When it comes to football footwear, soccer brands are pushing creativity to the max as they evolve their designs for the latest cleats and flats. The intense rivalry to be the most stylish product on the block has spawned some incredible new boots—Adidas just released a new limited edition Messi 10/10 boots in addition to the latest Aces, X’s, and Messi’s with a powerful change in style and color. On the other hand, Nike’s Mercurials and Magistas have changed the game with an out-of-the-box approach to design and even the shape of the shoe.
But it’s not just the big brands getting in the style game. Creative designers worldwide are using boots as a palette to make some of the slickest custom footwear you won’t find in the neighborhood Footlocker, and they have a huge community of Instagrammers sporting the latest releases online.
To give you a taste of the dopest designs out there—some produced, some only concept art—we put together a list of the designers, collaborators, and hypemen influencing current trends in football footwear—it’ll make you want to go out and get a pair!
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ASCENSION: Y3 Boost
A great all-around profile for street fashion, Ascension’s featured shoe designs really stand out, including this post of the Y3 Boost. With the Yeezys, Adidas showed yet again what they can do with the Y3 line. These are a great pair for street ball and working out in general. When off the clock, ballers should keep these shoes untied for a casual look. The designers also added rock-textured print on soles and even made carpet texture to create a one-of-a-kind shoe. It comes as no surprise that once a product like the YS Boost drop, they are sold out within minutes. Unfortunately, not everyone can get their hands on a pair- due to the price or it being out of stock. If you are someone who enjoys fashion on a budget, maybe the Y3’s aren’t for you. But alternative pairs like the Vessi waterproof sneakers may be something you might be interested in. You’ll may even find that you prefer these over the Y3 boost. You shouldn’t have to feel like you need an expensive item just to fit in with everyone else, especially if you cannot afford it.
BACKTOMINIMAL: Yeezy
BackToMinimal captures all the best boho looks that are at the heart of Kanye’s fashion voice. The Yeezy shoes featured here are in fact extremely comfy as much as they are trendy. The earthy gray, black, and brown colors, woven fabric, and exposed stitching make for a kind of zombie-apocalypse shoe. One of our favorites is the military camouflage pattern, to be worn only if your life is dope and you do dope things.
BOOSTVIBES: Adidas Boost
This account strictly focuses on the Adidas boost running shoes, which can come in handy for any street ballers looking to get in shape. With a large variety, it’s easy to see how big the menu is for these kicks.
THE WISH LIST: FOOTWEAR CONCEPT ART
NICK TEXEIRA: Mercurials
Texeira’s designed boots and jerseys make ample use of metallic colorways against unique patterns, like snakeskin and jungle print. With just the right amount of pop and liquid cool, the boots seem custom-made for players with the confidence to pull off something more interesting than a simple stripe or swoosh.
LUMO723: Mercurial Superfly
These “two guys from Berlin who like sneakers and sports” are pro level in our opinion with creative concepts that are smooth af and could probably make a killing in the mainstream market today. With something for both the millennial and the gentleman baller, our favorites include the Nike-Jordan combo, and the retro-colored Superflys with white soles. Mmm mm.
ALTO DESIGNS: Phantom II Jordan X Proximo II IC
The Alto Design artists create simple yet distinctive work on street soccer shoes and cleats. They’re sometimes splattered with neon paint or make use of a hallmark gradient perfectly balanced and contained in the brand logo. The minimalist approach produces a classy and sleek boot that should probably be a mandatory item in every player’s closet.
INSTA-HYPERS
BOOTSTORIES and FOOTYBOOTADDICT
These Instagram accounts feature a collection of the best football boots on, well, Instagram and IRL. Both have a huge variety of Nike and Adidas kicks that truly show how big the selection of design has really gotten. Whether you wanna go low-key or stand out on the pitch, these two accounts are prime scrolling spots to see what’s out there.
YouSkill: Nike Tiempos
YouSkill is made up of Marcel, a champion German freestyler, and Pascal, a footballer. They post a lot of both Nike and Adidas flats and cleats, and the variety they have is pretty impressive. These Nike Tiempos are part of the FootballX Floodlights Glow Pack, which actually glow in the dark, making them perfect for nighttime street ball!
Between limited editions, high end collaborations and concept creations, there is a veritable treasure trove available to the sneakerhead/baller with a corresponding baller budget. It’s enjoyable to see the meshing of art and even different sports combine into new creations. Which ones are your favorite?
