Arteta & Barton in Mystery Puma Boots
It seems pre-season isn't just the time when players prepare for the upcoming season, but it's also when the brands try out their prototype football boots. SoccerBible has got our hands on some great imagery of both Mikel Arteta and Joey Barton play testing a mystery Puma football boot.
Speculation on the forums is rife over the mystery boot, and adding to the confusion is the fact that despite both Arteta and Barton (a Puma convert from rivals adidas!) seemingly wearing the same boot, yet their respective boot histories are very different.
Arteta was a 10/11 signing for Puma after previously wearing the adizero's and adiPure's, and when SoccerBible chatted exclusively to the Spaniard he was very happy to be moving into the King Finale. Barton on the other hand has previously worn adidas Predator and Nike T90's, which does make you wonder what kind of boot has Puma created that can satisfy the performance needs of both players?
We've had our top Boot Spies on the case this week to bring back as many pictures as possible, compiling the above montage covering practically every angle of the boot! We've also been in touch with our friends at Puma, who've confirmed that both players are testing a new boot, but there may be some snow on the ground by the time these boots hit the Premier League!
What do you make of these new mystery Puma football boots, and of Joey Barton's switch from the three stripes to the formstripe, have your say online, on Twitter and on Facebook. Stay tuned to the SoccerBible for more info on these brand new Puma football boots plus more exclusive imagery.