The history of football signature boots

The history of the football shoes has been indelibly marked by the Mercurial R9, the first ever signature shoe. Grey, with some blue waves, the first Mercurial contained a booklet where it was announced that lightness would have been prerogative of the boot, that could increase the speed of a two hundred-runner of 3%. From that moment Nike has started to put in commerce new versions of the Mercurial. The most famous is probably the one of 2006, inaugurated by Ronaldo (but also from the other Ronaldo, Cristiano) during the World Cup.

The R10 has been more than a simple signature. During the years of maximum shine of Ronaldinho in the Barcellona, the Gaucho programmed a real line with Nike. In particoular wrappers and cuffs, but also shirts and shorts. The shoes were instead a personalized version of the Tiempos, of a black some faded and very nostalgic. In 2005 however, the marketing of the football shoes has made another main point and decisive footstep. The Nike Tiempo Touch of Gold, whites and gold, draw for the line of the Brazilian number ten, were introduced through a video loaded by Nike on Youtube, the first one of Youtube to reach 1 million views.

The latest generation of Nike boots has been characterized by the insane search of lightness at all the costs. The vivid colours, the particular patterns that found ground towards the end of the years '10, have been replaced, or for better saying implemented, from the fiber of carbon before to the protection for the ankles then. In 2014, while Cristiano Ronaldo prepared the birth of his brand, Nike put all of its hopes in the Portuguese player, creating the Nikes Mercurial CR7 abandoning the vintage effect in favour of the robotic ideal of Ronaldo.

During the beginning of this season Nike delivered to Lewandoski a personalized edition of the Nike Hypervenom, red with the eagle symbol of Poland. The same Nike Hypervenom have served as base to their next pupil: Neymar. Nike has relaunched them with the Ousadia Alegria, a limited  edition of 1000 pieces drawn by artist Bruno Big.

Already in 1998 adidas had launched its more icononic football shoe, the Predator. Among the chosen persons to wear it, that Zinedine Zidane who dethroned the Phenomenon. From the following edition the Predator starts to become the real trademark of the German brand. The revolution is based on two elements: the lowered velcro, publicized as ideal for the experts of the lock kicks and David Beckham. The British player has been, for all of his career, the greatest boost that has transformed sport into an element of the mass pop culture. The covers, the contracts of sponsorship with high fashion brands, with David Beckham football becomes sick of marketing and sales.

Leo Messi is torn from the Nike on the occasion of the World Cup of the 2006. The adidas sews on him a new collection, proper for its style of game, that few resembles to that of Zidane or of Beckham. The F50+ becomes the Leo shoes, who starts to collect successes and gold balls in the meantime. His talent, his victories, succeed in recovering his not perfect social and media image. However strong in fact, Leo was considered uncool  for a lot of time, up to the transformation of last years. The shortest hair, the tattoos, fitted with the big investment of the German bran on him, that gives him a logo everything its and a series of signature of high-level. Thin to reach the Messi15s, first true signature.

As described it would seem a duel to two between Adidas and Nike. It is nevertheless a partial version of the history, that  sees the signatures emerge both in past, in the famous cases of the Diadora (of which spoke ago a few months) both more and more recently. The Under Armour for example, after having picked up the good player of the NBA, Steph Curry, has produced a signature camo betting on Memphis Depay next star of the Manchester United. The New pure Balance, after the return in top in the streetwear of the last years, has aimed strong on the kick and on the production of game boots. The point of diamond of the campaign is the number 8 of the Machester City, Samir Nasri.

The black has started to disappear from boots when the phenomena, the players of great class, have taken to wear white shoes. The first one was Rivaldo, with the iconiches Wave Cup of the World Cup in Japan and Korea. A player that has probably represented the end of the romantic football of '90s, that in which the signatures were not known yet what they were, and the spots of the Nike had not conditioned ours imaginary. It was not a best or worse, but simply different.