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In the modern world, football has taken up a role in our lives more than just a sport. Science and technology have immensely affected the sport as the game tries to spread its roots all over the globe.
Athletic shoe-makers like Adidas and Nike have been in the news for their fantastic releases every next week. Football shoes, also known as Cleats or Studs certainly are associated with the persona of the player wearing it.
Leo Messi has a lifetime contract with Adidas, the German Shoe giant. The Argentine also has a track record with American brand Nike, however that deal was ended once Adidas came to light before the 2006 FIFA World Cup.
The Germans have chosen Leo Messi as their poster boy, and rightly so, the five-time World Player of the Year has his own brand within the Adidas brand. Let's look at some of the finest shoes worn by Messi over the years;
#1: Nike Air Zoom Total90 III [2004]
Although Lionel is now Adidas' poster boy, the Argentine used to don Nike's cleats in his early days. Messi made his first mark on the game wearing Nike's Air Zoon Total90 III boost as he made his Barcelona debut in 2004 against local rivals Espanyol.
The boot was also worn by established superstars like Wayne Rooney, Luis Figo, Rio Ferdinand and Roberto Carlos. The upper part of the boots were made from a soft synthetic material to give remarkable control over the ball. The design was enhanced by a revolutionary asymmetrical lacing system.
Messi's T90 is certainly a collector's treasure as they were the first the forward wore on the pitch in an official match.
#2: Adidas F50.9i [2009]
The boot Messi held in his hand after scoring the goal in the 2009 Champions League final against Manchester United, Adidas' F50.9 i unquestionably made their mark on the history of the game as Messi lifted his first ever Ballon d'Or trophy in the same year.
FC Barcelona also wrote history in the same year, winning the sextuple. Messi also donned the boots in the remarkable 6-2 demolition of eternal rivals Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu and was the first he wore alongside the Barcelona No.10 shirt.
#3: Adidas F50 Adizero II miCoach [2011]
Adidas reinvented the boot and added sparks of technology in the F50 Adizero. The cleats featured miCoach, Adidas' unique motion-sensing technology to evaluate the player's in-game performance.
The boots were iconic to represent Messi's status as the World Player of the Year after he had just won three Ballon d'Ors in a row.
Lionel Messi only wore the special boots on one occasion, against Real Betis. Barcelona won the match 4-2 and Messi got himself on the scoresheet.
Adidas' miCoach now features in all of Messi's boots but the F50 2011 were the first ones to introduce the ground-breaking technology.
#4: Messi 10/10
The limited edition 10/10 was Adidas' tribute to La Pulga, a man who reinvented the role of No.10. The production of the limited edition cleats was restricted to a mere 100, one of which would go to the player himself and 10 to those who featured in Adidas' Backed By Messi campaign.
With just 89 cleats going on sale, the 10/10 were only available in the Adidas Store at Barcelona and each unit had a unique serial number on it.
The boots were a unique piece of craftsmanship. The metallic gold and black finishes added to the finer details of the iconic 10/10.
#5: Nemeziz 17.1 Messi
Messi's current boots and Adidas' latest release, the Nemeziz 17.1 was initially released for several players backed by Adidas, but a special series was announced later for Adidas' poster boy, Lionel Messi.
Adidas released several color schemes for the Nemeziz, ranging from Zebra stripes to Argentina's traditional colors.
Messi would certainly be keen to make an everlasting mark wearing the Nemeziz in the 2017-2018 season as Barcelona tries to revive itself into contention for a treble.
Messi is the current top scorer in the Spanish League and would be keen to attain club glory with his new boots.
