Predator Instinct

The Predator Instinct was built to mark 20 years of the Predator, and it turned out to be the last of its kind for a while. It was widely on show in Brazil around the 2014 World Cup and officially launched in July 2014, returning to the classic red, white and black, with Mesut Özil among its leading wearers.

adidas celebrated the anniversary with 14 new versions of the Instinct during 2014, linking them to the boot’s earlier generations. Among them was the “Revenge” pack, three heritage designs based on the 1994 Predator, the 1998 Accelerator and the 2002 Mania. It was the first of the remakes that would keep the name alive over the years that followed.

Built on Instinct

adidas described the design as inspired by predatory animals and the instinct to hunt, and tied it to players like Özil, whose anticipation, touch and vision control a game. The technology behind it was aimed at control: a Hybridtouch upper, a new gel pad, a TPU outsole for flexibility and a control frame to increase grip and touch.

The launch boot was the classic red, white and black. The wider range ran through blue, yellow, green, grey and gold. Xavi was among the players signed up for the special Solar Blue edition.

The Last Predator for Three Years

The Instinct was the final Predator before the hiatus. In 2015 adidas replaced it with the ACE range, with the first ACE boots introduced in May of that year.

It stayed away for the best part of three years. In between, limited editions and remakes, beginning with the Revenge pack, kept the name in front of fans. The Predator itself returned in November 2017 as the Predator 18+, a laceless Primeknit boot that borrowed technology tested on the ACE. See the Predator 18 for that comeback.

If you collect heritage Predators, the Instinct’s Revenge editions are worth knowing as early remakes. Our guide to remakes versus originals explains how to tell them apart from the real thing.

Frequently Asked Questions

What was the adidas Predator Instinct?

The Predator Instinct was the adidas Predator for 2014, released to mark the boot’s 20th anniversary. It used a Hybridtouch upper, a gel pad, a control frame and a TPU outsole, and launched in the classic red, white and black.

How many versions of the Predator Instinct were there?

adidas said it would release 14 new versions of the Instinct during 2014, to celebrate the Predator’s earlier generations. adidas’s count of 14 previous generations differs from the numbering on this site, which treats the Instinct as the 13th, because histories count generations differently. They included three Revenge pack boots based on the 1994 Predator, 1998 Accelerator and 2002 Mania.

Why did the Predator disappear after the Instinct?

adidas replaced it with the ACE range in 2015. We haven’t found a single official explanation. The Predator name came back in November 2017 with the Predator 18+.

Was the Predator Instinct worn at the 2014 World Cup?

It was on show in Brazil and reached shelves around the tournament. adidas named Özil among the stars who would wear it back at their clubs, and the range officially launched in July 2014, just after the final.

Read more: Predator Mania · Remakes vs originals · Xavi