Innovation, tech and restyling; words like these are often employed whenever there’s something new in the football market. Manufacturers such as Nike, Adidas or Puma per se leave no stones unturned in bringing the newest advancements for the betterment of the game.
In a world of momentous leading edge, however, retro is the new modern, and sticking to the year-old designs while matching the to-date evolution is exactly what the audience crave for. For some though, new designs remain the attraction.
That said, it is all but obvious for the aforementioned manufacturers to reintroduce the olde worlde with a pinch of modernization, and here are five best from we’ve seen in 2020 so far.
The COPA 20 + ‘Mutator Pack’
View this post on InstagramTouch of class. @paulodybala and the new #COPA20, tap to shop. #Football #Soccer #adidasFootball
Late in January this year, Adidas adopted a subtle black and red colourway to introduce their ‘Mutator Pack’ solely based on COPA 20 +. Apart from the two-way colour scheme, the Adidas stripes are painted white which makes the boots even more stunning.
The laceless cleats see the red colourway dominating a majority of proportion, while black occupies the collar.
The Phantom VSN II – White / Black / Laser Crimson
Nike Phantom VSN II, launched in January 2020 saw a new scheme of variant hitting the market in late February when the company announced its launch in While / Black / Laser Crimson colourway. Arriving initially in ‘Future Lab’ as well as ‘Kinetic Black’, VSN II’s newest scheme was applauded by many for its clean design, which sees white commanding the product, followed by black on the collar. The Swoosh design keeps its place on the sides as well.
The Solista 100 III Gravity - “Diva Blue/White/Skydiver Blue
Image courtesy: Twitter / SoccerBible
It’s hard to compete in a market dominated mostly by Nike and Adidas but that doesn’t seem to bother Lotto, who in early February launched the Solista 100 III Gravity in “Diva Blue/White/Skydiver Blue”. Lotto are the first manufacturers to introduce laceless boots in 2006, but the move failed to gather any traction whatsoever. 13 years later, though, they were back in it with Solista 100 III Gravity (in 2019). Adding to the collection, the Italian company came out with a “Diva Blue/White/Skydiver Blue” colourway on the product.
The Predator 20 + Mutator
The launch of Adidas Predator 20 + Mutator was grand, to say the least. Right from its advertisement to appealing graphics, everything about the boot seemed eerie. While the boot carries its DNA from the Predator sibling, the aggressive approach and mindboggling design on the front makes it bold. Adidas calls the colourway as the ‘DemonSkin’ and one cannot argue to differ.
Innovation at its very best, the DemonSkin is said to be a product of extreme research. The spikes on the front of the boot are deliberately crafted so that the players can have better control with the ball. Everything about it is eerie, yet stunning.
Adidas ‘Shadow Beast’ Pack
Adidas kicked off their new year exactly where they had left 2019. A new decade was celebrated by the launch of ‘Shadow Beast’ pack on the likes of their X, COPA and Nemeziz products. While most of us can relate the ‘Shadow Beast’ to Adidas’ ‘Dark Script’ pack, there remain a few subtle and minor changes in the scheme of things.
