We love a boot-swapping scandal here at Footy-Boots.com. There’s nothing better than catching a player in the act when they’re trying out football boots from a rival brand!
Recently, Sergio Aguero has had our attention as the long-time Nike key athlete has been trying out adidas’ classic adidas adiPure football boots – but he’s not the only player to have changed brands.
With a little help from all out Facebook fans, we’ve put together a lit of some of the most memorable boot-swapping players. If you’ve got one we missed, add it to the comments below!
Lionel Messi – Nike Mercurial Vapor to adidas F50 adiZero football boots
Easily the one that got the biggest reaction when we posted it on our Facebook page was this startling site; adidas golden bot Lionel Messi in Nike ad!
Back in the day of the Mercurial Vapor III the diminutive Argentine wasn’t quite the best player in the world, but Nike had faith in the Barca player, who was then snapped up by adidas!
Zlatan Ibrahimovic – Puma King to Nike Mercurial Vapor football boots
We actually didn’t know about this one, so thanks to Ricky M on Facebook for submitting this one!
When the tricky Swede started out at Ajax in 2001-2002, he actually opted to wear the Puma King (though it is worth noting he was a Nike man for most of his time at Swedish club Malmo FF). Zlatan signed up with Nike to wear their then-brand new Mercurial Vapor range later that season, and have been inseparable ever since!
Thierry Henry – Nike Mercurial Vapor to Reebok Sprintfit football boots
Nowadays, we all know Thierry Henry as the biggest gun in the dwindling Reebok arsenal – but when the Arsenal Legend switched from Nike in 2006, it nearly blew the Footy-Boots.com servers up!
After years as being the definitive Mercurial player, the flying Frenchman did a U-Turn on his trusty Vapors and jumped ship to Reebok – thanks for reminding us of this one, Darren J.G!
Andres Iniesta – Mizuno Morelia to Nike Laser football boots
We’re going way back for this one! In his days at Barcelona’s legendary La Masia academy, a young Andres Iniesta could be seen sliding through-balls and lofting crosses off of his classic Mizuno Morelia.
After making his way into the first team, the World Cup winner was quickly snapped up by Nike, who saw his unmatched accuracy represented the new T90 series to a tee.
Dani Alves – Nike Mercurial Vapor Superfly – adidas F50 adiZero football boots
Gigi was the first to bring this one up on Facebook when the rest of us had tried so hard to forget about it!
Flying full-back Dani Alves spent months chopping, changing and blacking out his football boots – seemingly forever undecided between his long-loved Superfly and the new adiZero!
Eventually, after the season’s first El Clasico, the Barca defender put pen-to-paper for adidas, wearing the adiZero and even appearing in adidas’ Copa Del Rey final advert!
Nicolas Anelka – Puma v1.10 to adidas F50 adiZero football boots
Journeyman striker Anelka has always been a big Puma man, sticking with the German brand even when he couldn’t stick with a club.
Which is why it was such a shock to see the French forward ditch them after the World Cup last year. Starting his pre-season in the adiZero, Anelka left Puma to begin the 2010-11 season without their biggest marketable personality in English football.
Nani – Nike Mercurial Vapor to adidas F50 adiZero football boots
Another one of this year’s most talked-about boot swaps was Nani ditching the Nike Mercurial Vapor, and Ali Adams clearly remembers this one fondly.
The pacy winger was one of the few players to endorse the Vapor over the Superfly, which made his switch to the adiZero even more understandable – the lack of FlyWire and Carbon Fibre were clearly something that was never going to bother the Portuguese International as he quickly put pen to paper with adidas.
David Beckham – Asics Testimonial to adidas Predator football boots
Hard to believe that Brand Beckham could ever have been associated with anything other than adidas, but here’s the proof!
Seen here on loan with Preston North End (where he famously scored form a corner kick!), Becks used to prefer the classic feel of the Asics Testimonial range whilst in Sir Alex’s Academy.
After a brief stint hawking Cica Blades, Beckham was quickly snapped up by adidas to wear the Predator, and has arguably since become one of the greatest endorsers of anything. Ever.
And Rooney?
Back in his early days he was wearing some Umbro boots.
This:
he was a true blue forever then, you know before Manchester United weren’t big enough to match his ambitions
so much for rooney never leaving everton
so much for rooney never leaving everton
“the lack of FlyWire and Carbon Fibre were clearly something that was
never going to both the Portuguese International as he quickly put pen
to paper with adidas.”
Am I misreading or does this not make any sense?
In any case, great research by Foot-Boots, in particular the readers who contributed to this.
You’re absolutely right, ‘both’ is meant to say ‘bother’ – definite case of Spellcheck gone wild!
Fixed & Thanks for pointing it out!
No problem, great article.
No problem, great article.
RaĂşl! He used to wear Asics, as well, until he was signed by adidas in 2000, I think.
raul used to wear reebok (champs final against valencia)
Iniesta looks like a midget playing against that other guy. Â Bet he kicked his ass to top it all off haha %)
Robinho?
Zlatan wore Puma for a long time before going to Nike (he had intended to go with Adidas for the new at the time F-50’s but ended up in Vapors).
Becks wore Asics, CICA, and Nike before using World Cups and then Preds.
Anelka was at heart a Valsport wearer, he used them at Aresnal before going with Puma, then went back to them at Man City before hopping to Reebok, and then Adidas, then Puma, then Adidas.
Robbie Fowler was a Puma King wearer before Nike got him for the rest of his career. Sheringham wore Kings and Preds before swapping out for Nike.
Heny wore Copas before Tiempos and then Vapors.
Ronaldo (Brasil) wore Moreilas before Nike bought him off, like many Brasilans in the 90’s(I have pics to prove he wore the shoes).
Raul wore Kelme, then Reebok, then Adidas.
Ruud wore Preds at one point.
Totti wore Nike, then Diadora, then blacked out Preds, now he is in custom (Intertract sole) Legend 3’s that are blacked out.
harry kewell was with adidas during the 2006 world cup then nomis and now nike
Nani also used to wear t90 lasers before his vapors ha.Â
Ashley Cole- Adidas Tunits to Nike CTR 360 Maestri
Glen Johnson- Lotto to Nike CTR 360 Maestri
How about Edgar Davids switching from Nike to the adipure?
In the 2006 WC Florent Malouda wore a pair of red Asics.
Bolton’s Stu Holden went from Adidas to the CTR 360
Leo also wore the Nike Tiempo
jamie redknapp started out with adidas until predator 1, then changed to mizuno, then to nike, and back to adidas on his spurs day
Messi also used to wear nike t90 boot. supremacys i believe.
feel like he was a little bit influenced by former teammate Ronaldinho. both wearers of the t90 boots and tiempos.
Vieira switched from Nike (T90/tiempo) to preds after wc 2002.
Vieira switched from Nike (T90/tiempo) to preds after wc 2002.
Crespo switched from nike to adidas then to umbro.
Mendietta from kelme to nike.
Zanetti: adidas mizuno adidas.
Sol Campbell puma nike adidas/puma.
Sheva: adidas lotto mizuno reebok nike.
Kezman: nike adidas nike.
Roberto Carlos: umbro nike adidas mizuno nike adidas puma ?
The most players change the brands, of course money is the most important reason. Sometimes, new, fresh idea/concept can help a brand to sign new players easier by generating a hype( Vapor/adizero).
Beckham isn’t wearing ASICS Testimonial. He’s wearing better than that. ASICS highest end boot between 92/96 – TSS900. I had a pair BNIB a couple of years ago. Quite a few players from Villa/Newcastle/Blackburn/Leeds all wore them when ASICS was their kit supplier between 93/95.