What boots does Lionel Messi wear? | Complete history
"They tell me that all men are equal in the eyes of god, but this man seriously makes you think about those words."
We may not stan Argentina and Barcelona star Lionel Messi as much as legendary broadcaster Ray Hudson does, however it’s undeniable that Messi has been one of the greatest to ever lace them up. He’s undoubtedly one of the most prolific goal scorers of the modern era, banging in a jaw dropping 433 goals in 471 first team appearances over his club career.
Since making his senior debut in 2004/05, Messi’s won 10 La Liga titles and four Champions League titles while hoisting the Ballon D’Or trophy six times. And don’t forget six Spanish Cup victories, eight Spanish Super Cup triumphs, three Club World Cup championships, and three UEFA Supercup trophies. Not bad for a kid from Rosario, Argentina who’s had to bear the weight of Diego Maradona comparisons throughout his entire adult life.
While there’ll always be debate surrounding his national team performances, one thing is definitive. He carried consistently underwhelming Argentina squads to three consecutive finals in the 2014 World Cup and the 2015 and 2016 Copa Americas. Messi even won the Golden Ball at the 2014 World Cup, netting four goals in seven matches. He’s also the youngest Argentine to play and score in a World Cup in the 2006 edition of the tournament.
At just 1.70 meters tall, how does he do it? Does he have a bottle of secret stuff like Michael Jordan in Space Jam? In all seriousness, while there’s a myriad of variables which contribute to the Argentine’s brilliance, at least part of it must be his boots, right?
With that being said, let’s look at the different boots Messi’s donned over the years, starting with a trip down memory lane. Just in case it is in fact the boots. Bring on the nostalgia.
Lionel Messi boot history
Nowadays Messi and adidas are practically synonymous, but he hasn’t always been the face of their soccer brand. He actually made his Barcelona debut against city rivals Espanyol rocking Nike Air Zoom T90 III boots, which were designed for ultimate power, accuracy, stability, and comfortability. They also featured a new asymmetrical integrated lacing system. For the rest of his rookie campaign, Messi switched between the three Nike silos at the time: Air Legend, Mercurial, and T90.
After displaying his massive potential, he signed a lucrative deal with adidas in 2006, and hasn’t looked back since securing the bag. At the time most were wearing the adidas Predator boots, but Messi broke in a new boot series instead. He wore the +F50.6 Tunit boots in his adidas debut, which better complemented his blistering pace and dynamic agility. In 2007 Messi continued wearing the next generation in the F50 series, the +F50.7 Tunit boots. He also wore the +F50.8 Tunit boots in 2008.
Messi laced up the +F50.9i in 2009, the last of the traditional F50’s in the boot line. In 2010, the boot line evolved into the F50 adiZero, which debuted leading up to the 2010 World Cup. The adiZero marked adidas’ entrance into the lightweight game and also the release of some fire F50 colourways including the Chameleon Purple. In 2011, Messi continued wearing the F50 adiZero with the second generation in the boot line. He used the third generation of the F50 adiZero in 2012 and 2013. The fourth generation of the F50 adiZero ended up being the last in 2014.
adidas discontinued the F50 boot line in 2015 and launched a new line of boots to commemorate his fifth Ballon D’Or win. Called the Messi 15, it was Messi’s first signature boot, technically the first true signature boot in football. The Messi 16 boot came out the following year with colourways featuring a fresh, more metallic sheen. From 2017 to present Messi’s been wearing successive generations of the adidas Nemeziz, which has some of the most innovative boot tech out there in an effort to enhance agility and pace.
Five most recent boots Messi has worn
1. Messi Nemeziz Purple 19.1 Football Boots
Released to celebrate Messi’s sixth Ballon D’Or, these Nemeziz 19.1 boots feature the iconic adidas three stripes along the heel and back of the boot in a greenish yellow colour. The purple colourway is a shout out to the beloved 2010 F50 adiZero Chameleon colourway worn at the 2010 World Cup.
2. adidas 302 Redirect Nemeziz 19.1
Dropped at the end of the 2019 season, this Nemeziz 19.1 features a fresh white and red colourway thanks to the 302 Redirect Pack.
3. adidas Copa 19 Initiator Pack
This is adidas’ first leather laceless Copa boot, part of the Initiator Pack, which also contains a new take on the Predator boot.
4. adidas Spectral Mode Nemeziz 18.1
Released in late 2018, the Spectral Mode Boots Pack has a clean light grey colourway.
5. adidas Team Mode Nemeziz 18.1
Also dropped in 2018, this boot features a diagonal split white and royal blue colourway.
Messi’s best boots
Messi’s best boots are the blue F50.9i boots he wore in what can be considered his breakout season in 2008/09. In Manager Pep Guardiola’s first season with Barcelona, the club won the first ever Spanish treble en route to an unimaginable sextuple and the top spot on the list of greatest teams ever. Personally, Messi won his first Ballon D’Or that year, registering 38 goals and 18 assists in 51 competitive matches. He famously celebrated nabbing the second goal in the Champions League Final against Manchester United by removing his boot and kissing it, much to the delight of adidas executives.
Another strong candidate for Messi’s best boots is the first generation F50 adiZero’s he wore during the 2011/12 season. While Barcelona failed to defend their league title and Champions League crown from the previous season, Messi scored an unheard of 73 goals and had 31 assists in 60 competitive matches. He officially became Barcelona’s all-time leading scorer, and his heroics landed him the Ballon D’Or for a third time. It’s obvious this season cemented his status among the greatest footballers of all-time.
Where Can I Find Cheap Messi Boots?
In the past cheap Messi boots were difficult to come by, but now thanks to FOOTY.COM’s very own cheap football boots section, you don’t have to waste time scouring the internet or hoping you don’t get outbid on eBay at the last second. And the best part? They’re all under 30 pounds.
