Boot Watch #008 | Messi, Vidal, De Rossi, Vardy
Jan 17, 2016, by Pat
We're back with the latest episode of Boot Watch which comes a little earlier than the last few times. Today's spots include an illustrious set of players, spanning the likes of Lionel Messi, Daniele De Rossi and Jamie Vardy. But let's get right into it.
Lionel Messi - Adidas Messi 15.1 Platinum Edition
Lionel Messi finally debuted this latest signature boots, commemorating his fifth Ballon d'Or win and dubbed Adidas Messi 15.1 Platinum Edition. As some imagined, on-pitch is where Messi's new football boots really shine in their pristine beauty.
Closer look: Adidas Messi 15.1 Platinum Edition.
Demarai Gray - Adidas F50 adizero IV
Just a few days after joining Leicester City, Demarai Gray has already made a name for himself in the boot game. His latest acquisition, showcased in Leicester training this week, is a very rare Adidas adizero. Released as a women's-exclusive colorway, the Adidas F50 adizero IV cleats worn by Gray combine a Samba Blue upper with Glow Orange accents.
Emre Can - Nike Mercurial Superfly IV
It's all but officially confirmed now. Emre Can has joined Nike after spending his entire career in Adidas football boots, opting for the Nike Mercurial Superfly IV.
Daniele De Rossi + Edin Dzeko - Adidas Ace 16.1
AS Roma training this week provided two spots in Edin Dzeko and Daniele De Rossi, who both laced up in the soon-to-be-released next-gen Adidas Ace 16.1 boots.
Whereas De Rossi trained in the regular "Solar Green" colorway, Dzeko showed off a pair of blackouts, and his choice might be the more interesting one in another way as well. The Bosnian attacker has been wearing 2015 Adidas F50 adizero boots to this day. Both were back in their respective current boots in the today's Serie A game against Verona.
Jamie Vardy - Nike Hypervenom Phantom II
After wearing blacked-out boots to start the year, Leicester City's Jamie Vardy was back in regular Nike Hypervenom boots this week, hinting at a renewal with Nike.
Kevin-Prince Boateng - Nike Mercurial Superfly IV iD
Via Footy Headlines user Chrolle, Kevin-Prince Boateng laced up in a pair of unique Nike Mercurial Superfly IV iD boots. Boateng opted for his club's red and black colors as a base and rounded off the design with striking yellow brandings and spotted laces.
Aleix Vidal - Nike Mercurial Vapor X
Playing only his third game for the club after a six-month break, Aleix Vidal has already ditched the Nike Mercurial Superfly IV to instead sport the lower-cut Nike Mercurial Vapor X.
Gaetan Krebs - Adidas F50 adizero
With the Bundesliga winter break slowly coming to an end, Bayern München traveled to Karlsruhe this weekend to perfect their form for the business half of the season. It didn't all go as planned, and with Karlsruhe emerging as 2-1 winners, the hosts also provided us with the top boot spot of the day; French midfielder Gaëtan Krebs laced up in a pair of women's-exclusive Adidas F50 adizero boots that were revealed in March 2015. The Lucky Blue / White combination proves a great fit for the striped KSC home kit.
Javier López - Adidas Gloro 16.1
The Adidas Gloro 16.1 was unveiled just over one month ago, following on the first generation of Adidas' current premier leather boot.
Unfortunately, the Gloro continues to barely feature on the feet of any Adidas-sponsored top players. That it wouldn't be a back look at all, especially compared to most Adidas Ace and X colorways released thus far, was proven once again by Chivas midfielder Javier López who chose the "Black / Night Metallic" paint job.
Marouane Chamakh - Adidas X15.1
Crystal Palace forward Marouane Chamakh meanwhile laced up in what appeared to be blackout boots at first sight. Upon closer inspection, Moroccan striker was in fact wearing a black-and-yellow Adidas X15.1 colorway that was released in July. The gigantic Solar Yellow Adidas Performance logo gives it away, kinda.
That he started wearing Adidas boots just before the new year suggests a change of brand is on the cards for the player who had been with Nike (Mercurial Superfly) before.
Wataru Endo - NIKEiD Tiempo Legend VI
On the other side of the world, the AFC U-23 Championship has finally started, meaning that Japan's Wataru Endo got the chance to give his stunning NIKEiD Tiempo Legend VI football boots a runout. May they help him reach the Olympics.
