Boot Watch #020 | Pre-Season in Full Swing
Jul 26, 2017, by Pat
Welcome back to our boot watch! As the transfer market gets heated every single day, the pre-season training and fridndlies are still going strong. Let's take a look at what has caught our eyes this past week.
John Terry | Nike Magista Opus
The newly appointed captain of Aston Villa has always been very finicky with his boots (apparently wearing a handful of pairs per game from an interview i once watched), so it's no surprise to me seeing him still in his trusty first generation Magista Opus boots. Even after having a custom pair of Tiempos fashioned for his last game with Chelsea! I've got my eyes on you John
Aaron Ramsey & Cesc Fabregas | New Balance Visaro (Ramsey edition) and EvoPower Vigor 1 Graphic
Dual boot spots are always fun and always easier as it allows me to hit two birds with one stone. In a classic matchup between Arsenal and Chelsea, both midfielders laced up in pretty special boots. Ramsey is still holding onto his custom version of the New Balance Visaro 2 (which is nothing at all like the stock model), and Fabregas swapped from the EvoTouch to the EvoPower, not that surprising to me but the colorway deserves the credit as it is actually stunning. Giroud's pair probably looked great with the Arsenal kit.
Romelu Lukaku | Nike Hypervenom Phantom & Phinish II
Ok this guy has got to make up his mind! Signing with United a few week back, Lukaku was shown wearing Adidas Nemeziz 17+ boots in training and having X17.1 boots in his changing room, and everyone thought he'd make the switch to the 3 stripes! After one training session back in his Nike Phinish boots, he then went into his games wearing the Phantom and the Phinish! Like if you can't pick brand, at least pick a model!
Samir Nasri | Nike Hypervenom Phantom III low cut
Looks like Nasri officially made his switch. After spending some time with New Balance, Nasri blacked out his boots for awhile and was seen in the X16 if I'm correct. Well now that he's back with City and under Nike, he slipped on the low cut Hypervenom III in the latest colorway.
Leonardo Bonucci | Nike Magista Obra II
This spotting is more for the transfer talk then anything else, and a hell of a transfer it was. Fueled by all sorts of different factors, Bonucci's shocking move to Rival Italian giants AC Milan has certainly stirred up the transfer window. However, the highly talented defender keeps calm in his trusty Magista Obra's with which he customizes with a Tiempo-styled FG stud pattern.
Gianluigi Buffon | Puma One 17.1
An all time legend of the game, Gigi will forever be remembered as one of the greats. Starting up yet another season with Juventus, the big man has decided to op out of the EvoPower line for the first time since they were released. Ever since the Powercat and even earlier, Buffon has stuck by Puma and is a class act for this. As he's usually spotted in a leather variation of the EvoPower, it is to no surprise that he picks a simpler and originally leather made model like the One.
Neymar | Nike Mercurial Vapor XI Neymar Edition
I couldn't exactly leave him out of this spotting now could I? I'm no Neymar fan and with all the rumors of his possible record breaking transfer, it felt wrong to not include him. Especially when he's prematurely wearing his soon to be personal colorway of the Vapor, a stunning color combo, however not a fan of the detail and writing upon the upper itself.
Paulo Dybala | Adidas X 17.1
Although I've already placed Dybala in a recent spotting, he decided to swap things up again and this change deserve a mention in this week's spotting. Tying up a pair of Adidas X17.1 in a blacked out version shows Dybala might not enjoy the lace cover on the PureSpeed he was recently wearing. Nonetheless, he's still seen wearing Adidas for his games, is a contract on its way?
Carlos Puyol | Nike Tiempo VI TF
Well this is no shock, Puyol wearing Tiempos... what else is new? Taking part of the Star sixes tournament in London, Puyol laced up in his trusted Tiempo silo but in a TF outsole for the artificial pitches he was playing on.
Polo Di Canio | Adidas Copa 17.1 Tango TF EQT
I seriously want to ask him how much he likes those boots! The EQT color pack from Adidas was truly something gorgeous and although everyone knows about the Mundial Team and how it performs, I'd love to ask him how the Copa 17.1 TF performs.
