20. Mizuno Morelia, 1986
Most iconic colourway: Black/white
Other colourways: -
Stars who wore them: David Platt, Aldair, Gianfranco Zola
It's hard to know what that Mizuno symbol actually is but somehow, it's burned itself into the consciousness of every football fan from about 1975 to the present day. The common black-and-white Mizuno boots are retro, hard-wearing and stylish - they're part of the footballing tapestry.
19. Nike Total 90 Laser, 2007
Most iconic colourway: Yellow/black
Other colourways: White/black, red/red
Stars who wore them: Wayne Rooney, Fernando Torres, Luis Figo
Truly iconic. The Nike Total 90 Laser was a boot every footballer in Britain had a pair of at some point around the year 2007. The banana yellow and black pair are permanently ingrained in the mind as those Wayne Rooney used to stomp around the Old Trafford turf in. The Englishman scored some early-career belters in these. How could he not, with that Total 90 concentric circles badge covering the laces? Built for turning heads and hitting a ball like a rocket launcher. Beautiful.
18. Adidas Predator Mania: Champagne reissue, 2019
Most iconic colourway: Champagne/red/black
Other colourways: -
Stars who wore them: David Beckham
David Beckham was the coolest footballer on earth, once upon a time and most of that mystique came from the fact that he didn't wear black boots. But while Sir Alex Ferguson recoiled at that, the rest of us loved it - and this 2019 reissue of Becks' classic Champagne super-preds is a re-animation of a slice of childhood. They were back and better than ever.
17. Diadora Brasil, 2002
Most iconic colourway: Black/yellow
Other colourways: White/blue
Stars who wore them: Roy Keane, Francesco Totti
These boots simply were Roy Keane. And while the divine Francesco Totti found a way to dazzle in them, they represented the no-nonsense, midfield general more than anyone. You can imagine Keane getting these out of the box for the first time and snarling at the yellow Diadora logo. The Irishman asks if there's an all-black pair he can have instead. No? Nevermind, he'll have to try and smash the colour off using opponents' shine pads then.
16. Adidas F50+, 2005
Most iconic colourway: Black/blue
Other colourways: White/red, champagne/silver, white/black, grey/yellow
Stars who wore them: Ashley Cole, Djibril Cisse, Jermain Defoe
While the first F50 boots were understated and minimal, the second ones were bolder, brighter and the colourways were absolutely unreal. The F50+ was built for speed but with a mesh exoskeleton and the three stripes across the outside of the boots, this made as much of an impression style-wise. This is how to do a sequel.
15. Nike Mercurial Vapor II, 2004
Most iconic colourway: Gold
Other colourways: Crimson, blue/red, white/red, navy/white, silver/blue, off-white/black
Stars who wore them: Thierry Henry, Cristiano Ronaldo, Adriano, Zlatan Ibrahimovic
By now, the Mercurial Vapor was an icon that had won World Cups. The second Vapor iteration - and third Mercurial boot - was one that went slightly more stripped back but even bolder in colour, offering crimson and bright blue. When Euro 2004 rolled around, there was a gold version and a cloud-white. They all looked stunning.
14. Adidas Predator Pulse, 2004
Most iconic colourway: Black/red
Other colourways: Silver/red, navy/silver, red/black
Stars who wore them: Steven Gerrard, Zinedine Zidane, David Beckham, Michael Ballack
The Predator Pulse felt like a major revolution. The Mania, which had come out two years previously, had been one of Adidas' biggest successes, and the German sportswear giants knew they'd need to do something different. The Pulse did exactly that, taking the line into the future while simultaneously giving a nod to the 1994 original. This was the ultimate box to box midfielder's boot. No-nonsense and durable but also stylish and sinister.
13. Umbro Speciali, 1994
Most iconic colourway: Black/white
Other colourways: -
Stars who wore them: Alan Shearer, Michael Owen, Carlos Valderrama
Back when simplicity was key. Umbro have always held a special place in FFT's hearts and it's not hard to see why. The Umbro Speciali may have just been a black boot with a floppy tongue and a big Umbro logo, but it had soul. It helped that Sheraer and Owen, two of our biggest heroes at the time, scored silly numbers of goal in them. They just don't make them like they used to!
12. Nike Tiempo Legend, 2006
Most iconic colourway: White/red
Other colourways: Black/white, white/gold, white/black, white/blue, grey/black
Stars who wore them: Ronaldinho, Carles Puyol, Carlos Tevez, Andrea Pirlo
A boot that hogged the limelight more than many on this list. That's because Ronaldinho spent half his time flicking the ball over opponents heads. They'd appear in shot, on the end off the Brazilian's outstretched legs, about 50 times a game, as Spanish defenders haplessly tried to get close to the buck-toothed genius. They came in a range of colours and had a luxurious, almost regal vibe about them.
11. Adidas F50, 2004
Most iconic colourway: Black/yellow
Other colourways: White/grey/blue, white/black/orange
Stars who wore them: Bastian Schweinsteiger, Ashley Cole, Alessandro Del Piero, Arjen Robben, Robin van Persie
The F50 remains totally unlike anything that Adidas had ever done before. Gone were the big stripes, black, red and white and all that thick leather, replaced with pure black and a bright yellow swish of colour. This was simplistic, lightweight and gamechanging for the manufacturer, who developed ever-lighter, tech-heavy boots from this template. The originals are still marvellous, mind. That design is timeless.
