Nike Football Boots explores the mythology surrounding generations of footballers and the boots they wear. It uncovers the stories behind boots worn by such superstars as Liverpool legend Ian Rush, Brazilian striker Ronaldo Luis Nazario de Lima, emerging icon Mbappe, and USWNT stars Megan Rapinoe and Mia Hamm (the only footballer with a signature boot), to name only a few. Kicking off in the 1970s, at the beginning of Nike s football journey, the book charts the history of their football footwear, from the all-black leather boots introduced in 1971 (the first of any shoe to feature the famous swoosh) to the present day, through the four key product lines that encapsulate their design ethos: Tiempo, Mercurial, Total 90, and Phantom.
With more than 500 images, including boot close-ups, on-feet, concepts, posters and advertising, film screenshots, material swatches, sketches, prototypes and ephemera from Nike s archive, and a 16-page glossy insert displaying all the boots that Nike have ever produced, this is the ultimate book for every fan and collector. Celebrated author Caleb Azumah Nelson sets the scene for each chapter, while historian Thomas Turner explores the technical innovations behind each boot, and journalist Elly Watson s introduction puts Nike s football design operation in context. This unprecedented volume presents the story of how football boots become part of public consciousness, in which performance and fandom combine, and the items worn are as iconic as those who wear them.
