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Sportswear giant Nike has always left its imprint on the football world, and one of the main reasons for its success is its association with superstar names and elite players over the years. The label has over the years collaborated with many successful and superstar names such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, Kylian Mbappe, and many more.
It is not just superstar players that they are partnered with. They are often linked with successful clubs and international teams. Their distinct swoosh logo can be recognized from afar and is often on the football field.
The label adds multiple players onto its list every year and many are left behind. However, a few players have stuck with the swoosh label for a long time and are often provided with their custom and Player-edition signature boots.
So, ahead of that, we have mentioned 5 Nike-sponsored football players and their best signature boots.
Top 5 signature shoes launched by Nike for their sponsored footballers
1) Cristiano Ronaldo
Professional Portuguese footballer Christiano Ronaldo has been contracted with Nike since 2003 and currently has had more than 31 different pairs of Mercurials made for him. He also became the third athlete ever to be handed a lifetime contract by the label in 2016 with an estimated $1 billion worth.
He got his first signature boot made in 2010 and the latest silhouette was made for the player ahead of the Qatar-held 2022 FIFA World Cup.
The Mercurial Vapor 15 Elite CR7 features an exclusive pattern that honors Portuguese culture and the Azulejo tiles. The official site describes the shoe,
“Like Cristiano Ronaldo, the azulejo tiles are a Portuguese national treasure. For the Nike Zoom Mercurial Vapor 15 Elite CR7, we took visual inspiration from the Portuguese icons to show what can be achieved when one dedicates themselves to the craft. Now loaded with a football-specific Zoom Air unit, you can put the pedal down in the waning minutes of a match.”
The design has been sported by players throughout the FIFA World Cup 2022. The 31st -signature Nike mercurial was released on the official e-commerce site of Nike on October 31, 2022, at a retail price of $275. It is now available on select reseller sites.
2) Kylian Mbappe
French footballer Kylian Mbappe is currently one of the most valuable football superstars. He has also been the poster boy for Nike's sub-label Jordan Lineage. The French footballer is a part of Paris Saint-Germain football club and has also won the 2018 World Cup as a part of the French national team.
The pro footballer has been linked with the swoosh label and launched his first collection of Mercurial Superfly in 2019. He earned his first pair of signature football boots with the Kylian Mbappe x Bondy Mercurial Superfly 7.
For the FIFA World Cup 2022, the player received Mercurial Superfly 9 signature boots. The official site describes the shoe,
"Kylian Mbappe's explosiveness, plus his twitchy change of direction, puts him firmly in the world-class of finishers. With nods to his heritage, this boot is made to help you play just like KM—with blinding pace and purpose."
Most recently, the player, the top player at the Qatar-held 2022 FIFA World Cup, Kylian received signature boots clad in Metallic Copper colorway. The boots were released to the public on December 4, 2022, on the official e-commerce site of Nike and select retailers.
3) Robert Lewandowski
The 34-year-old Polish football player, Robert Lewandowski has been associated with the Nike since 2009. The player has recieved many silhouettes to his name, however, it was the 2016-released Nike Hypervenom Phantom II that stole the hearts of millions of fans.
The Bayern Munich star's Hypervemon II football boots celebrated Tobert's record goal-scoring pace and his milestone of reaching 100 Bundesliga goals faster than any other foreign player. Most recently, the player was sported wearing Air Zoom Mercurial Vapor XV for FIFA World Cup 2022 from the recently released Generation pack.
The 3-piece Generation pack was launched specifically for the FIFA World Cup being held in Qatar and was released to public on November 14, 2022.
4) Zlatan Ibrahimovic
Swedish footballer Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who plays for the AC Milan Club and the Sweden National team as the striker has gained a huge fan following and although he missed this year's FIFA World Cup due to his national team not qualifying for the tournament, he is still one of the most beloved swoosh label's sponsored players.
Zlatan wore a neon yellow Nike Mercurial Vapor 14 Elite soccer cleats in 2021 and added a touch of "Lion" upon the signature boots. The shoes featured "ZLATAN IBRA" lettering in black with an iconic logo of lion celebrating as the letters. For the 2022-23 season, Zlatan was often sported wearing Nike Zoom Mercurial Vapor 15 football boots.
The latest Metallic Copper Colorway of the Football boots was launched on November 15, 2022.
5) Luka Modric
The gem of the Croatian national football team Luka Modric has been unstoppable during the 2022 FIFA World Cup hosted by Qatar. The player had led its team to the Quarter finals. It is natural for Nike to sponsor the leading footballer. Croatia will be playing in the quarter-finals against Brazil on December 9, 2022.
The player's most memorable signature boots are the 2018-released Mercurial Vapor PE "Modric" boots, which were not released to the general public. The exclusive boot came clad in stunning visuals with a multi-chrome upper and an iridescent finish. Most recently, he is spotted wearing the Mercurial Vapor 14 in the 2022-23 season.
As a part of the Blueprint pack, the Mercurial Vapor 14 football boots were launched on January 17, 2022 at a retail price of $275.
Other than the aforementioned players, the swoosh label sponsors some of the biggest names in the football world such as Harry Kane, Jack Grealish and more.
