Adidas Predator makes a come back, eyes Stan Smith success

By

Olivier Guyot

Published
May 11, 2017

It's a case of déjà vu for Adidas. This week past, in celebration of his 42nd birthday, David Beckham unveiled the new football boot Predator. Notorious in the early to mid-2000s when it was worn by the former-British football player, the Predator has been off the market since it was stopped in 2015. Now, the sports shoe has been rereleased this year -- restyled and revisited, with the integration of PureControl Ultraboost technology, and a new name, Predator Mania.

A scenario which recalls the rerelease of the Stan Smith. In 2011, Adidas stopped production on its mainstay shoe, which initially launched in the 1960s. Two years later, the redesigned model was back for sale and with a sensibly higher price-point. 

In 2014, Adidas celebrated 20 years of the Predator, the model worn by football stars such as David Beckham, as well as Zinédine Zidane and Lionel Messi. And the brand presented 14 different models, before announcing it had renewed its football partnership with ACE and X.

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In 2017, the German brand is playing the nostalgia card with the Predator, a move which made the Stan Smith and the Superstar international bestsellers. With Beckham, the marketing plan appears set and the new version of the shoe has already been worn by several major football players, garnering the boot even further attention. The Predator Instinct of 2014 was on sale for 200 euros, while this 2017 version -- Predator Mania Champagne -- will sell for 330 euros. And that already makes it a high-winning return for Adidas.