Footy Boots have selected 8 of the best football players of all time and have been researching what football boots these legends were wearing in their prime.
We have selected 8 legends which have consistently featured in published “top players of all time” polls.
The footballers and their boots that will be going under the microscope over the next few days are, in alphabetical order;
Marco van Basten
Franz Beckenbauer
George Best
Johan Cruyff
Pele
Diego Maradona
Bobby Moore
Michel Platini
If you’d like to add any legends to the list and can supply evidence of the football boots they were, or are wearing, please post your comment.
Van Basten used to wear those orange striped Diadora at Milan, but he also wore the legendary Pantofolo d’Oro’s according to their site.
“Many of the world’s best players have scored their goals with Pantofola d’Oro. John Charles, Jürgen Klinsmann, Johan Cruijff, Roger Millar and Marco Van Basten are just some of the world class players to wear this famous brand of football boots”
Indeed, the Pantofolo d’Oro boots were and still are one of the finest boots ever made. Johan Cruijff had his own sportsbrand for a while (Cruyff Sportswear) and the shoes they put on the market were actually made by/produced in cooperation with Emidio Lazarini, the guy behind Pantofolo d’Oro. The Cruyff shoes made between 1981 and approx 1990 still belong to the finest pairs of football boots ever made! Bergkamp, Van Basten and the maestro himself are testimony to this!
OTHERS OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD
– Platini Patrick
– Cryuff had Puma’s as well as the aforementioned d’oros
– Maradona Puma was all I ever saw him wear
Diego Maradona is brilliant!
Just read el diego (autobiography) and he raves about his Pumas. There’s a great picture of him modelling the Argentina kit with these 70’s Pumas with massive tongue sticking halfway up his shin, the days before King’s brought about foldovers. Haha, funny photo. Books rubbish though, dont bother with it
Diego has also worn Adidas Copa Mundial’s when he played with Boca in the 90’s and last year at the Soccer Aid event he wore Nike Legends.
Guillermo
Looks like Bobby moore Wore adidas, not sure which ones though.
maradonna – puma
cruyff – puma
platini – adidas
beckenbauer – adidas
pele – puma
I suggest you include the best Mexican player in history: hugo sanchez – adidas
Zico should be on that list.
Georgie Best also wore Copa Mundials from the videos I’ve seen but I have never seen van Basten in action
Pele & Maradona – Puma Kings
Beckenbauer, Platini, Cruyff, B. Moore, B. Charlton and for a little while Maradona as well – Adidas Copa Mundial
huGO SANCHEZ
Marco van Basten: Cruyff & Diadora
Franz Beckenbauer: adidas
George Best: ??
Johan Cruyff: Puma
Pele: Puma
Diego Maradona: Puma
Bobby Moore: adidas
Michel Platini: Patrick
Oleg Blohin,Valeriy Lobanovskiy,Zico,Eric Cantona also should be on that list
u misin eusebio and his pumas
George Best also wore his own brand of boots.
George Best wore Stylo Matchmakers boots .P.S. Does anyone know if you can still get hold of Puma Maradona , Cruyff,Pele ect.
Van Basten wore Cruyff Sportswear. They was like a further extention of a nike tick. Always tried to get them but never could.
Most the players in the list tho wore either the puma kings or the addidas world cups.
i have nothing to say just for me the best players in the world are 1974=johan cruijff
1988=marco van basten and now 2009 for me the best player is ricardo izecson dos santos leite KAKA’………………..
kaka we stand in ac.milan and he’s not going in another team……………………….
because the best team is ac.milan…..kl
Whatever Maradona may have worn if his early days or since retirement, he spent the majority of his playing time in Puma.
Not Puma King. But, Puma SPA King.
A completely different boot. A long tongue with the top 1-2 inch being white leather. And a creamy yellow/black sole, similar in design to the original Adidas Word Cup 78.
If you remember, Puma’s anti-Adidas advert for the 2006 world cup was all about Maradona
Van Basten spent a lot of his career in Diadora, but I’ll happily concede he wore others.
The three legends, Maradona, Cruyff and Pele wore Puma for the majority of their career.
You’ve gotta love the pictures of Cruff in the 70s, with only 2 stripes on his shirt, because he refused to wear the 3 stripes of Adidas unless he was paid for it.
black and white puma boots are the classic, maradona wore them in the world cup and all the memorable matches. It brings back those days when i see those simple-designed puma boots.
European Footballer of the Year the great DENIS LAW wore MITRE football boots.
Ok, you guys really need to add Zinedine Zidane… THE GREATEST PLAYER OF ALL TIME!!!… He wore Adidas Predators by the way…
The greats all wore Puma.
I still have a pair of Puma SPA Royals and all the old classic boots are the best.
I don’t wear any of the new “toy” boots at all and i always go back to the classics of Puma Spa kings, puma kings or my Spa Royals.
If they were good enough for Cruyff, Pele, Maradona,Kempes and Eusebio then who am i to complain ?
Sports manufacturers take note – copas and kings are still the pro’s boots of choice – 20 years down the line.
In the ’80’s Patrick had a superb boot in the U.S. called the, ‘Stabil’, which was popular with many professional indoor players (on synth pitches). Ultra low profile on a narrow platform. Virtually zero midsole and the shank at midfoot was only about 5 mm wide.
Additionally, Patrick had a gum rubber flat called the ‘Missile’, which was eminently forgettable. And remember the massive aftermarket studs for use in mud, on the Keegan 6-stud plate? Frightening, they were.
Regarding pantofola d’oro… probably the best indoor synthetic pitch boot I ever wore. Magic. They lasted about month but they were ever so sweet.
Whilst you can’t really argue with the list above as being the best players of all time there’s discussion to be had over the best boots.
My thoughts are:-
5 Patrick Michelle Platini – a belter from the 80’s.
4. Puma King. – faultless.
3. Adidas World Cup. – completely faultless.
2. Lotto Stadio 90. – Epic. and good looking to boot.
1……..best boots ever made…Puma SPA King. Simply perfect.
I have a pair of all but the Platini’s.
Feel free to discuss, however, apart from the early Predators, all plastic boots are exculded. If a player is paid to were them, they’re generally garbage.
all great players and quality boots, have owned most of the boots mentioned and some that haven’t i.e lotto stadio cup (moulds) worn by ruud gullit,diadora sansiro van basten,and valsport fioriclass worn by hristo stoichkov. all exellent boots and its good to see people still appreciate quality,not like kids today who just want the brightest flashy thing they can put on their feet, and you’ll all notice not a nike boot is mentioned really although the nike tiempo early/mid 90’s wasn’t a bad boot.
oh yeah what about asics-baresi. mizuno morelia pro rivaldo
I looking for george best…contact me!!!
i would like to see the following players and there boots Pele,Juninho,e.cantona,h.Sanchez,voller,rivellno,l.matthaus, Zico all these are forwards and midfielders now here’s some center backs and  goal keepers:g.facchetti,f.Baresi,Fernando Hierro, Carlos Alberto, Claudio taffarel.
George Best wore Stylo Matchmakers for the majority of his career at Man U.
Did maradona ever wear la coq boots even just once can anyone help