Boot Watch #014 | Elkeson, Henderson, Messi, Rashford
Welcome to the 14th episode of Boot Watch, our weekly update on the most important boot spots. Ranging from the Champions League to the Australian A-League and even U-16 football, Boot Watch has them all.
Lionel Messi - Adidas Messi 15.1
This week saw the debut of the latest colorway of Lionel Messi's very own football boot silo, a rather flashy effort in "Semi Solar Slime". On a side note, wouldn't it have been cool had he worn the stunning Ballon d'Or boots for a longer time?
Jordan Henderson - Nike Hypervenom Phinish
Magista-regular Jordan Henderson surprised spectators in training this week, lacing up in Nike Hypervenom Phinish cleats instead of his usual pair of Opuses. In today's Capital One Cup final against Manchester City, the Liverpool captain confirmed his choice. Henderson's new Hypervenom boots appear to be non-modified.
Marcus Rashford - Nike Mercurial Vapor X
Manchester United's up-an-coming forward made headlines this week, not only by scoring four goals in his first two games for the club, but also with his rather unique boot choice. Closely following United's "black boot rule", Rashford gave his Bright Mango Nike Mercurial Vapor X a black coating, creating an unusual piece of footwear.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang - Nike Mercurial Superfly IV
Having switched back and forth between the Nike Hypervenom Phantom II and the Mercurial Superfly, Borussia Dortmund's Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was back in the latter once again this week, against Porto and Hoffenheim.
Joaozinho - Puma v1.06
FC Krasnodar's Joaozinho was another player with a unique choice of boots this week as he wore a pair of the re-issued Puma v1.06 boots - or are they from 2006?
Elkeson - Nike Mercurial Vapor X
Possibly on the look for an improved or new contract, Shanghai SIPG's Elkeson decided to paint over the brandings of his Squadron Blue Nike Mercurial Vapor X cleats.
Anders Waagan - Nike Magista Obra + Nike Hypervenom Phantom II
Who doesn't love an odd boot combo? Norway U-16's Anders Waagan was at it this week, combining black Nike Magista Obras and bronze Nike Hypervenom Phantom IIs to form an unusual, but surprisingly well-fitting pair of cleats.
Ali Abbas - Nike Hypervenom Phinish Ousadia Alegria
Be it to express his admiration for Neymar or just to wear a good-looking pair of soccer cleats, Sydney FC's Ali Abbas laced up in Neymar's latest signature release, Ousadia Alegria, in the Hypervenom Phinish variant this week.
Brandon O'Neill - Adidas 11pro
Sydney FC's Brandon O'Neill, who was already featured in this series last month, once again got the boot world talking with a unique pair of Adidas 11pro football boots. This time, it was a women's-exclusive colorway launched in late 2014.
Sido Jombati - Nike Match Mercurial
Already featured on this site earlier this week was Wycombe Wanderers' Sido Jombati, who laced up in an extremely rare pair of football boots - 16-year-old Nike Match Mercurials, to be exact.
We hope you enjoyed this week's spots and, as always, please make sure to let us know if you find any errors or even suggest own spots we might have missed.
South Korea Forced to Change Away Kit Font Color for 2026 World Cup
South Korea have been forced to change the nameset color on their 2026 away kit to comply with FIFA equipment regulations. The original light green names and numbers, which were worn during the team's pre-tournament friendlies, have been replaced with navy for the 2026 World Cup.
The change was made to increase the visibility of the names and numbers from a distance. The original light green color did not provide enough contrast against the light purple and white camouflage-style pattern of the Nike away shirt, violating FIFA's strict rules regarding the legibility of player identification.
The updated navy nameset was debuted in South Korea's second match of the tournament, providing a stark contrast to the shirt's base design and ensuring full compliance with FIFA's visibility standards.
CD Numancia 26-27 Home, Away & Third Kits Released
Spanish club CD Numancia and their long-time technical sponsor Erreà have officially unveiled the club's new kits for the 2026-27 season. The launch celebrates a historic milestone, marking 20 years of uninterrupted partnership between the team and the Italian sportswear brand. To honor this two-decade collaboration, the new designs reinterpret the essence of the original kits from the 2006-07 season, when Erreà first began outfitting the Soria-based side.
The CD Numancia 2026-2027 home kit returns to the club's traditional deep red base with blue details, directly inspired by the 2006-07 template. It features a classic central shield placement, reviving a vintage aesthetic that defined the early days of the partnership. The away kit reverses this color scheme, utilizing a crisp white base with red and blue accents. Rounding out the set, the third kit introduces a clean black design with red and white elements that firmly connect to Numancia's identity.
Nike x G-Dragon South Korea 2026 World Cup Collection Debuted
In the recent match between South Korea and Mexico, the South Korean players wore special anthem jackets and pre-match shirt from a lifestyle collection created in collaboration with global star G-Dragon.
Black/Green Nike Mercurial Superfly 11 Boots Spotted
In the opening match between Haiti and Scotland, left-back Martin Expérience was spotted wearing the Nike Mercurial Superfly 11 boots in a black/green colorway. It is expected to be released soon.
Livingston FC 26-27 Home Kit Released
Livingston FC have officially unveiled their new 2026027 home kit, made by Joma.
The new Joma Livingston FC 2026-27 home shirt features a dominant amber-yellow colorway and a large polo collar. The jersey also incorporates subtle embossed patterns that add a refined touch to the design.
Hibernian FC 26-27 Home Kit Released
Hibernian FC have officially unveiled their new 2026-27 home kit and simultaneously announced a partnership with Reebok, replacing Joma as the club’s kit supplier.
The new jersey features a dark green base, complemented by a polo collar and raglan sleeves with white accents. Both the collar and sleeve cuffs are white, finished with green trim.
World Cup 'Debut' Patch is Attached to the Boots
Midfielder Luis Romo (31) made a memorable impact in his FIFA World Cup debut, scoring the only goal in Mexico’s 1-0 victory over South Africa. The win also made Mexico the first team to secure a place in the knockout stage.
Making his first-ever World Cup appearance, Luis Romo naturally had the honor of wearing the World Cup “Debut” Patch. Interestingly, however, he chose to attach it to his Tiempo Maestro boots rather than wear it on his shirt sleeve like most other players.
