The GOAL Awards 2022: The best football boots of the year

Honourable mentions: Nike x Mbappe Air Zoom Mercurial, PUMA x Liberty Ultra Ultimate

Stone Island’s collaboration with New Balance only arrived in November, but the late entry has already cemented its status as one of the year’s best.

As well as officially introducing Stone Island into football for the first time – after decades of casual association with the sport – it has also made an impact at the World Cup.

When Raheem Sterling scored England’s third goal against Iran he used the outside of the boot, leading some fans to speculate that he had gone out of his way to “get the badge in.”

Honourable mentions: Nike Air Zoom Mercurial Vapor XV SE, adidas Predator Edge 94+

adidas has released a series of Predator iterations over the course of the past year, but arguably the best is a nod to an infamous moment for the silhouette.

The original Predator Absolute in gold was worn by Zinedine Zidane for his last ever match, the 2006 World Cup final that ended in a headbutt and eventual defeat.

Despite that origin, the boot is a classic, and the Three Stripes made an inspired call in bringing it back from the archive.

Honourable mentions: adidas Predator Edge.3, Mizuno Monarcida Neo II

The Nike Phantom GTII has proven itself to be a popular choice for elite-level players this season, and the Academy version offers an affordable alternative.

The boot is packed with design touches to improve your play, including patterning that helps you place your shots and an off-centre lacing system that is intended to help you dribble, pass and score.

If you’re buying a pair, we’d go for the Glacier Ice, Yellow Strike and Sunset Glow colourway favoured by Kevin De Bruyne, Phil Foden and Harry Kane.

Honourable mentions: adidas Copa Sense+, PUMA Future 1.4 NJR Rare

The latest innovation for Nike’s Mercurial line arrived this year, with Air Zoom added for the first time since 2001.

The new feature was rolled out across two silhouettes, with the Mercurial Vapor XV the pick of the bunch.

The boot is designed with a three-quarter length air cushion, giving the players extra speed and control, while the upper is designed for ball control, and a new stud pattern is used to allow for play in all directions.

At £235, it’s not cheap, but it packs a punch with Nike’s cutting-edge technology.

Honourable mentions: Nike Zoom Mercurial XV, adidas X Speedportal Messi 'Leyenda' 

When adidas launched the next generation X Speedportal this summer, one fact stood out. The boot weighs only 189 grams.

Such a lightweight construction helps to guarantee its speed, making it the perfect choice for players looking to get in behind with their explosive pace.

While the boot emphasizes its speedy credentials, it also features a range of other specifications to guarantee stability, so that you're secure in whichever direction you're running and however quickly you're moving.

Honourable mentions: Mizuno x Sergio Ramos Morelia Neo III β ‘SR4’, adidas Copa Icon

Nike kept things simple with the Tiempo Legend IX, honouring the historic silhouette with some subtle improvements.

The brand continued the no-nonsense design of the Tiempo, particularly when they added it to the Shadow Pack in April.

Complementing the classic design was now a classic colourway, with the Tiempo Legend IX wrapped in an all-black upper with some nice silver and gold detailing.

Honourable mentions: adidas Predator Mania, Nike Phantom GTII

Another upgrade for a classic design came with adidas’ new Copa Icon. Paying tribute to the original Copa Mundial, it still has the black and white aesthetic (as well as a white and gold colourway) that generations of fans have known and loved.

After equipping midfield generals – and pretty much every other position – for more than 40 years, the Mundial has been brought up to date.

The new Copa Icon maintains the soft K-leather construction, removes the fold-over tongue and sports a new soleplate to keep it up to speed. Here’s to the next four decades.

Honourable mentions: adidas X Speedportal, Nike Tiempo Legend 9

Released alongside Nike’s other Air Zoom silhouette, the Mercurial Vapor XV, was a new version of the Superfly IX Elite.

The boot could have taken home multiple awards, but it is the stand-out firm ground boot of the year. As well as using the innovative Air Zoom pocket for speed and acceleration, the boot also offers additional traction and a secure fit for the wearer.

The design, which is similar to its Mercurial counterpart, only adds to the appeal of the Air Zoom Superfly IX Elite.

Honourable mentions: Nike Phantom GTII Elite, adidas X Speedportal

PUMA’s Lazertouch releases see its silhouettes wrapped in an enhanced K-leather to maximise control.

Bringing the same technology to the Future Z 1.4, PUMA has combined this leather with the super lightweight design of the boot and extra focus on improved traction and support.

While it comes in both firm and soft ground versions, the soft ground version – complete with longer metal studs – is the stand-out of the two.

Honourable mentions: adidas Gamemode Earth Day, PUMA Ultra 1.3 First Mile

Vegan football boots are at the forefront of the sport’s search for a more sustainable future, and PUMA launched its first-ever completely vegan boot this year.

Fittingly, the brand did it as a remake of the iconic King silhouette. The new boot is made using vegan leather on the upper, 100% vegan knitted yarns on the tongue and a PEBA outsole made without any animal-based lubricants.

To complement the white and black design, PUMA accentuated its new green credentials with a bright green soleplate.