Unique Adidas Predator 20 Prototype Boots Revealed
We love this. Adidas has given us a rare look at some of the prototypes the brand's designers came up during the development of the Predator 20. Thanks to Soccerbible for the pictures.
The Adidas Predator 20 prototypes were revealed during the Predator 20 launch event at the Arsenal academy in London, where Adidas Football Design Director Ben Herath also talked about the Predator 20 Mutator.
Adidas Predator 20 Prototype Boots
Adidas developed various prototypes until they came up with the final product - what most of them have in common are those grippy rubber elements on the upper that are the trademark feature of the final Predator 20.
Designer Ben Herath also gave us some insights of the design process of the Adidas Predator 20 soccer cleats.
"We took the Predator 18 as a starting point and we thought about how we could infuse it with real DNA from the Predator. It was a question of how do we bring more of that personality, performance, innovation, and spirit of the Predator into the new design".
The biggest change to previous knitted Predator boots is the upper that now comes with rubber elements that are typical for classic Predators.
"It was from a number of angles that we approached it. A Predator has always been about control; controlling the ball, controlling the game, and we felt that the Primeknit material that we created on the 18 was a great starting point for the design, but for us it was all about the haptics, all about the texture, the grip, thinking about what we could do in combination with that Primeknit. Primeknit is soft, its pliant, it’s flexible, adaptable, but then how do we add grip to that while also not detracting from the Primeknit offers.
That’s why we started looking at smaller shapes, and we explored all sorts of different geometries, sizes, heights, to find a way of adding grip without detracting from the benefits of Primeknit."
He also said that the Predator 20 was "a reset for the Predator journey".
"It was a great starting point for us. Now here with the 2020 Mutator, we feel like we’ve really reset the Predator journey with the right DNA."
Do you like the Adidas Predator 20? Is is the best Predator boot ever? Share your thoughts in the comments below and check out the full interview with Adidas Football Design Director Ben Herath on Soccer Bible.
