{"id":767,"date":"2025-05-29T16:53:11","date_gmt":"2025-05-29T15:53:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/playstyles.co.uk\/?p=767"},"modified":"2025-05-30T10:57:31","modified_gmt":"2025-05-30T09:57:31","slug":"football-boots-are-modern-designs-at-the-top-of-the-game-or-were-classic-cleats-the-real-winner-two-ex-pros-have-their-say","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jusmedia.co.uk\/playstyles\/2025\/05\/29\/football-boots-are-modern-designs-at-the-top-of-the-game-or-were-classic-cleats-the-real-winner-two-ex-pros-have-their-say\/","title":{"rendered":"Football boots: Are modern designs at the top of the game, or were classic cleats the real winner? Two ex-pros have their say"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Today, boots are more eye-catching, colourful and expensive than ever. They often cost football lovers hundreds of pounds per pair. Were the classic black-and-white football boots of the 1980s and 90s were better, due to their high-quality materials and production? PlayStyles speaks to former Preston North End players to uncover how the humble football boot has evolved, and whether modern designs truly outshine the old classics<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cleats have been reborn in football\u2019s modern era. The days of boring, monotonous designs have gone, replaced by designs which seem to get more vibrant every season. However, are these designs just a front for cheaply produced, poorly made boots? More importantly, were the boots seen in the 80s and 90s actually better than modern alternatives?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The transition from old boots to modern boots started with one man: Craig Johnson. After retiring from professional football, ex Liverpool and Middlesbrough midfielder started experimenting with boot design by sticking pieces of rubber onto the instep to aid ball control. After Johnson convinced Adidas to start producing the design, the Predator quickly became a classic, with legends like Beckham and Zidane all wearing the boots.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They are the best-selling boots of all time, still being worn today by the likes of Bellingham and Pedri. Ultimately, Johnson\u2019s genius got the ball rolling towards the modern football boots that we know and love. Alongside the revolutionary Predator, the transformation of boots over the past few decades owes its leap to new technologies and materials. In the 1990s, most pairs of boots weighed between 300 and 400 grams, crafted from thick, natural leathers like kangaroo leather. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, thanks to cutting-edge synthetic materials – such as microfiber, engineered mesh, and lightweight TPU – modern boots weigh as little as 180 to 200 grams-almost half the weight of their predecessors. Known for being both soft and supple yet durable and protective, kangaroo leather was used throughout the 80s and 90s in famous models like Puma Kings, Adidas Kaisers and Adidas Copa Mundials. Unfortunately, ethical issues and rising costs have forced manufacturers to move away from \u2018k-leather\u2019, but many footballers from that era still consider the material to be unmatchable in terms of both comfort and performance. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lee Cartwright is a former professional footballer with over 600 professional appearances in a career which spanned 17 years. Despite retiring in 2008, the ex-Preston and Stockport man still holds kangaroo leather close to his heart:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cA boot company called Aline started giving me free boots, and they were made out of kangaroo leather. They were beautiful. Incredibly soft, just fantastic boots. I don\u2019t think any of the new materials they use can ever compare. I don\u2019t think it’s a coincidence that players now are getting a lot more foot injuries, like broken metatarsals, because the materials used now aren\u2019t as thick and protective.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A post shared by Preston North End Community and Education Trust (@pnecet)<\/a><\/p><\/div><\/blockquote>\n