Boot Watch Special - The Truly Unique Boots of the 2015 FIFA Club World Cup
Dec 17, 2015, by Chris
Have you ever heard of Charly RS14, Hummel Serate αKM or Anta? While the boots worn on Europe's biggest pitches are well-known to all of us, the cleats used by some players in this year's Club World Cup are anything but ordinary. And as we have already announced in our third edition of Boot Watch that we would make a special about the boots worn in the Club World Cup, let's get straight into the most unique boots of the tournament.
Daniel Adjei & Roger Assale | Cristiano Ronaldo and Messi Signature Boots
We decided to kick off things with three boots worn by players from Congolese side TP Mazembe. Mazembe's Daniel Adjei (Adidas Messi 15.1) and Roger Assale (Nike Mercurial Vapor X CR7 Savage Beauty) laced up in the latest signature cleats of the two superstars. And as we've already seen those boots often enough, let's continue with a boot spot that is much more interesting.
Patient Mwepu | Asics Menace 2
Patient Mwepu from Congolese football club TP Mazembe laced up in the brand-new white, black and hi-vis yellow Asics Menace 2 Boots Colorway. Engineered for speed using a lightweight microfiber synthetic upper, the colorway worn by the 28-year old defender was just released one week ago.
Rubens Sambueza | Charly RS14 'Signature'
And while Patient Mwepu just laced up in boot we've never seen before, Club America's midfielder Rubens Sambueza even received his own signature boots. The 31-year old midfielder, who is a product of River Plate's youth academy, laced up in striking yellow, black and red Charly Football Boots. Boasting his initials RS14 on the upper, the boots worn by Rubens Sambueza are not a standard model but a cleat exclusively made for him.
Éder Balanta | Adidas X 15.1 Reflective
River Plate's Eder Balanta caught our eyes as he laced up in the Reflective Adidas X 15.1 Boots that were released on July 29, 2015.
Hisato Sato | Hummel Serate αKM
Let's continue with a truly unique boot. Sanfrecce Hiroshima's 33-year old legend Hisato Satō caught our attention as he laced up in an orange and navy version of the Japan-exclusive Hummel Serate αKM Football Boots. Engineered for speed and lightweight, the Hummel Serate αKM Soccer Cleat combines a premium Kangaroo leather upper in the forefoot area with artificial leather in the rear area. What else can be said about the boots?
The top model model of the silo (made in Japan) is called HAS1225 Serate αKM and retails at a price of just ¥ 14,000 (105 Euro). The likely most remarkable element of the boot is the outsole that features extremely short studs, similar to Hard Ground boots.
Robinho | Blackout Nike Hypervenom
Brazil international Robinho, who joined Chinese side Guangzhou Evergrande in July 2015, laced up in a custom blackout version of the first-gen Nike Hypervenom Boots that we already featured on the website six months ago.
Zheng Zhi | Anta Football Boots
While Robinho 'just' laced up in blackout boots, Chinese football legend Zheng Zhi laced up in a boot from a brand that even we have never heard of before. The Guangzhou Evergrande midfielder wore a boot made by Chinese company Anta, who made the first steps into the soccer market this summer by releasing their first-ever football boot and signing one of China's most popular player, Zhen Zhi. We have decided to take a closer look at the boots and the brand in the coming days (we hope you are interested as well).
Mizuno Football Boots
Remarkably many players such as Kazuhiko Chiba (Mizuno Wave Ignitus 3 Black / Orange), Yoshifumi Kashiwa (Mizuno Morelia Neo White / Blue) and Toshihiro Aoyama (Mizuno Morelia - pictured below) laced up in Mizuno Football Boots in this year's FIFA Club World Cup.
Old Football Boots
There were less players wearing old boots than we initially expected. However, we've spotted at least some players who wore not the latest cleats but old generations and discontinued boots. While Li Shuai was the only player from Guangzhou Evergrande to wear old boots (Nike Hypervenom Phantom I Orange / Black), various players from Auckland City opted for old boots. This includes amongst others the Adidas Predator LZ, the Nike CTR Maestri III as well as the Nike Hypervenom Phantom 1.
Takuya Iwata | Asics Lethal Stats SK Football Boots
Let's round off things with the boots worn by Takuya Iwata, who was already featured in the last edition of our regular Boot Watch. And as we have already described his Asics Lethal Stats SK Boots in Boot Watch #003, we conclude this article now to not repeat us again.
Have we missed any interesting boot spot or made serious mistakes? If so, please let us know in the comments section below.
Melbourne City 26-27 Home, Away & Third Kits Released
Puma and A-League club Melbourne City FC have officially unveiled their complete kit collection for the 26-27 campaign. Launched under the campaign tagline 'Made of City', the three-kit drop blends the club's signature identity with Melbourne street culture and club heritage.
The Melbourne City 26-27 home shirt stays true to tradition, centered around the iconic City Blue base. Drawing inspiration directly from the club badge, red and yellow trim accents decorate the collar and sleeve cuffs. Meanwhile, the away kit leans into nocturnal Melbourne fashion, pairing a deep plum jersey with an abstract zig-zag graphic and vibrant shimmer pink branding across all sponsor prints and the club crest.
