Predator (shoe)

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Predator technology is Adidas' trade-name for a set of features of their football boots. The common feature of the Predator range is the presence of rubber patches or strips on the top of the shoe that, according to Adidas, increase power, swerve, and accuracy when kicking or shooting a ball. The first Predator boot was launched in 1994 after Craig Johnston, an ex-professional soccer player had come up with the idea of attaching rubber patches with teeth-like dimples to the outside of the kicking area of the boot in order to allow the wearer to create extra spin or swerve when passing and shooting. The second Predator boot, the Predator Rapier, very similar to the first, was launched in 1995. Ever since Adidas has, every second year, launched a new model to coincide alternately with FIFA's Football World Cup and UEFA's European Football Championship. The predator range of boots has placed a particular emphasis on technological innovations while an increased attention to design has allowed increasingly sophisticated marketing strategies. Adidas' current product line includes three models incorporating Predator technology:

the Predator Absolute, with kangaroo leather uppers and PowerPulse technology, which increases the player's power by shifting weight into the front of the shoe;
the Predator Absolute David Beckham, with microfibre leather instead of kangaroo, and Beckham's logo on the right tongue of the shoe;
and the Predator Absolion, with full grain leather and no PowerPulse.

There is also a version called the Absolado, which has the look of the Absolute but has a synthetic upper and is missing the Predator/Powerpulse elements.

[edit] History of Predator models

For almost every major tournament, a new Predator was released:

Predator (World Cup 1994)
Predator Rapier (1995, not released for a major tournament)
Predator Touch (EURO 1996)
Predator Accelerator (World Cup 1998)
Predator Precision (EURO 2000 ; minor Update in 2001 Precision 2)
Predator Mania (World Cup 2002)
Predator Pulse (EURO 2004 ; minor Update in 2005 Pulse 2)
Predator Absolute (World Cup 2006; Rugby version in November 2006 Absolute Special)

The name giving Predator elements changed over time. However, the main idea is that some rubber parts on the forefoot could increase the acceleration of the ball. In the beginning, the focus in Predator commercials was on shooting strength, more and more changing to more spin and enhanced precision.

The first Predators were also available without Predator elements under a different name. While the Predators were made of black Kangaroo-Leather with white stripes and red elements, the "without-equivalents" were black with white stripes and blue accents. However, the Precision equivalent was black and white only, while the Supernova (=Mania without Predator) was black with either silver or gold heel caps and stripes.

The Predator Touch meant a change in many ways. It featured the Traxion (trx) studs, which where rectangular and anatomically placed. Before, studs had always been round. For professional players who preferred the old studs, Adidas produced special Predators with a different outer sole. However, these were not publicly available.

The Predator Rapids also were the first Adidas soccer boots available in different colours. Up to then, Adidas soccer boots had always been made out of black leather. The Rapid, however, was also (as a limited series) available in white and red. The same is true for the following two models. Beginning with the Mania, Adidas started to produce its Predator boots in countless colour variants. Moreover, one color was called David Beckham's style.

The Predator Precision introduced replaceable Traxion studs that were fitted by the tightening of a minute screw. These studs were available in various lengths that made the boot adjustable to ground conditions as is possible with the classic screw-in soft-ground studs. There were however some reliability problems, as the studs would come loose quite often, thus needing more constant maintenance than the classic screw-ins.

PowerPulse technology was introduced in the Predator Pulse.