They call him Real Madrid's new Zidane for good reason. 20-year-old Jude Bellingham is off to a majestic start at Real Madrid, scoring 17 goals and providing six assists in just 24 matches. He helped Los Blancos secure the Spanish Super Cup over the weekend. Today, Adidas revealed that its iconic Predator boots — Predator 24 — involved Jude Bellingham as their designer sidekick.
The Real Madrid midfielder follows in the bootsteps of previous Adidas Predator legends and key spokespersons, most notably Zinedine Zidane, David Beckham, Xavi, Kaka, and Steven Gerrard. Predator 24 marks the 30th anniversary of the boot line.
But Bellingham, as far as we know, is the first player to take an integral part in the design of the cleats. Adidas Football's head of product told Sun Sport: “We work very closely with an amazing group of pro players who are involved in the feedback from early testing prototypes and adjustments.
“We worked with Jude on this Predator and heard his first reactions when we got the boot in front of him.
“He has been a key part of our development of the boot from a performance perspective.
“We are working closely with him for future generations, follow-up colorways where we build special editions for Jude based directly on his input. He is very integrated into our creation process. He is a dear partner of the brand.”
What is new in the Predator 24?
Bellingham sported the Predator 24 for the first time in Sunday's triumph over Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup.
As seen on the pitch (with Jude's identifiable ripped socks), the boots incorporate the classic red foldover tongue with three white stripes over a black boot. A solar yellow “PREDATOR” lace runs over the top of the boot and underneath the white soleplate where again PREDATOR screams out in big letters.
The new design intends to improve performance. Particularly, the soleplate and heel are light, enhancing stability during strikes. Additionally, the boots come crafted with a shaped fit and cushioning for improved comfort.
Moreover, the boots feature strategically positioned rubber fins in crucial striking areas to assist in achieving more precise shots. The inclusion of stretchable laces also facilitates easier wearing, an extra design perk that seems to be working nicely for Jude. The promotional video is also a banger.
In addition to the Elite tongue version, there are also Elite laceless, Elite, Pro, League, and Club versions.
The cleats form part of the Adidas “Solar Energy” pack, which is also an Adidas x Crazyfast Solar Yellow, Black, white, and red boot and Adidas Copa Pure 2 in an off-white, black, and red. For purchase details, see Adidas.com.
Photo: X/JBellinghamZone
