Going into 2024, adidas is going strong with their silo that revolutionised football boots in its own way back in 1998. And as always, I’m here to explore the good, the bad and the ugly in this 2024 adidas Predator Review. Today’s stars like Jude Bellingham & Trent Alexander-Arnold are following in the boot steps of Zinedine Zidane and David Beckham; unleashing the power of the Predator in modern football. But like every generational update, the question is: did the Predator change for the good, or did it take a turn for the worse?
- 2024 adidas Predator Elite Review
- adidas Predator Pro
- Cheap Predator League Review
- Club adidas Predator
- Previous Predator Generations
*Special Box for the Limited Edition Predator 30 Launch Boot*
adidas kicked things of for the Predator 2024 by releasing the precursor Predator 30 limited edition boots. It ranked up their as one of brand’s best presentation boxes, joining the company that included the Dragon’s Egg for the Predator Mutator Dragon and David Beckham’s 723 wooden Pulse box. For the special case, it showed three decades worth of the silo history in the lead up to the 2024 model, which more or less was the same boot as the Predator 30. It was worth noticing that the burgundy shade of the red tongue seemingly suggest that the Predator had aged like fine wine.
Things to Know about the adidas Predator 2024:
- Counting the LZ II as a separate generation, the adidas Predator 2024 is the twentieth entry
- Serves as the control boot option in the lineup that includes the speed boot F50 and the heritage boot Copa Pure II
- In direct competition with the Nike Phantom GX
- Top elite models come in laceless, laced and laced with fold-over tongue variations
- Worn by the likes of Jude Bellingham, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Pedri
The Composition of the adidas Predator 2024
The 2024 generation of the iconic adidas silo continues the core DNA of having rubber grip elements attached to the surface of the upper. The STRIKESKIN technology sees these grip elements moulded into raised ridged fins positioned on the instep. Their blocked formation and raised profile seem to be more prominent, wider in coverage and more compact to each other than those of the Predator Precision’s. HYBRIDTOUCH 2.0 is that synthetic leather material used by the boot to wrap around your foot. As far as the closure system is concerned, you can have the Predator 2024 in either a laceless setup or a laced system, the latter having another variant that includes the familiar fold-over tongue. Narrow triangular studs and structural overlays on the instep and lateral ridge (extending from heel to outstep) forms the CONTROLFRAME 2.0 tooling.
2024 adidas Predator Elite Review
| Model | Quality | Pitches | |
|---|---|---|---|
 adidas Predator Elite LL |  Hybridtouch 2.0 Upper Strikeskin Grip Elements Primeknit Tongue |  |  |
 adidas Predator Elite FT | Hybridtouch 2.0 Upper Strikeskin Grip Elements Fold-over Tongue | |  |
 adidas Predator Elite | Hybridtouch 2.0 Upper Strikeskin Grip Elements Synthetic Tongue | |  |
Our Predator 2024 Expert Review
adidas Predator 2024
Classic vibes with the fold-over tongue model and maintaining the best attributes of the outgoing Predator Accuracy and the lightest Predator are a great plus, though changes to the Hybridtouch composition and forefoot shape might be subject your personal preferences
Product SKU: IG1707
Product Brand: adidas
4.9
✔️ Pros
- I felt it maintains its top status as a grippy football boot perfect for swerve and spins
- Hybridtouch 2.0 upper is still soft and pliable, but relatively thinner and less padded than the previous Hybridtouch material. This jives well, I think, with the next point
- The bias is towards wide-fitting, but is showing more accommodation to narrow-feet players like me because of the low, pointy and more anatomical shaping of the forefoot; wide feet are especially needed in the laceless version
- Triangular studs are a bit longer and narrower, giving more penetrative power
- I see the effective combination of a stable midfoot and functional forefoot flex for Controlframe 2.0
- I believe weight is trending towards speed boot levels regardless of the Elite model chosen
- Fold-over tongue has an underlying suede-like liner that feels plush and warm on the arch, to my foot at least, not to mention the fresh yet classic vibe it brings to the table
❌ Cons
- Laceless’ lockdown is wanting for narrow feet players
- I think some will miss the padded sensation of the Hybridtouch 1.0
- The change to a more anatomical forefoot shape might affect some wide-feet players who prefer the more rounded end of the previousPredator Accuracy
- Price difference between the fold-over tongue version and regular laced model I believe might be too much relative to additional objective performance benefit
Reviewing and Testing the Predator 2024
Each boot has its main highlight feature, and that is always something we factor in when we test out boots. In the case of the adidas Predator 2024, it’s the Strikeskin ridge texuring that gives plenty of ball grip. And so besides the usual football drills, I added a few sessions for the Predator 2024 and used it to kick on corners, free kicks and just plain long balls. What I wanted to see was how Strikeskin affected these types of long-range kicks and if there is a significant difference relative to other boots. I also set forth in determining whether going for the Elite FT, laceless and laced affected the Strikeskin in doing its job of providing a split-second grip on the ball.
adidas Predator Pro
| Model | Quality | Pitches | |
|---|---|---|---|
 adidas Predator Pro |  Hybridtouch 2.0 Upper Strikeskin Grip Elements Synthetic Tongue |  |  |
On paper, the Pro seems to be providing the Elite Hybridtouch 2.0 upper and SL rubber fins on a huge discount. But the thing with the Pro is that it’s built on a different last. It definitely is wider and loses some of that form-fitting capability of the Elite. On top of that, the liner feels fuzzier and thinner, contributing to that less premium feel. This takedown level, as it’s only available as a laced low-cut, also lacks the options offered by the flagship. But at least, the Pro has that possible charm over those who missed the wider fit that the predecessor Predator Accuracy offered.
