The Adidas Predator 2026 has been released – with a callback to 2003.
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Over 30 years since their original release, the Preds are still one of the best boots on the market, steeped in nostalgia from the likes of David Beckham and Steven Gerrard having donned them at their height, but nowadays worn by the likes of Jude Bellingham, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Aitana Bonmati and Pedri.
So it's fitting that Real Madrid stars Bellingham and Alexander-Arnold are, in fact, on board for this new release – which harks back to Los Blancos heritage.
Buy the new Adidas Predator 2026
After the recent remake of Adidas's iconic Predator Manias in the gunmetal colourway worn by David Beckham during his maiden season in Spanish football, the 2026 editions of the boot have been given a silver service, too.
The boots remain true to the classics with exactly the same grey-and-chrome touches, complete with a red tongue, with Jude and Trent featuring in the photoshoot with greyed-out eyes.
“Bringing back the iconic Gunmetal colourway first used on the Predator franchise in 2003, the latest Predator celebrates the boot’s iconic legacy while looking firmly at the future,” Adidas tells us now. “The combination of metallic silver Three Stripes and infrared detailing evokes Predator’s unmistakable presence – a boot designed to make a statement both in performance and appearance.”
They've nailed it: but there's far more to these new boots than just a sleek new silver look, with Adidas having packed more tech into this model than ever before.
The 2026 Preds are engineered with a lightweight construction, bringing back the German manufacturer's POWERSPINE – to you and us, that's the lightweight soleplate that provides stability for a rocket shot.
There's new technology, too, in the form of NANOSTRIKE+, a mesh upper that feels weightless and soft to contour seamlessly to the foot: they're not just fancy, they feel good, too.
There's an updated stud configuration for “increased traction and rotational agility”, while the classic fold-over tongue has once again returned: in terms of the look, it's not a million miles away from the last Predator model, but the three stripes certainly look a little classier.
“The Predator DNA is all about control,” Thomas Mace, VP of Design at adidas, tells us. “With the new Predator, we’ve evolved that DNA for the modern player to create a boot that is lighter, sharper, and tuned for precision.
“Every element is engineered to empower players who create and finish moments that decide matches.”
So what do you think? A valuable addition to the canon or not a patch on the Manias Becks used to stride around in?
