These are AMAZING (and a little bit weird, too!)

A Predator that isn't a Predator, and a remake that they've already released once 7 years ago. And I mean, while both of these are really cool, and this one is surprisingly good, I'm not really sure how to feel about the two latest David Beckham Predators here. So in today's video, I'll tell you everything you need to know about them, what they feel like, how they celebrate Beckham's iconic free-kick goal against Greece 25 years ago, and of course also, whether you should buy them on Unisportstore.com or not. But first, a little bit of backstory. See, back on October 6th, 2001, David Beckham scored his now famous goal against Greece. A free-kick in the 93rd minute to take England straight to the World Cup. Now, as Beckham approached the ball, the commentator on the day, Gary Poon, said And he raised the roof at Old Trafford, alright. Because as he ran up, curled the ball over the wall in his white-silver-red Predator positions, Gary Poon ended up saying, I don't believe this. The crowd obviously went ballistic, and it became a really iconic moment. The thing is that that moment is now 25 years ago, which I feel a little bit weird about, because I remember it very, very well, so I'm getting old. But anyways, Adidas have decided to celebrate that 25th anniversary by releasing another, I guess, remake of the Champions League Predator position, and this really unique Predator 26, that arguably also isn't really a Predator. See, the funny thing is that while Adidas also made a leather Beckham version of the Predator Elite, they've done things a little bit differently this time. Because while you get the Adidas stripes on the outside, like you normally do, you also get the three Adidas stripes on the inside of the Predator Elite here, which means that Adidas have had to sacrifice the SL rubber elements that you would normally get on the instep of the boot. Probably to mimic the look of the Predator position, and I reckon it looks really cool, but when you take into consideration that this largely exists as a tribute to a moment that happened largely because of the SL rubber Predator elements that are the very DNA of the Predator boots, well, not having them on a tribute boot is definitely a choice. But with that said, apart from the fact that you don't get any SL rubber elements, and to me maybe also that the heel is still a bit too loose and should have been a stitch and turn, well, apart from that, I locally love these. One, of course, because the Beckham logo is back, which, if you're a boot nerd, you'll know that it means something, but also because they just look sick. The fact that they're just so clean, just like back in the day, white bits of silver, red, it just looks iconic. Not only because of the Champions League Predator position, but also because it looks like some of Beckham's other signature additions, the Predator Absolutes, the Predator Xs. It just has this vibe to it. I also love, of course, that you have the Adidas Originals logo on the tongue, the insole, even the stripes and on the outsole. There's just, there's just something to it and, you know, on feet, this looks absolutely phenomenal. So, I feel that it has a little bit of aura, despite having no SL rubber elements, but the thing is that it might look cool, how does it fit and perform? That's probably the biggest question. Look, I'll be honest, it feels really good. See, just like on the previous Leather Predators, Adidas have gone for a Fusion Skin forefoot that covers this area, which is a calf leather upper that's been coated in a way that Adidas can treat it as a synthetic. And as you can see, it is soft and the way it just takes the shape of your foot, it just molds immediately, is very, very comfortable straight out of the box. And as you break it in, like it's really, really good. But unlike the previous Fusion Skin Predators that we saw in 24 and 25, this feels a little bit thinner, meaning that while you still get that very close and glove-like and super comfortable, very easily adaptable feel, well, you also have a slightly closer, sharper feel on the ball than you got in those boots. And because you also have no rubber elements on the upper, you just have this slightly gritty micro-texturing that normally sits around the SL rubber, you get a more direct and honest, but also slightly softer feel on the ball. The thing is though, that to me, it doesn't really feel like I would expect a Predator to feel, but feels more like, you know, a really soft speed boot. It's a Predator, but it feels a bit like a really comfortable speed boot, which is a little bit confusing. My brain isn't used to this, you know, but I mean, it works, you know, yeah. Now, removing the SL rubber elements is not all bad though, because having those Adidas stripes on the inside also means that you actually get a better mid-foot lockdown, because you have a little bit more structure on both sides of the boot than you get in the regular Predator 26 Elite. And it just confuses me a little bit with the fit, because obviously, and I've said that for a while, having the Fusion Skin upper on the Predator 26 makes me realize how good the shape of the boot actually is, when you have an upper that's pliable enough to just take to the shape of your foot, instead of that mesh-based NanoStrike Plus upper that has a little bit more rigidity to it. And maybe this should just have been like the standard option on the inline Predator as well, I mean, I can't really say. The other thing to factor in is that the shape of the Predator 26 is actually on the more, you know, streamlined, snug and rather anatomical feel. And given that you also have an outsole that it's not a speed outsole, but it is somewhat aggressive and responsive and, you know, snappy, meaning that this boot sits in some sort of uncharted territory for me, because it's a Predator that feels very comfortable on the foot, has decent mid-foot lockdown, a speed boot-like shape and feel to it and, you know, yeah, it's just, it's a bit of a funny feeling, right? Now, personally, I would probably go for the LeatherTech Predators because I really like the SL rubber, but then again, if you can accept this for what it is and, you know, then it's just, it's a really good boot, full stop. Comfortable, lovely on the ball, it's lightweight too, and of course, there's the matter of it looking really, really, really good. So, yeah, I almost dropped it because I'm so excited about the look, but, you