In-Depth: Messi's Camouflaged Adidas Boots

Lionel Messi is one of the greatest footballers of all time, and so it is no surprise that he gets special treatment from Adidas. We take a closer look at Messi's custom-made 2023 Adidas X Speedportal football boots.

Messi's new 2023 signature football boots make it much harder to see the modifications than more clean colorways, but if you look closely, you will also identify the main customizations on his current cleats.

Custom Adidas Messi Speedportal 2023 Football Boots

Messi's boots are custom modified by Adidas to suit his specific needs and preferences. There are some visible and hidden custom features that make Messi's boots truly one-of-a-kind.

In case you are wondering - Messi is wearing a UK8 / US8.5 size, as visible in pictures of his match-worn boots.

Custom Tongue

One of the most noticeable differences between Messi's boots and the standard Adidas X Speedportal.1 football boots is the tongue. Messi's boots have a custom feature called a "burrito tongue" that is connected to the upper of the shoe on one side only. This allows Messi to get a better fit and feel on the ball, as well as providing added stability and support.

Custom Upper

The upper of Messi's boots is also customized to his liking. It appears to be made of a flexible synthetic leather-like material that reminds us of the SprintSkin upper of the Adizero III from 2013. The upper is so soft and sits so close that Messi's toes can easily be seen as they stretch the upper. This gives Messi better control and touch on the ball.

Custom Stud Config

Messi's boots also have a custom stud configuration that is different from any current Adidas boot, 100% custom-made for Messi (Gambatrax). This allows him to have better traction and grip on the field, giving him the ability to change direction and accelerate quickly.

While the stud configuration is custom, the overall construction of the soleplate is not, including the external heel counters. Both are taken from the new Adidas X Speedportal.1 boots. Messi probably likes this newly developed soleplate for its performance-enhancing features.

Other Custom Messi Elements

While the above three modifications are visible from match pictures alone, there are many hidden tech personalizations for Messi, of course alongside the usual player id for the player's family.

Hidden modifications include custom-made insoles, a wider boot shape in the forefront, and a hidden additional heel counter.

Custom Adidas X Speedportal Messi Boots - Features (via bcboots)

• Custom-made to measure in Germany by Adidas’ Athlete Services to Messi’s exact specifications and requirements
• Size: UK8 / US8.5
• The left boot features his wife’s name “Anto” to the medial side and personalisation of Messi’s children’s names
• The right boot features personalisation of “10” and the Argentina flag to the lateral side of the upper
• The 2 front & rear studs have been made conical, known as the ‘Gambatrax’ soleplate
• The rest of the studs are shaped and angled specifically at Messi’s request, the central stud even has his custom logo embossed
• The insoles have been specially custom made for Messi with them being extra wide & thicker with a soft suede lining
• The heels feature an additional heel counter (internal) which provides a huge amount of reinforcement, the boot is solid in this area up to the midfoot
• Custom thicker insole boards have also been built in for further reinforcement
• Much wider shape than the retail variant, especially in the forefront areas, to accommodate Messi’s foot shape
• Custom synthetic ultra-soft upper
• Custom burrito tongue/structural upper
• The interior of the heel areas features an extreme amount of additional padding throughout
• Not available to buy regularly

In case you want to get a custom-made Messi boot - match-worn boots of Messi retail at more than 10,000 GBP, and we are sure that prices will not fall.

Messi's boots apparently have very high importance for the Argentinan - the match-worn 2022 World Cup final boots were secured by his wife Antonella.

Do you think all high-profile Adidas players receive this treatment by Adidas (and request so many changes? Let us know in the comments below.