Zinédine Zidane signed his first contract with adidas in 1996. To mark the 30th anniversary, a special edition Predator has been released, featuring places from his youth and professional career.
Few players are as closely tied to the adidas Predator as Zinédine Zidane. He became world champion with France in the Predator Accelerator in 1998. Four years later, he scored the winning volley for Real Madrid in the 2-1 Champions League final win over Bayer Leverkusen.
Ahead of Euro 1996 in England, Zidane had signed his first contract with adidas. That same year, he wore the Predator for the first time.
To mark the 30th anniversary of the partnership, adidas is now releasing a special edition of the Predator. The boot features, among other things, places from Zidane's youth and professional career, along with nods to some of his most famous moments.
The adidas Predator Traces a Path From Marseille to Madrid
The Predator has a white upper, with logos and further details in metallic gold. Blue and red accents complement the white to complete the French tricolour.
The elastic straps beneath the fold-over tongue carry places from different phases of Zidane's career. The right boot names Cannes, Bordeaux, Turin and Madrid, the four cities of his professional career. Zidane made his debut for AS Cannes, went on to play for Girondins Bordeaux and Juventus, and moved to Real Madrid in 2001.
The left boot carries La Castellane, Saint Henri and Septèmes. La Castellane is the Marseille neighbourhood where Zidane grew up. He received his first player's licence as a child at US Saint-Henri, before going on to play for SO Septèmes-les-Vallons. He was discovered by AS Cannes at the age of 14.
Zidane's logo sits in gold on the fold-over tongue, designed as a nod to his volley in the 2002 Champions League final. Within the three adidas Stripes, the design shifts depending on the viewing angle between the adidas logo and the initials “ZZ.” A dedicated “ZZ30” mark rounds off the design, commemorating the 30-year anniversary of the partnership.
What Zidane and adidas Say About the Partnership
Zidane himself describes his connection to the boot like this: “Football has given me so many unforgettable memories, and adidas has been part of that journey from the very beginning. Predator holds a special place in that story. It was the boot I wore during some of the most important moments of my career and one that became synonymous with the way I wanted to play the game. When I look at this boot, I see moments, places and people that shaped my journey. It's a special way to celebrate 30 years together and to share that story with a new generation of players.”
Sam Handy, General Manager of adidas Football, puts the partnership into historical context: “Very few players have had a relationship with adidas as enduring and influential as Zinedine Zidane. For three decades, he has embodied creativity, elegance and excellence on football's biggest stages. This special edition Predator combines the latest performance innovation with personal storytelling details that celebrate an extraordinary journey from Marseille to global football icon.”
The adidas Predator Had Been Around for Just Two Years
adidas had introduced the first Predator in 1994. The fold-over tongue followed in later generations and became one of the range's defining features.
The new Predator marking the 30th anniversary of Zinédine Zidane and adidas launches on September 8, 2026. The special edition is available via the adidas online store.
