The adidas Predator Touch is one of the best-known football boots of the 1990s. Thirty years after its debut, it returns as a limited-edition remake. The original also earned its place in football history, courtesy of David Beckham.
The new Predator 96 pairs the design of the original with the soleplate of the Predator 26. Adidas is making the limited-edition remake in Germany as part of its Made in Germany series, which has already brought back earlier Predator models.
The black leather upper carries white adidas stripes and red accents. What stands out most are the red fold-over tongue, which flips down over the laces, and the rubber fins across the forefoot. Both were defining features of the original.
adidas Predator 96: The 1996 Design and a New Soleplate
The Predator Touch arrived in 1996 as the third generation of the Predator line, which adidas had launched two years earlier. The line traces back to a prototype by former Liverpool midfielder Craig Johnston, who took his cue for the rubber fins from the surface of a table tennis bat. By Johnston’s account, adidas initially turned the idea down and only acquired the rights after Franz Beckenbauer, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, Paul Breitner and Gerd Müller had tested his prototypes. The fins were meant to increase friction between boot and ball, giving players more control when shooting and passing.
For the remake, adidas uses the Predator 26’s STRIKEFRAME outsole with POWERSPINE technology. According to adidas, the construction is designed to stabilise the midfoot and generate more power when shooting.
David Beckham and the 1996 Predator Touch
David Beckham scored a goal in the Predator Touch that is still tied to his name. On 17 August 1996, the 21-year-old struck from inside his own half for Manchester United away at Wimbledon. He had spotted Wimbledon goalkeeper Neil Sullivan well off his line and beat him with a lob. It remains one of the most famous goals in Premier League history.
adidas Predator 96 Release Date and Details
The boot is available only in an FG version for natural grass. It comes in a box modelled on adidas shoeboxes of the 1990s, along with exclusive Predator stickers. The Predator 96 goes on sale on 4 November 2026, 30 years after the original, as a limited edition through adidas and selected retailers.
