AdiPOWER Predator; adidas sells out. RIP power & accuracy

Passion for the Product- above me/footy guru
 T-shirt I made for an interview I had at adidas.

GOOD OLD DAYS...

Besides the hoopla that adidas has set the tone in 2011 by creating the lightest boot on the market, blah blah Lighter is not always better, market gimmicks make poor consumers believe that the lighter the boot the faster you are. You could put messinator and ronnie in a boot that weighs a ton and they are still going to be the fastest players on the pitch. Let me make this clear, players make the boot, the boot does not make the player. You can not teach speed and if you have ever truly been tackled so hard wearing these speed boots you will think twice about how light and rather focus on how much protection is this boot going to offer me. I am more concerned with one of the most popular boots of all time. A boot that changed the game of soccer in terms of technology, style, and comfort. A boot that in the past couple releases has begun to die little by little. What boot is on my mind....

The predator which at one time was the best boot you could buy, now days however people are walking right by it and going for the super light weight boot that looks like something you would wear to a ballet reception. Sure the trend is light weight boots, but I think the predator line has struggled to innovate and put their one of a kind technology what got them to soccer supremacy in the boot world on the back burner and focussed more on how light they could make the boot. With the new adiPower getting ready to hit a store near you, it will be interesting to see if this boot flops like the predator x did on the Footy market. The predator has always been a power boot, a boot that possess the technology to allow you to make that game changing cross or shot that changes the game. Again, the player makes the boot but the predator used to be that go to boot that elite players flocked to in order to raise their game or to get more power/accuracy around their shot. With adidas giving in and making the boots super light you have to think the power, technology, comfort, and protection this boot once produced is now gone. Lighter is not always better and if you are an elite player you need a stable boot that provides comfort/protection in order to get you through your season. Back in college I would take knocks while wearing the vapors and playing a Friday, Sunday schedule it would be hard to recover if I had a bone bruise at the top of my foot...

In the end, only time will tell but in my opinion the past couple of predators have taken a back seat to innovation. I think the power swerve technology is a interesting technology and something that combined with a new upper/rubber knobs then the predator could be the power boot that elite players go to. Making the predator lighter is not the option that I would have taken the series and if adidas was smart they would make a power boot/hybrid that was the weight of 9 oz that packed power behind your shot. I can not imagine how much power of increase in surface area you can get with a boot that weighs 5.8 oz. Should be interesting how consumers perceive this boot and technology. I still believe this boot has all the tools it needs to be the power boot it used to be but ultimately I believe adidas sold out and followed the trend of making a boot as light as possible with a sticker on the boots that says defenders please step on my foot, I have no protection.

Issues i see on the adiPOWER Predator?

How much protection will these boot provide?
RIP power, accuracy? Will this boot be a game changer or has all the technology gone into making it as light as possible?
How durable is this boot going to be? With the sprint frame outsole will the cleats be snapping like they did on the F50?
Will this be the boot/predator that people take a chance on, or will it flop like the predator X?

From the fans of the predator, are you happy where adidas has taken the predator line?

Consumer feedback regarding this post:

"Just checked out your newest blog.....love the Predator t-shirt.

Also love the post. Predators are may favorite footy boots of all time; CTR is 2nd though I have never used them; but appreciate the concept and reviews that I have read about them.

My favorite Predators are the Pulse's. I have a pair of the lower level ones and love them.
I also love the PowerSwerve ones with the ClimaCool technology (love the black and white color).

I am really disappointed in the direction Adidas has taken Predators. I thought their new release was a chance to get back to their roots and make up for the mistakes they made with Predator X........I think adiPower just took an even larger dent out of the Predator legacy. Predators are not meant to be a speed boot. they are pure power and control plain and simple. They are trying too hard to be something they are not; which is very disappointing."

-Anonymous

Adidas adiPOWER Predator SL:

Adidas adiPOWER SL:
Background/opinion on adidas line & opinion/questions regarding adiPOWER Predator.

Footy fans here is a picture of the adidas adiPOWER Predator SL, soon to be the lightest Predator to ever hit the pitch. With the normal version weighing 8.2 oz, I am predicting that the SL version will be around 7oz.


Like Nike, adidas is making an elite version of their boots called the SL series which features adidas patented sprint frame outsole that drastically reduces the overall weight of the boot. With the speed boot craze still in demand these SL/ elite boots by adidas will be a big hit with consumers .

With the success/popularity of the adiZERO in 2010, adidas is looking to use that momentum to dominate the boot market in 2011. Not only is adidas looking to build momentum but for so long like Nike at the moment was at a stand still, adidas was not able to innovate and create new styles/boots which is where Nike still holds holds the upper hand; especially with the insertion of the CTR into their line of boots. With the SL series it will give adidas consumers more options and allow adidas to have more styles, which they lack. When you look at adidas boots/line you have the predator, adiPURE, and the F50. From my perspective, as a consumer I feel limited looking at the adidas line. In addition, by making the predator lighter I feel like adidas is killing the once ever popular power boot. With the new predator being lighter I am interested to see the comfort, durability, and technology all footy fans associate with the power boot. The predator will always be a power boot in my mind and I'm not sure if this is the direction I would have taken the boot. Sometimes what you give up in weight you sacrifice protection and power which I think matters to some consumers and professional athletes. In the end, what I am trying to say is that too much emphasis is being put on how lightweight boots are, but in this instance I think the predator fans will categorize this boot as a speed boot rather then a power boot.

In addition, thanks to eBay I have found another image of the soon to be adiPOWER. Looking at other images floating around the net I believe adidas has learned that they can no longer play it safe and from the look of their color ways it looks as if adidas has really stepped their game up. Let's face it, when you are watching games on the tele the brighter the boots the more they standout. Like Nike, adidas is following the bright color demand from a younger generation of footballers who love the flashy colors.




Concerns about the adiPOWER predator:
- Due to it's decreased weight will the boot have durability and comfort issues?
- will it still offer the patented predator game changing technology or will it just be another speed boot labeled the predator with plastic on the top for another market gimmick.
-Will the price of the SL version be reasonable or will they make the same mistake Nike made and kill the boot off with a 400 dollars price point?

What do you think about the Predator SL and about the direction adidas is taking the line?