't like the clear base and they felt more like golf shoes than football boots. They are fashionable, sure, they look eyecatching but they didn't feel like you would want to wear them going into a 50-50 tackle with Steven Gerrard! Kids will like them and enjoy the chance to customise their boot.
Redknapp rating: 6
ADIDAS ADIPURE FIRM GROUND
What do they want you to know? 'Offers ultra-soft ball feel for spraying passes, deft flicks, controlling difficult balls and elaborate touches while still being durable.'
How much? £95.
Who wears them? Kaka, Robin van Persie, Frank Lampard and Phillip Lahm.
My verdict: Fantastic leather, really comfortable and, if you have football ability, you will enjoy wearing these. I bought a pair of these for my son and he likes them, too. Wearing them myself, I can see why Kaka would choose to endorse these - and he's not a bad player, is he? They provided support and safety as well as comfort and style.
Redknapp rating: 9
ADIDAS PREDATOR POWERSWERVE
What do they want you to know? 'New Predator technology shifts weight to the point of impact when kicking meaning players shots are more powerful and can develop more swerve.'
How much? From £120.
Who wears them? Steven Gerrard, Michael Ballack, Xavi Alonso.
My verdict: I've always been impressed by Predators, they really do help you to bend the ball when striking a pass or driving a free kick and shooting on goal. However, I don't like blades on the bottom of any boots. So while the top half of the boot has everything you can wish to need, the blades mean it gets marked down.
Redknapp rating: 7 -
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