Football boots have progressed a long way since the days when players used to wear work boots to play the game in the 19th century.
Technology now plays a massive part in boot development and manufacture, with the leading brands eager to create perfect footwear for modern players.
While many boots continue to be mass produced, there have been plenty of examples in recent years of bespoke items being created.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are amongst the players who have repeatedly had boots created to commemorate special moments in their careers.
Read on as we take a closer look at some of the most unique football boots made during the history of the world’s greatest game.
Ronaldo celebrates Ballon d’Or with Rare Gold
Manchester United star Ronaldo is famed for his Nike boots and has had many unique creations during his time with the sportswear manufacturer.
One of the most unique boots ever created for Ronaldo was the Nike Mercurial CR7 Rare Gold boot, which was made to celebrate him winning his third Ballon d’Or Award in 2014.
Ronaldo’s efforts for Real Madrid and Portugal during the previous 12 months saw him finish a long way clear of Messi in the final voting, with Manuel Neuer rounding off the top three.
For the first time in Nike’s history, micro-diamonds were applied by hand to the CR7 logo of a boot that was only ever worn by Ronaldo.
Dempsey’s one-off boot helps youth charity
Renowned graffiti artist MrDheo has built up a strong reputation for creating exclusive boot designs for professional footballers over the past decade.
He previously customised boots for Mario Balotelli and Emmanuel Frimpong, before teaming up with Clint Dempsey and Seattle Sounders to transform a pair of Nike Tiempo.
The unique footwear featured a patriotic stars and stripes design that was 100 percent handmade and painted solely with spray cans.
The boots were subsequently auctioned to raise vital funds for the Boys & Girls Clubs of King County in Seattle – a charity that works to provide opportunities for young people in the area.
Zidane nearly proves age is just a number
Zinedine Zidane was written off by many people ahead of the 2006 World Cup in Germany, but produced some scintillating displays to help France reach the final.
Zidane graced that tournament in a stunning pair of adidas Predator Absolutes football boots, which were noteworthy for being completely gold in colour.
There was to be no fairy tale ending for Zidane, with the playmaker dismissed for head-butting Italy’s Marco Materazzi during extra-time before France were beaten on penalties.
Zidane’s boots were also never available to buy despite thousands of fans pleading with adidas to release them onto general sale in the aftermath of the tournament.
Beckham steals Neville’s thunder
There is a saying that no one should ever attempt to upstage the bride at a wedding as she is supposed to be the star of the show.
While marital rules do not generally apply to football testimonials, it was probably a bit naughty of David Beckham to rock up at Gary Neville’s special day in a pair of special gold boots.
Beckham wore the previously unreleased adidas adiPower Predators against Juventus, outshining Neville and the rest of the players at the game.
The money raised from the event was donated to a new supporters’ club, although it appears that Beckham’s boots were not part of the deal.
Messi gives something back to society
Messi added another world record to his collection after gifting a pair of his record-breaking boots to a charity auction and raising more than $173,000.
The Argentine donated the boots he wore when he scored his 644th goal for Barcelona in 3-0 win over Real Valladolid in December 2020.
His effort saw Messi beat Pele’s all-time record for goals scored for a single club and cemented his status as one of the world’s greatest-ever players.
The money raised went to a local hospital in Barcelona, with Messi eager to give something back to the city that had given him so much during his career.