José Mourinho | Adidas Ace 17+ Tango
Oh how I love a good coach spotting, and although I wanted to put Antonio Conte on this, Mourinho came out on top with his epic laceless Ace 17+ Tango boots. And he even opted for the all black colorway.
Hope you enjoyed the latest boot watch, please let us know if you have another spot or found error in our work.
T90-Inspired Nike Barclays WSL 26-27 Ball Released
Nike and the Women's Super League have officially revealed the official match ball for the 26-27 Barclays WSL and WSL2 seasons. Built on Nike's Control ball model, the design draws heavy inspiration from Nike's iconic Total 90 era, bringing a retro-infused visual identity to top-tier English women's football.
The design features vibrant multi-coloured rings and graphic lines in red, pink, blue, and black against a white base. These accents are arranged to create a subtle strobe effect when spinning in flight, aiding visibility for players on the pitch. The Barclays WSL version features a gold Nike Swoosh inside the signature circular ring, while the WSL2 edition showcases a silver Swoosh paired with bright pink detailing.
Underneath the graphics, the ball utilizes Nike Control technology with debossed grooves and engineered paneling designed to deliver stable aerodynamics and consistent touch in all conditions. The new ball will be used across all 26-27 WSL, WSL2, and domestic cup matches.
FIFA Kit Creator Adds Dozens of New Old & 26-27 Kit Templates
FIFA Kit Creator has expanded their extensive template library with a large batch of brand-new jersey structures.
The latest update introduces base designs for the upcoming 26-27 season alongside classic retro cuts from iconic past eras. Creators matteuscm and KARAVASHKIN contributed heavily to this release, bringing fresh builds across major manufacturers including Adidas, Nike, Puma, Castore, Hummel, and Umbro. Among the modern additions are official base templates for upcoming club kits such as the Adidas 26-27 AS Roma and Tiro 27 cuts, the Nike 26-27 SC Freiburg template, Castore 26-27 Everton home layout, and new Puma designs for Palmeiras and Fluminense.
Updated national team templates for Ireland, Denmark, Indonesia, and DR Congo are also now available for creators to customize.
Beyond contemporary 26-27 cuts, the update adds several famous historical templates. Users can create concepts using nostalgic patterns like the Adidas 2004 Greece home template, the 05-06 AC Milan and Bayer Leverkusen cuts, Nike 2010 and 2014 Brazil silhouettes, and Puma 2006 Italy away template.
All new template options are live and available on FIFA Kit Creator.
Outstanding CP Cacereño 26-27 Home & Away Kits Released
Spanish club CP Cacereño and new kit supplier Hummel have officially unveiled the team's new home and away kits for the 26-27 season. Marking the beginning of their technical partnership, Hummel has created two distinct custom designs heavily inspired by local culture and mythology.
The CP Cacereño 26-27 home kit features a rich green base dominated by an intricate graphic depicting dragon scales across the front panel. The design links directly to the club's release slogan, "No soy un futbolista, soy un dragón". White detailing is applied to the classic collar, sleeve cuffs, Hummel chevrons, and sponsor logos to complete the jersey.
The 26-27 away kit presents a half-and-half split layout featuring a white base paired with an orange front panel. The bottom portion of the shirt highlights a graphic illustration of the historic fortress walls of Cáceres alongside dragon tail motifs, finished with fine black detailing along the V-neck collar and sleeve cuffs.
Samsunspor 26-27 Home Kit Released
Turkish Süper Lig club Samsunspor has officially launched its new striped home kit for the 26-27 season, produced by Hummel.
The Hummel Samsunspor 26-27 home jersey features vertical red stripes over a white base, paired with plain white sleeves accented by red sleeve cuffs. A red polo collar with white edge piping and a red V-neck inset gives the shirt a classic look, while iconic white Hummel chevrons rest on the shoulders.
The reverse side of the shirt incorporates a white back panel for player names and numbers, framed by red stripe details at the top and bottom hem, along with red Samsunspor lettering printed on the upper back. The kit is now officially available for pre-order.