We often see players wearing football boots that are different from those available in shops, as many customise their boots to suit their needs. Some modify the sole, whilst others change various parts of the boot because they do not feel entirely comfortable with the original design.
It is worth noting that not all footballers have the opportunity to make these kinds of modifications. That is why we tend to see these changes mainly among top-level players, who attract a great deal of media attention and are among the best in the world.
Let’s start with Leo Messi, considered by many to be the greatest player in the history of football. As we all know, he has been one of the leading figures for the German brand adidas for years and, at one stage in his career, had his own boot models, such as the adidas Nemeziz.
Even before he had his own models, Messi was already a leading figure on the international stage and would request modifications to certain boots, such as the F50s, to which he had the sole from the F30s fitted.
However, that is not the most unusual modification. For his Nemeziz boots, Messi asked for a side cut-out to be made in the lace area. Otherwise, the boots retained their original design. The reason was purely for comfort, as this small change made it easier for him to slip his foot into the boot.
The second player we’re going to talk about is the Brazilian Philippe Coutinho, who played in Germany for a spell during his career. Even back when he was at Liverpool, we could see how he modified his boots. In particular, a small cut or hole in the heel area caught the eye.
This was due to a unique anatomical feature of the Brazilian footballer: his heel bone protruded slightly, which sometimes caused him discomfort. As a result, he went so far as to cut away parts of the boot to improve comfort.
Over time, we stopped seeing this modification, as Nike developed a bespoke heel counter for him, featuring additional stitching and padding.
Thirdly, we have a retired football star: Robin van Persie. During his time at Arsenal, he changed his boot model, switching from the F50s to the Predators, although he made several modifications to the latter.
Among other changes, he added numerous stitches to reinforce the boot’s structure and replaced the outsole with that of the model he had previously used, the F50s. In this way, he combined the upper of the Predators with the outsole of the F50s, creating a bespoke design.
Another player who made numerous modifications to his boots was Gareth Bale, particularly when he started wearing the adidas X.
At first, he was very comfortable with them, but with subsequent generations, he decided to make several changes. One of the main changes affected the instep area: although many of the models available on the market were laceless, like the ones Bale used, he chose to incorporate two side slits to add laces.
This gave him a more comfortable fit and reduced the feeling of bulk around the top of the foot.
The last player we’re going to talk about today is Neymar, who was playing for PSG at the time. In the final years of his career, we saw him wearing his Nike Mercurials with a different outsole: an AG outsole instead of an FG one.
This choice was linked to his physical problems and injuries, which led him to seek a more suitable configuration for playing on certain types of surface. AG studs are specifically designed for artificial turf pitches, whilst FG studs are mainly used on firm natural grass.
