Football boots are no longer just football boots. They are pieces of art that players wear on their feet. The days of black boots being worn by every player is gone, and most footballers, from the professional ranks down to grassroots, wear the most colourful footwear they can get. There are some iconic football boots that never go out of style. Sure, the technology inside them has changed, but they are still the works of art they were when they were first released.

Iconic football boots

Adidas Predator

The Adidas Predator was first made truly famous by David Beckham. Since then, the boot has been worn by a host of other professionals. The Predator had a unique design that enabled players to put a swerve on the ball like never before. At least, that was the marketing idea. It seemed to work for Beckham, and it was the boot he wore until he hung them in 2013.

Nike Tiempo

The Nike Tiempo boot is one of the most iconic football boots and the first real success the American company had in football. The Tiempo debuted in 1994 and its coming out party was the World Cup in the United States. The design is quite simple, although the technology inside the boot has changed greatly over the years. Andrea Pirlo, Ronaldinho and Zinedine Zidane famously wore the Nike footwear. Perhaps Zidane’s were the most famous. He donned a pair of gold Tiempo boots during the 2006 season.

Puma King

Famously worn by Pele, Johan Cruyff and Diego Maradona, no other boot can claim to have been worn by such great players. The fact that the three greatest players of all-time wore the Puma King is all anybody really needs to know about the boot. Made from kangaroo leather due its soft texture, the Puma King has been a popular piece of footwear since the 1960s when it debuted.

Copa Mundial

The Adidas Copa Mundial is very similar to the Puma King, of course it would be as the two companies were own by rival brothers. Durable, non-flashy and stylish, the Copa Mundial is the shoe that often comes to mind when people think of iconic football boots. The Copa Mundial has been worn by everyone from Franz Beckenbauer to Xabi Alonso. They are a classic pair of boots, and the ideal fashion statement for a player looking for subtlety.

Mercurial Vapor

Nike’s Mercurial Vapor debuted at the 1998 World Cup in France. It was the boot of choice for the world’s bests striker at the time, Ronaldo, the original one. Its sleek design and flashy colourways made it an instant hit. It didn’t hurt that Ronaldo was lighting up goals around Europe in the gorgeous boots. For the late 1990s, the Mercurial Vapor were lightweight footwear that players had never worn before. It paid off for many of the best strikers who donned them.