Closer look: Wataru Endo's custom Nike Tiempo Legend VI iD.
Santi Mina - Adidas F50 adizero
The Football Revolution hasn't quite reached Valencia's Santi Mina yet. Once again, the young forward opted for a boot from the discontinued adizero line, choosing the "Black / Solar Green" paint job from February 2015.
Closer look: Black / Solar Green Adidas F50 Adizero.
We hope you enjoying reading through this week's Boot Watch. As always, please let us know if you have another spot or found an error in our work.
T90-Inspired Nike Barclays WSL 26-27 Ball Released
Nike and the Women's Super League have officially revealed the official match ball for the 26-27 Barclays WSL and WSL2 seasons. Built on Nike's Control ball model, the design draws heavy inspiration from Nike's iconic Total 90 era, bringing a retro-infused visual identity to top-tier English women's football.
The design features vibrant multi-coloured rings and graphic lines in red, pink, blue, and black against a white base. These accents are arranged to create a subtle strobe effect when spinning in flight, aiding visibility for players on the pitch. The Barclays WSL version features a gold Nike Swoosh inside the signature circular ring, while the WSL2 edition showcases a silver Swoosh paired with bright pink detailing.
Underneath the graphics, the ball utilizes Nike Control technology with debossed grooves and engineered paneling designed to deliver stable aerodynamics and consistent touch in all conditions. The new ball will be used across all 26-27 WSL, WSL2, and domestic cup matches.
FIFA Kit Creator Adds Dozens of New Old & 26-27 Kit Templates
FIFA Kit Creator has expanded their extensive template library with a large batch of brand-new jersey structures.
The latest update introduces base designs for the upcoming 26-27 season alongside classic retro cuts from iconic past eras. Creators matteuscm and KARAVASHKIN contributed heavily to this release, bringing fresh builds across major manufacturers including Adidas, Nike, Puma, Castore, Hummel, and Umbro. Among the modern additions are official base templates for upcoming club kits such as the Adidas 26-27 AS Roma and Tiro 27 cuts, the Nike 26-27 SC Freiburg template, Castore 26-27 Everton home layout, and new Puma designs for Palmeiras and Fluminense.
Updated national team templates for Ireland, Denmark, Indonesia, and DR Congo are also now available for creators to customize.
Beyond contemporary 26-27 cuts, the update adds several famous historical templates. Users can create concepts using nostalgic patterns like the Adidas 2004 Greece home template, the 05-06 AC Milan and Bayer Leverkusen cuts, Nike 2010 and 2014 Brazil silhouettes, and Puma 2006 Italy away template.
All new template options are live and available on FIFA Kit Creator.
Outstanding CP Cacereño 26-27 Home & Away Kits Released
Spanish club CP Cacereño and new kit supplier Hummel have officially unveiled the team's new home and away kits for the 26-27 season. Marking the beginning of their technical partnership, Hummel has created two distinct custom designs heavily inspired by local culture and mythology.
The CP Cacereño 26-27 home kit features a rich green base dominated by an intricate graphic depicting dragon scales across the front panel. The design links directly to the club's release slogan, "No soy un futbolista, soy un dragón". White detailing is applied to the classic collar, sleeve cuffs, Hummel chevrons, and sponsor logos to complete the jersey.
The 26-27 away kit presents a half-and-half split layout featuring a white base paired with an orange front panel. The bottom portion of the shirt highlights a graphic illustration of the historic fortress walls of Cáceres alongside dragon tail motifs, finished with fine black detailing along the V-neck collar and sleeve cuffs.
Samsunspor 26-27 Home Kit Released
Turkish Süper Lig club Samsunspor has officially launched its new striped home kit for the 26-27 season, produced by Hummel.
The Hummel Samsunspor 26-27 home jersey features vertical red stripes over a white base, paired with plain white sleeves accented by red sleeve cuffs. A red polo collar with white edge piping and a red V-neck inset gives the shirt a classic look, while iconic white Hummel chevrons rest on the shoulders.
The reverse side of the shirt incorporates a white back panel for player names and numbers, framed by red stripe details at the top and bottom hem, along with red Samsunspor lettering printed on the upper back. The kit is now officially available for pre-order.