Rounding out the lineup is the 26-27 third kit, which pays homage to the club's origins as Melbourne Heart. The shirt combines a crisp off-white base with red accents and incorporates a subtle heartbeat graphic emerging across the chest from behind the crest. A heart motif inside the collar completes the tribute. The new collection is available through Melbourne City's online store and Puma Australia.
AC Mestre 26-27 Third Kit Released
Italian Serie D club AC Mestre has officially unveiled its new third kit for the 26-27 campaign, manufactured once again by Japanese sportswear brand Mizuno. The new drop follows the earlier presentations of the club's home and away shirts, completing their kit lineup for the new season.
The Mizuno AC Mestre 26-27 third shirt introduces a sleek and stealthy design, dominated by a black base accented by vibrant orange details. Bright orange trim lines the V-neck collar and broad sleeve cuffs, while both the Mizuno Runbird logo and the AC Mestre crest are rendered in matching monochrome orange. A subtle jacquard pattern is also incorporated across the front fabric, adding depth to the understated look.
Black shorts and socks with orange detailing complete the full AC Mestre 26-27 third uniform.
Video: FC Barcelona 27-28 Home Kit
Based on leaked images, Footy Headlines can bring you a 360º video of Barcelona’s 2027-28 home kit, created using Kit Creator.
Adidas to Launch Arsenal 26-27 Spezial Collection
Adidas is expanding its terrace-rooted Spezial F.C. label to the Emirates, with a newly surfaced teaser confirming an upcoming Arsenal SPZL F.C. collection. Thanks to @IamCrisJ.
The teaser reveals the collaborative Arsenal SPZL F.C. insignia, presenting the club's heritage cannon emblem and "AFC" cannonballs in red set above a red-bordered box housing the Trefoil and "adidas SPEZIAL F.C." branding in gold. Following the blueprint established by previous SPZL F.C. club projects, the range will lean heavily into retro football culture, archival tailoring, and casual terrace style.
The upcoming Arsenal SPZL F.C. range will include bespoke footwear and lifestyle apparel, slated for release through ArsenalDirect, adidas, and select Spezial retailers.
Adidas Colo-Colo EQT Collection Leaked
Adidas is expanding its 1990s-inspired EQT lifestyle range to South America, with official images of the upcoming Colo-Colo EQT collection leaking online. Following recent retro drops for European giants such as Bayern Munich and Juventus, the Chilean club is set to receive its own heritage capsule steeped in unmistakable nineties football culture. Big thanks to @KamilBerberler.
The centerpiece of the range is a retro shirt dominated by Colo-Colo's traditional white, accented by subtle tonal shadow stripes running vertically down the body. It features oversized three stripes sweeping over the shoulders in bold black and red, paired with a chunky ribbed V-neck collar. Staying true to the era, the classic Adidas wordmark and Trefoil are placed centrally on the chest just above the iconic club crest.
Complementing the jersey, the wider lifestyle capsule includes a color-blocked track jacket, matching track pants, a graphic t-shirt, and a relaxed crewneck sweatshirt. The entire collection maintains the club's sharp black, white, and red palette, combining vintage paneling with modern streetwear silhouettes. The Adidas Colo-Colo EQT collection is slated for release in the coming weeks.
Kit Blunder: Matheus Cunha Wears Inverted Sleeve Badges in Manchester Derby
Manchester United striker Matheus Cunha was spotted sporting an unusual kit detail during Sunday's Manchester derby against Manchester City. Eagle-eyed kit enthusiasts quickly pointed out that the Brazilian forward took to the pitch with his sleeve badges completely reversed on his 26-27 home shirt.
Under standard Premier League kit regulations, the official competition badge and "No Room For Racism" patch must be applied to the player's right sleeve, while the left sleeve is reserved for the club's commercial sleeve partner. On Cunha's long-sleeve jersey, however, the configuration was flipped: the sponsor logo was applied to his right arm, leaving the Premier League badge positioned on his left sleeve.
Side-by-side images comparing Cunha's jersey to teammate Marcus Rashford clearly showed the contrast between the standard layout and Cunha's swapped sleeves. Whether caused by a mix-up in the kit room or an accidental printing error during match preparations, the subtle mistake provided a unique talking point for shirt collectors.
River Plate 26-27 Away Pre-Match Kit Leaked
Official images of the River Plate 26-27 away pre-match kit have surfaced, revealing a clean retro-inspired look produced by Adidas. Following the release of the club's tricolor away strip in August, this warm-up top expands River Plate's heritage-driven collection for the 26-27 season. Big thanks to @KamilBerberler.
The Adidas River Plate 26-27 away pre-match jersey features a crisp white body paired with bold red raglan sleeves and a matching white collar. Emphasizing the classic aesthetic, the shirt showcases the iconic Adidas Trefoil logo in red on the right chest, opposite a vintage circular CARP crest in red on the left. Across the upper back, large red block lettering spells out "RIVER" to complete the minimalist, old-school design. The shirt is paired with white shorts sporting black Three Stripes on the sides.
The new River Plate 26-27 away pre-match jersey is scheduled to be worn by the squad during warm-ups for away fixtures and will be available to purchase in the coming weeks.