Cheap Predator League Review
| Model | Quality | Pitches | |
|---|---|---|---|
 adidas Predator League LL |  Hybridfeel Upper Strikescale Grip Elements Adiknit Tongue |  |  |
 adidas Predator League | Hybridfeel Upper Strikescale Grip Elements Regular Tongue | |  |
✔️ Pros
- Indoors to outdoors, lots of soleplate types for the Predator League!
- Better heel fit and lockdown than the Predator Pro (Collared models especially have that nicer depth)! More than compensates for the cheaper upper package
- Upper becomes soft and pleasant once broken-in
- Generic last shaping at least doesn’t affect fit and comfort
- Collared models with AG soleplates can help prevent rubber pellets/crumbs from getting inside your boot
- Laceless Predator League one of the best adidas attempts at a budget laceless option
❌ Cons
- Strikescale more on texturing than actual grip
- Once broken-in, Hybridfeel not the most responsive and locked-in
- Soleplate on the flexible side and does not have a responsive feel to them
Club adidas Predator
| Model | Quality | Pitches | |
|---|---|---|---|
 adidas Predator Club |  Synthetic upper Strikeprint texturing Synthetic Tongue |  |  |
The Club does not offer that much apart from looking like the 2024 Predator Elite. And so the Strikeprint Texturing is just about cosmetics and the synthetic upper gives you a generic football boot. The operative word here is ‘temporary,’ meaning that it works best as a placeholder boot for someone with growing feet. Most likely kids will be the one who the Club suits best, and it also helps that the takedown is more on the plasticky side. That additional structure can be beneficial in terms of protecting them on the pitch.
Previous Predator Generations
The adidas Predator has been a constant presence on the football field since 1994. However, it must be noted that it did have a blip and got replaced by the ACE in the mid-2010s. Safe to say that much of the current Predator’s build much more resembles its return in 2017 than any of its iteration in the pre-ACE era. Let’s look back at some of the past Predator generations starting with the immedate predecessor, the 2022 Predator Edge:
Predator Accuracy (2023)
To address the widely-panned Edge, adidas reconstructed the Predator for the 2023 Accuracy generation. With Accuracy, the Predator had a relatively more comfortable Hybridtouch upper that provided synthetic leather vibes. The High-Definition Grip elements met expectation in keeping the silo the most grippy football boot in the market during the Accuracy’s time.
Predator Edge (2022)
adidas brought in the Edge in 2022, representing the brand’s grippiest football boot with its ridged Zoneskin elements. Edge drew inspiration from the earlier Predator LZ in both launch colourway and grip element structure. Unfortunately for the Edge, it was marred by fit and comfort issues, as the Primeknit upper felt stiff for a knitted material and that the shape was predetermined by the rounded formation of the Zoneskin.
Predator Freak (2021)
The Freak was launched in 2021 and introduced minor adjustments to the Mutator model. The Demonspikes were lessened and spaced out to bring down the grip level to an optimal level (still the grippiest boot despite the said change). A two-piece tongue-collar construction increased the height of the collar on heel part. It was the Freak that had the Controlframe tooling for the last time.
Predator 20/Mutator (2020)
The Mutator introduced the Predator to the football boot industry as the grippiest football boot ever. 406 Demonskin rubber spikes touch the ball like no other boot can, giving the wearer that precious split-second grip to control the ball however, whenever he wants it. The + model maintained the laceless construction introduced in the 18 and 19, and like the preceeding Predators any one preferring a laced setup can certainly have it with the .1 variant, available in low and high-cut finishes. As with the tooling, it did change the Controlframe to make the split-sole element more visible.
Predator 19 (2018)
Not much changed from the Predator 18 to the Predator 19. The latter simply added some material branding and Controlskin detailing to perhaps give the tech more emphasis and attention. The rubber material on the heel, however, was a much more noticeable update and was applied to have a more natural contour over that part of the boot. Some highlight releases under the Predator 19 involved the boot with packs related to the Predator classics. The ’25 Years of Predator’ pack, which delivered a gold ZZ Accelerator and a white DB Precision, also gave us the ‘Beckham Zidane’ Predator 19. It had a glossy Controlskin in gold, navy Primeknit, and red accents on the external heel counter. With the Predator Mania 19 pack, adidas included a black Predator 19+ and a white Predator 19.1, both with a sticker graphic featuring the Mania’s swerving elements and a Fusionskin upper instead of pure knit.
Predator 18 (2017)
The Predator 18, while bearing the name of the iconic adidas silo, brought with it features that were trending at that time. First among them was the Primeknit base of the upper, making it the first Predator to dip into the knit territory. Next was the laceless construction, notching another first for the silo. Even though it was not as high as other so-called sock boots, the higher-than-usual collar finish was another modern adoption of the Predator 18. The Controlskin ridged texturing overlay served as the Predatory element, which significant departed from the rubber external elements of past models. It was in this boot that the first iteration of the Controlframe emerged before it got reengineered in the Predator Mutator. The stud configuration was trigonometric and the soleplate had a full-length construction with some Y-shaped stiffener structural reinforcement. Adidas gave a .1 option for those who preferred a laced setup.
Rather than reintroducing the key characteristics of the Predator, the 18 reflected the dominant boot trends at that time. It was more of an evolution of the ACE (especially the Purecontrol+), the model that replaced the Predator Instinct. Suffice to say, questions were asked whether they truly marked the return of Predator in the football boot scene.