know, it's a fantastic football boot if you can take it for what it is and don't expect it to be like the most grippy Predator ever known to man. But, of course, if you want grip and SL rubber striking elements, there is, of course, this bad boy, which, as I mentioned before, is actually the second remake of the Champions League Predator Precision. We got the first one in 2019 and there are a couple of differences from that one. Obviously, the new one sits on the Predator 26 outsole and Adidas have also swapped out the K-Leather upper for a calf leather one. Doesn't matter that much, but it is a difference. Of course, the new one also comes with a slightly more low-profile fit to be a little bit more modern and sleek than the first version, but also, the new one is wider in the heel, not only than the first remake, but also than the OG, which I'm going to come back to. Because first, let's talk details, of which there are quite a lot. Now, on the tongues, you have some cool details here. One says 90 plus 3, that was the time where Beckham scored the goal. And also, you have that famous Gary Broom quote on the other one. And then on the other sides, you have, of course, the Adidas logo and then they also say Beckham, which technically is not entirely historically accurate because Beckham's OG pair said Brooklyn, his oldest son's name, but I guess Brooklyn or Beckham, I don't really care personally. Now, on the heels, you also have the little sevens that Beckham had on his custom pair instead of the standard Germans League logo. But what you don't have is the little call-out to October 6, 2001 and the English flag on the heel, quite simply because you have the external heel counter and there's no space for it. So instead, Adidas have called it out on one of the insoles and then on the other insole, you get, whoop, you get the Beckham logo, which is cool. Now, what's also really cool is this little detail where, unlike on the original remake and the original Predator position from 2001, you don't get the Velcro thing on the tongue to hold it down, but instead, you have this elastic band, which might feel a little bit weird because why don't they do it like on the original Precision? Well, this was actually exactly what Beckham had on his custom pair of Precisions, which is just a really nice little attention to detail and it makes me feel like these were made for nerds, by nerds. And that's the kind of fan service I can get behind. Now, from a performance point of view, this is a very faithful recreation of the feel that you got in the OG Predator Precision from 25 years ago in the sense that it's just so powerful on the ball. Of course, you have like a metric ton of grip because of all these little SR rubber brush-like fins that sit inside of the leather upper and you just get this solidity behind the ball, where it makes you feel as if this boot was made for people who like to shoot. It's just got that feeling of, you know, I just want to put my foot through the ball and you feel as if it's a tool that gives you something extra when you strike it, which is unlike what you get on most modern boots. However, this thicker, more solid upper means that the Predator Precision remakes here, they are a little bit bulky and feel more chunky than modern boots, which is only also amplified, should we say, by the opening around the ankle, which is, well, it's open and it's relatively wide, especially, of course, if you go full Beckham style with the tongue and pull it down, which you kind of have to with this boot, but it just leaves a lot of open space here, where it's not all that connected closely around the lower part of the ankle. For me, that means that it just feels a little bit more chunky than it should and also that any sort of heel lock-in and some of the mid-foot lock-down just goes out the window, especially also because the heel here is wide and it feels a little bit weird because when you compare it to the OG, it had a less wide heel and a more snug fit with better lock-in and it's 25 years old, which is odd and it just feels like the more recent Predator remakes from Adidas have just had, you know, a little bit too much volume on the back part of the boot. It just feels a little bit too thick and wide for my taste. So, it's nowhere as nimble as you would find in modern boots, but then again, if you're looking for something that has power and grip and feels unlike any other boot out there to shoot with, it definitely delivers. Just get some grip though. You can probably fix that Adidas. It's better on the first remake and it's better on the OG, so yeah. But the big question is, should you buy them? And yes, please buy all of them. Tell me, I send you so I look great to my boss and get a massive brand. I'm just kidding. I think that, of course, if you like the Predator Precision, this is arguably one of the best Precision remakes we've seen so far. Not only because I really like the elastic band on the tongue that keeps it down better than the Velcro. Also, I enjoy the slightly more low-profile fit and of course the Predator 26 outsole. So, there's that and if you like that solidity, that grip, it's a very solid option. But for me, it's all about this one, the Predator Elite FT-DB, which you could say, is it a good Predator? No, not necessarily. At least if you're like me and you associate a Predator with grip elements because it doesn't have that. What it does have though, is something very, very unique that offers this really modern, light, sleek, very, very comfortable boot with a great touch on the ball that just does a little bit of everything really. And the way it just kind of like feels a better in real life than it sounds on paper, at least. It is quite interesting and I think a lot of people are going to really, really like this because it just fits. And really, yes, the downside is the heel. On the other side, if Adidas had given it a stitch-and-turn heel like we see on the Copa Pure, for instance, it would have been almost illegally good. So, maybe there's something there. But definitely, I would consider getting these because and also it just looks fantastic. Guys and girls, what do you think? Which would you buy, if any of them? Well, let me know in the comment section right down below. Remember, of course, that you can get them for a limited amount of time at least until they're gone because you can buy them there. Okay, so why do I always do this? Jay, this is your job. Every single time, man. Come on!