The best football boots of all time

A person’s choice of football boots can tell you an awful lot about them.

Whether they be basic black and white Sondicos, fuchsia pink Nike Mercurials or retro adidas F50s, it offers an insight into their personality on the pitch, from the tough-tackling centre-half to the dazzlingly quick winger.

Over the years, the likes of Nike, adidas, Puma and Umbro have all created some of the most legendary football boots ever seen, worn by the icons of yesteryear and the modern day.

Here are the greatest football boots of all time.

30 years after the release of the original Tiempo, Nike released the Tiempo Legend X to commemorate three decades of a stunning football boot in 2024.

Already worn by some of the game’s modern greats, the Tiempo Legend X blends the chunky leather look of the originals with a sleek modern design in some tantalising colourways.

Released just before Euro 2004, adidas shocked the world with the F50. Most notably produced in a striking black and yellow colourway, it was donned by some of Europe’s elite at the championships in Portugal and offered a lightweight and streamlined design.

It instantly caught the eye with its larger than life leather lace covering and dramatic colour contrast. New and improved iterations of the iconic F50 have been released in subsequent years but none have matched or surpassed the original.

Diadora were quite the force in the sports manufacturing market before and shortly after the turn of the 21st century, with their Brasil boots being some of their finest work.

The re-issued Roberto Baggio-inspired release fuses modern with retro and pays tribute to his excellent performances at the 1994 World Cup – just don’t try to take any penalties in them.

Nike’s fabled tick was the star of the show when the Tiempo was first released in 1994, with the World Cup in the United States proving the perfect advertising spot for a chic boot.

Pretty much the entirety of the Brazil team wore the originals in the final of the competition, with their triumph in North America contributing to the Tiempo legend.

adidas’ Predator range have always been a much-loved, popular football boot, especially given the instantly recognisable black, red and white colourway.

The Predator Precision built on their legacy with a gorgeous and full-bodied design, with the three stripes looking as smooth as a lion’s mane. Simply stunning.

The Total 90 Laser II mixed Nike’s Total 90 classic with a futuristic design, most notably worn by Wayne Rooney in his pomp. A gorgeous red colourway became synonymous with the Manchester United striker and his belting strikes into the top corner.

Building on the already stunning Total Laser, the refreshed second iteration of these iconic boots were a real standout in a glorious era of football footwear.

With football boots, less is so often more. That’s what Umbro understood when they released the Speciali, and they took their famous diamond logo and placed it on the side of a truly special but subliminal boot.

English football fans will likely remember when the likes of Alan Shearer and Michael Owen were tormenting goalkeepers and bursting nets while wearing a pair of these Umbro wonders.

Laceless football boots certainly divide opinion but the adidas Copa Sense wouldn’t look out of place at the Louvre. They’ll fit your feet like a glove and that snug feel suits the game’s technicians, pass masters and midfield maestros.

Sleek, sexy and wonderfully gold, they are inspired by the legendary Copa Munidal and serve as a reminder of how stunning modern boots can be.

Mizuno have made a comeback in the football shirt space over recent years but when it comes to boots, we’re largely left reminiscing about their heyday.

The Mizuno Wave Cup certainly didn’t enjoy the publicity or hype of its Nike and adidas competitors, but Rivaldo made them famous during the 2002 World Cup with his exquisite displays.

An underappreciated boot, that’s for certain.

The mid-2000s. What a time to be football supporter.

The Nike Mercurial had already been around for a number of years, gaining popularity with every passing release, but the Vapor III collection was just different gravy.

They had curves in all the right places and were available in a range of daring colourways, with every young aspiring footballer begging their parents for a pair of these stunners.

For football fans, they were the equivalent of a Lamborghini or Ferrari – almost too nice to use for their actual purpose.

If you were asked to draw a pair of football boots from memory, it would almost certainly be adidas’ Copa Mundial. That’s partly because they are simplistic in design, but that’s the beauty of these gorgeous retro kicks.

Those three stripes have never looked so iconic, with the black/white contrast providing a pure but stylish look.

The Copa Mundial has aged wonderfully decades after they were seen gracing the turf in the 1980s, with all of adidas’ modern masterpieces stemming from these.

Arguably the first superstar football boot, donned by the likes of Pele and Johan Cruyff, the Puma King was first released in 1966, but remains one of the most iconic and loved pieces of footwear of all time.

While they would be considered a little plain these days, with no pink or yellow flames plastered across the toe or heel, they remind many of a time when football – and life – was an awful lot simpler.

That lace cover is a work of art.

Mercurials have been a staple of Nike’s since the late 1990s but nothing has usurped the original, which shot to fame after Ronaldo laced them up for the 1998 World Cup.

Dancing past defenders and scoring for fun – until the final at least – the legend of Ronaldo was enhanced by the blue, yellow and silver Nike Mercurial that helped him win the Player of the Tournament.

It’s no surprise that they remain so popular today.

Nike’s Total 90 era was arguably the brand’s peak, with that famous circular logo raising the mid-noughties generation. Worn by some powerful strikers of a football, Rooney and his street footballer style were most closely associated with the Total 90 III.

They were far from subtle, much like the players donning them, with thick leather and eye-catching colourways, but you wanted people to know you were wearing a pair of these stunners.

These boots scream Zinedine Zidane and anything synonymous with the sensational Frenchman deserves immense recognition.

Of course, the midfielder was not the only superstar to don these beauties – Steven Gerrard, David Beckham and Alessandro Del Piero owned a pair or two – but the famous red and black colourway is instantly recognisable as the face of Zidane’s twilight years.

First hitting the limelight in 2002, Predator Mania took the Predator collection to new heights, emphasising control and power to create the most sleek and attractive football boot we’ve ever seen.

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