From custom creations to limited edition drops, there have been some exceptional adidas Predator trainers over the years, and here we’ve rounded up the best of them.
The recent drop of the adidas Predator Freestyle and adidas Originals Predator Mundial (both of which you'll find later on this list) got us thinking back over all the trainer drops over the years that have either been released as direct lifestyle recreations of some of your favourite boots of all time, or that have simply taken a healthy dose of inspiration from the iconic aesthetics and stylings of the silo from over the years. Either way, the Predator legacy has clearly spilled off the pitch and onto the terraces and streets in a big way, and we're all for it.
There was a phase almost ten years ago now where both adidas and a host of custom creators would take the upper of any chosen Predator and slap it on top of a Boost outsole to create a perfect marriage of nostalgic football and cutting-edge lifestyle; a golden era for the Predator trainer, and one that elevated the concept of football fashion at a time that was arguably ahead of the curve.
What you'll find here then are pure streetwear versions of the adidas Predator – or trainers inspired by them – so no turf or indoor boots as such... although we fancy you could still whip in a decent freekick in most of these.
Predator Accelerator TR UltraBoost "Black/White/Red"
Starting with an absolute banger, and in 2018 adidas used the exact same k-leather upper from the Predator Accelerator football rerelease, placing it on top of that familiar Boost midsole for a blended feel of streetwear and performance.
adidas Superstar 80's Predator
We're now onto the 30th anniversary of the Predator in 2024, but back on the 20th anniversary, adidas gave us this absolute beauty, merging their Superstar 80's shoe with the OG Predator from 1994.
Predator Precision TR Ultraboost "Blue Grey/White/Collegiate Red"
In 2017, whilst the world pined after the then-retired Predator boots, adidas rereleased the first Predator of the millennium. Then they lifted the exact same upper from that Predator Precision boot and stuck it on a Boost outsole.
Predator Mania 19.1 TR "Core black/White/Predator Red"
This absolute beast dropped back in December 2019, and if you're not a fan then you're not alone. Probably one of the most divisive entires on this list, it took the Mania upper and placed it on a monstrous outsole. The Mania on steroids.
Predator Mania TR UltraBoost "Core black/White/Predator Red"
OK, so if that last one wasn't quite your thing, then adidas also released this more classic feeling Mania, again mounted on the comfort-driven Boost outsole, but also presented in a really sleek colourway that restricted the presence of red to the inside.
adidas Sobakov "Black/White/Red" & "Off White/Black Red"
Veering away from the direct trainer recreations that placed the same upper onto a lifestyle outsole, and the Predator-inspired Sobakov silhouette first hit the scene in summer 2018. What followed was an array of colour options for the shoe that carried the Precision Three Stripe stylings, and early 2019 arguably hit the peak with a pair of contrasting options that paid homage to the classic colourways of the Predator line.
Later in 2019, the Precision Three Stripes made way for an Accelerator facelift, which also brought with it the introduction of a Boost outsole for the first time on the silhouette. Adidas then teamed up with Barcelona-based retailer Sivadescalzo to launch the Sobakov Boost x SVD, giving the silo a colourful look inspired by the official mascot of the 1982 World Cup, Naranjito.
Predator Precision x Harden Vol.1 Boost By Mbroidered
The first custom creation to make this list, but certainly not the last, this Hybrid Predator Precision OG 2000 x Harden Vol. 1. was a creation of custom designer Federico Maccapani, AKA Mbroidered. For this, Maccapani literally took the upper off of the OG Predator Precision and fused it on to the boost outsole from the Harden Vol. 1 basketball shoe. The result was a sneaker that combined the best kind of vintage vibes from 2000 with an ultra-responsive, energy returning, clean ride from 2016. From court to pitch to pavement.
In October 2017, adidas paid homage to one of its greatest ambassadors with the David Beckham capsule collection. It saw a trio of Predator Accelerator releases, split into the three iconic colours of the silo – Black, White and Red. And for the 'street' version, it was a blackout affair, including the Boost outsole, and it arrived complete with the number 32 on the heel.
The Sobakov wasn't done with the Three-Stripe tinkering after it made the switch to the Accelerator aesthetic, this time going back to where it all began in 1994, even including some of those classic rubber fins on the heel.
Predator Accelerator XLG "Core Black/FTW White" & "Cloud White/Core Black"
The first of the more recent Predator sneakers, the Predator Accelerator XLG merged the world's of performance and lifestyle by recreating the Accelerator upper with a synthetic leather upper, complete with the rubber elements. The Trefoil took its place on the (non-fold over) tongue, ensuring the XLG is recognised as a lifestyle shoe.
Predator Mania TR "Japan Blue"
Backing up the rerelease of the on-pitch version, which was a modernised version of the boot worn by adidas-contracted Japan players at the 2002 World Cup which they co-hosted with South Korea, adidas once again provided a lifestyle version, which came riding in on...you guessed it, a Boost outsole.
Predator Accelerator TR 4D EQT
Celebrating 30 years since the brand revolutionised its performance wear, adidas dropped the EQT pack back in 2021, for which the Predator Freak lined up alongside the Predator Accelerator 4D trainer in the OG EQT colourway. The trainer once again lifted the silhouette from ’98, wrapping it in the colours from ’91, although this time sitting it on the revolutionary 4D outsole – the perfect balance of past and present, nodding to the heritage of the brand while remaining progressive.
Predator Mania x Balenciaga by Shoe Surgeon
Arriving in celebration of the adidas x Balenciaga collaboration, The Shoe Surgeon turned his immense talents to a reworking of the Mania, fusing its upper onto a chunky signature Balenciaga outsole. You just never know when you might end up getting a free kick 25 yards out when you’re out on the Pornstar Martinis – best to be prepared for all eventualities.
Arriving on the back of the hugely successful launch of the Predator 24, the Predator Freestyle took the Predator aesthetic off the pitch, combining it with a Samba style that gave it a versatility unlike many of the other entrants on this list.
Predator Accelerator TR UltraBoost "Electricity"
Again, accompanying the on-pitch rerelease, adidas dropped the trainer version of the Predator Accelerator "Electricity" back in July 2018, once again capturing all the feels of the original release from 1999.
Combining two of the most iconic football boots of all time and taking it from the pitch to the streets, adidas Originals recently unveiled the Predator Mundial trainer, which arrived in two distinct colourways. Kind of incestuous to combine these two legends, but it's a case of feels so wrong, but looks so right.
Predator UltraBoost by Jack The Ripper
Literally the only bad thing about these shoes was that they were a one-of-one creation. Inspired by the 2002 adidas Predator Mania, the shoes feature a black matte python upper with contrasting white python three stripes and Predator technology. Just such a radical take on the Predator DNA. We salute you Jack the Ripper! (Best not say that out loud).
Predator Accelerator TR 'Eternal Class'
While the David Beckham blackout Accelerator TR was good, it didn't quite hit the mark in the same way that the 'Eternal Class' version did. That's probably down to the more faithful shaping of the upper, and it just looked so darn good alongside the 'Eternal Class' Predator Accelerator boot when they dropped back in January 2021.
Shop adidas Predator trainers at prodirectsport.com/soccer