Last month, we weighed up the pros and cons of Nike having their Elite Series of football boots on the market alongside their regular colourways in a From the Sole piece titled ‘Too Discreet to be Elite’?
Now, as a follow up, we thought we’d have a run down of some of the biggest players who are sticking with the World Cup edition lightweight models, and who prefers the standard editions.
Cesc Fabregas – Arsenal – Standard
With his future finally resolved at Arsenal, Fabregas is looking to pick up where he left off last season – even if that means sticking with the same football boots!
The talismanic Spaniard has infamously eschewed all the new CTR360 Masestri colourways and stuck with the launch model. Here we can see the standard stud configuration, revealing Cesc is sticking with the standard model.
Wayne Rooney – Manchester United – Standard
After a disappointing World Cup, it’s little surprise to see Rooney in the standard version of the Challenge Red Nike T90 Laser III.
We reported back in June that Rooney was playing for England in a customised version of the Elite Laser III, with a solid heel counter like the standard model – obviously something that’s important to Rooney’s style of play – so clearly the prolific marksman is saving the effort of customising his boots and staying with the standard model.
Carlos Tevez – Manchester City – Elite
Tevez isn’t just wearing the Elite Series, he’s sticking with the Mach Purple/Orange colourway!
A convert to the CTR360, we’d be interested to know if these football boots are the exact same pair that Tevez scored that screamer in for Argentina in the World Cup – and whether he’s adopted them as his ‘lucky boots’!
Sami Khedira – Real Madrid – Elite
Real Madrid new boy Sami Khedira has a very interesting pair of custom CTR360 Maestri Elite football boots to start his career as a Meringues in.
The big German seems to prefer a rounded stud firm ground configuration, and we can only guess that Nike have used the sole from the Tiempo Legend III Elite, hence the white-tipped studs.
Joe Cole – Liverpool – Elite
Here’s a great shot of Liverpool’s newest star Joe Cole’s football boots in action against Rabotnicki.
The entirely black sole is a dead giveaway that Cole’s White/Seaweed/Red Tiempo Legend III‘s are of the Elite series persuasion.
Fernando Torres – Liverpool – Standard
During the World Cup we noted that Torres was another player who preferred not only a solid heel counter, but also a leather upper.
El Nino has also made no secret of his love of white football boots, so it’s no big shock to see the Spaniard in the standard model of the White/Photo Blue/Dark Charcoal T90 K-Laser III.
Landon Donovan – LA Galaxy – Elite
Landon Donovan has gone to great lengths in the past to track down the perfect sole – even going as far as to having the Mercurial Vapor Superfly II‘s soleplate attached to a CTR360‘s upper!
So, it speaks volumes that the in-demand American has finally settled on the Elite Series CTR360.
Ashley Cole – Chelsea – Standard
The new Black/White/Retro CTR360 Maestri football boots have sent boot-spotters heads spinning and their eyes all a-squint trying to figure out if people are wearing the Elite Series version or not!
Thankfully, it’s shots like this of Chelsea’s Ashley Cole that make it easy to see that, despite his huge wages and glamorous lifestyle, he’s a standard man after all!
Ronaldinho – AC Milan – Elite
After flirting with his old Nike Ronaldinho Dois in pre-season, Ronaldinho is back in the Tiempo Legend series – once again the face of the classically-styled football boots, now that Tevez has jumped ship to the CTR360.
As you can see from the all-black sole, Ronaldinho is in the Elite Series Nike Tiempo Legend III‘s – here’s hoping that he can continue his fine form from last season!
Got anymore'Â Elite/Standard spots? Bob them in the comments below!
Or if you want to know if your favourite player is currently wearing Elite Series football boots, leave a question in the comments and we’ll do our best to answer it for you!
Bob them in haha
Does this mean that there really isn’t that big of a difference between the standard and the elite boots? Or is it just simply the pros taste? I’d figure if the elite is the best you can get and the pros are the beat then they’d all be wearing the elites. Great article!
What is xabi and iniesta wearing? elite or standard and also walcott and diaby and alex song of arsenal? thanks footy-boots!
georgios samaras was wearing the ctr360 elites from the world cup but recently swapped back into the red and white ctr360s
so i guess he back in the standard version
Fabregas has worn his first CTR because it has the air legend soleplate, he wore the same soleplate but hybrid in the worldcup. song wears the normal and walcott wears superflie II, also donovan doesnt have the vapor superfly II soleplate, but is either the 1st superfly soleplate or vapor sl soleplate, like what drogba has
rickey – Whether you mean Xabi Alonso or Xavi Hernandez none of them wears Nike boots, they wear Adipure III and customized Predator X respectively, so there’s no matter of Standard or Elite. Regarding Walcott, he wears Soft Ground Superfly II and i have no idea what are Diaby and Alex Song presently wearing, maybe sombody else does. Hope it helped.
Both Diaby and Song wear the CTR but I am not sure whether or not they have the standard or elite versions. Interesting to see Ronaldinho in the Elite Legend III as they are not K-Leather, something he hasn’t strayed from since he first wore the Legend I.
Misterbroom12
I bet Ronaldinho has a Kangaroo leather upper with his elites,.
I saw a pic of the England Squa with a ‘back the bid’ banner on the Wembley pitch a few days before the Hungary game – and Rooney was wearing his World Cup ‘Elite’ Nikes.
Also swear Dawon was wearing Umbro Stealths in the same pic
You forgot Scholes in the T90 III Red elite’s. He was awesome at The Cottage on Sunday. Every pass was inch perfect and watching him warm up before the game was exactly the same!
I think that Song & Diaby wore the standards on Saturday v Blackpool, and after having the SL’s and Superfly I’s, it’s a surprise that Chamakh has gone to Vapor VI’s.
Didn’t Donovan have a Superly 1 soleplate on the maroon/gold CTR’s?
Too Expensive, Nike is just over the edge. Absolutley not customer friendly.
Adidas has a good strategie these days. Adizeros haven taken over the Superfly’s. Adipures are flying…
No wonder with this prices that few people wearing Nike…
I have almost never seen a normal person wearing / being able to pay for Superflys / Elites.
I have to be a pro player to afford / receive from a sponsor to wear Nike boots :-((((
So Drogba wears Superflys II upper with an SL plate? or is it a regular Superfly I plate?
Does Robinho wear Standards or Elites? Or is he wearing vapors?
And what tiempos does Chicharito Hernandez wear?