Boot Watch #011 | Metal Flash Pack, Futsal, Blackouts
Feb 7, 2016, by Pat
Welcome to Boot Watch #011. This week in the football boots world was dominated by the launch of Nike's Metal Flash Pack, after Adidas' early 2016 frenzy has cooled off a bit. But let's get started right away.
Nike "Metal Flash" Pack
The debut of the new Metal Flash Pack by Nike, the brand's first-ever collection this year, was certainly one of the stand-out picks this week. Combining bright base colors with shiny Swooshes, the new Nike boots were picked up by players all around with no hesitance.
Keylor Navas - Adidas Ace 16+ Primeknit
Having already made his experiences with Nike's high-cut Magista Obra boots, Real Madrid goalkeeper Keylor Navas didn't hesitate to modify his new Adidas Ace 16.1 Primeknit boots in the same way.
David Silva - Adidas X 15.1 Primeknit
Manchester City's David Silva became one of the first players to wear the new Adidas Ace 16+ Primeknit football boots in an official game back in November. For the top-of-the-table clash between City and Leicester, he once again opted for the Adidas X 15.1 Primeknit he had worn before, just in the latest "Solar Gold" color variation.
Evie Clarke - Puma King Top DI 1982
England U19's Evie Clarke laced up in a classy pair of k-leather Puma Kings in the "Regal Red" paint job.
Ali Asadalla - adidas 11pro SL
Another interesting spot has reached us fro the AFC U-23 Championship, with Qatar midfielder Ali Asadalla going with the strongly color-blocking Adidas 11pro SL boots, released just over a year ago.
Closer look: Adidas 11pro SL (2015)
Ryan Bertrand - Nike Hypervenom Phantom II
Southampton and England defender Ryan Bertrand once again caught the attention of boot spotters left and right, lacing up in his totally customized Nike Hypervenom Phantom II cleats. On the lookout for a new boot contract, Bertrand, who was with Adidas before, did not only black-out his boots but also cut off most of the heightened collar.
Jonathan Dos Santos - Adidas Ace 15.1 Leather
Villarreal's Jonathan Dos Santos is one of the more curious cases in the football boot world, having worn blackouts for almost two years now. Currently, he's sporting custom blacked-out Adidas Ace 15.1 k-leather cleats, based on the "Black Reflective" colorway launched last summer.
Ricardinho - Nike MagistaX Finale
If you didn't know, the Futsal Euro is currently underway. In honor of the event, we decided to include Portugal's Ricardinho, who is widely regarded as one of the greatest futsal players and who scored a pretty good goal this weekend. His weapon of choice is the Nike MagistaX Finale.
We hope you enjoying reading through this week's Boot Watch. As always, please let us know if you have another spot or found an error in our work.
David Beckham Teases New Adidas Predator 26 Signature Boots
David Beckham has taken to Instagram to tease his upcoming Adidas Predator 26 signature football boots. Sharing close-up preview shots to his story alongside a "48 hours to go..." countdown tagging Adidas Football, the England legend provided the first official glimpse of the boots ahead of their imminent release on Tuesday, October 6.
Following previous signature editions in 2024 and 2025, this 26-27 release marks the third consecutive year that Adidas has honored Beckham with a bespoke Predator model. The cleat features a clean white and vibrant red palette inspired by England. Prominently displayed in the teaser images are Beckham's iconic free-kick silhouette on the heel, custom "BECKHAM" lettering across the elastic tongue strap, and a bold red Adidas Originals Trefoil visible through the translucent soleplate beneath an all-over Trefoil pattern.
Built on the standard Predator 26 silhouette with a classic fold-over tongue, the boot balances modern performance technology with nostalgic heritage styling. The timing of the launch also aligns with the 25th anniversary of Beckham's famous stoppage-time free-kick against Greece on October 6, 2001, capping off a major commemorative week for the brand and its long-time ambassador.
Amiens SC Add Pink Details to 26-27 Home Kit for Pink October
French side Amiens SC have introduced a special update to their 26-27 Puma home kit in support of the annual Octobre Rose (Pink October) breast cancer awareness and screening campaign. Debuted during their 3-0 victory against FC Villefranche at the Stade Crédit Agricole de la Licorne, the club's traditional black-and-white halved home strip was revamped with vibrant pink details.
The customized kit features eye-catching pink names and squad numbers on the back, along with pink-tinted sponsor graphics, including Intersport and Igol. Completing the tribute is a small pink ribbon placed prominently on the right chest just above the Puma cat branding.
Amiens SC confirmed that the special pink printing is not a one-match appearance; the team will also wear the modified kit during their upcoming away match against Valenciennes FC later this month.
Alianza Universidad 2026 Special Kit Released
Peruvian club Alianza Universidad de Huánuco and local manufacturer Real Sport have officially unveiled a special commemorative kit for the 2026 season. Launched under the slogan "Vestimos nuestra fe" (We wear our faith), the release embraces Peru's deep-rooted October tradition of donning purple to pay homage to religious heritage, specifically honoring the Señor de Burgos, the patron saint of Huánuco.
The Real Sport Alianza Universidad 2026 special shirt swaps the team's customary red and blue palette for a striking purple and white striped look. It features bold purple vertical stripes across the front, complemented by a purple crew neck and matching sleeve trim on white sleeves. On the upper back sits an intricate graphic badge depicting the Señor de Burgos, accompanied by the inscription "Rey y Patrón de Huánuco", while squad numbers are rendered in gold with purple outlines.
The special edition kit is set to make its on-pitch debut during October Liga 2 action and is currently available via pre-order through the club's official channels.
Adidas Reuses Spain’s 2026 Training Kits
During recent UEFA Nations League training sessions, Spain was spotted using old training jerseys with one star removed and two additional stars printed above the logo. The imprint of the old star remains visible on the shirts.
This case is reminiscent of another interesting situation involving the Argentina futsal team at the 2021 Futsal World Cup. Despite being the defending champions, Argentina was not provided bespoke kits by Adidas and had to use standard jerseys, from which two stars were removed and replaced with one, as they had only won the Futsal World Cup once.
Big thanks to @whatthekit_x for the collages.
Chelsea 26-27 Home Kit Leaked
Based on leaked details from myach_lab, our partner @whatthekit_x have created a mockup of the Chelsea 2026-27 shirt. The design combines a blue base with yellow details and a distinctive checkered sleeve pattern, while the Nike and Chelsea logos are placed centrally. The simplified lion crest from this season is also retained.
