There are all sorts of thoughts and theories as to why there’s a preponderance of pink at this year’s football world cup.
Some see it as the ripple effect of Barbiecore propelling the color out of its niche and into the mainstream in 2023.
Others claim the fact that hot pink pings from a mobile screen like no other color makes it a must for any player wanting to stand head and shoulders above his teammates. More considered minds meanwhile, claim the color pink is the most instant and effective of branding tools.
One thing is for sure: a whole host of players, officials, and even fans are picking pink - In his game against England, Croatian goalie Dominik Livaković even took the color to its head to toe extreme.
However, as the fashion curator and Editor in Chief of Elle Mexico Claudia Cándano de la Peza writes in our new book, Nike Football Boots, this passion for hot pink may not be quite as new and now as we imagine. In fact, the guy who first dared to go there was the Mexican goalkeeper, Jorge Campos back in the 1990s.
Pages from Nike Football Boots
Before we get to that story it's worth noting that Campos was not only remarkable for his on pitch attire. He had a somewhat eccentric playing style too. He was, in essence, a sweeper keeper who often played well outside the penalty area, resulting in him scoring 35 goals during his national and international career. Not bad - for a goalkeeper.
He was also incredibly short – just five feet six inches tall which he compensated for by barking at his defence like a sheep dog on steroids. And, as Claudia Cándano de la Peza writes in Nike Football Boots, he also sparked a mini neon color boom.
“In Mexico, football isn’t just the stadium—it’s the streets, it’s a lifestyle,” the Elle editor writes in the book. “I can’t stop thinking that if someone wears football-inspired sneakers, that person is not only cool, but a trendsetter."
"Football and fashion collided in Mexico thanks to Jorge Campos—the neon color boom," she continues. "No one had ever thought of dressing head-to-toe in bright pink until the Mexican national team goalkeeper did it on the field. More than 20 years later, we saw a Valentino collection by Pierpaolo Piccioli on the Paris Fashion Week runway in that same spirit.”
Pages from Nike Football Boots
“Campos made us all feel that connection between the sport and the streets, even those of us who weren’t fans. The simple fact that the world knew there was a Mexican goalkeeper with that much style, and that his uniform sold like no one else’s, proves that an athlete’s personality can be just as powerful as their talent.”
“Fun and freedom through style connects with people—the simple feeling of being different inspires others to identify with it. A trend that was born on the field ended up on runways, becoming part of fashion history.”
Created in close collaboration with Nike, Nike Football Boots charts the history of the brand’s football journey, from the all-black leather boot introduced in the early 70s – the first of any shoe to feature the famous Swoosh – to the present day, through four key product lines that encapsulate Nike’s design ethos: Tiempo, Mercurial, Total 90, and Phantom.
Along the way, readers will discover stories behind the boots worn by football’s greatest names, including Brazilian striker Ronaldo, Portuguese phenomenon Cristiano Ronaldo, US Women’s National Team star Megan Rapinoe, and French icon Kylian Mbappé, among others.
Acclaimed novelist Caleb Azumah Nelson distills the nostalgic magic of growing up a football fan in southeast London across four illuminating essays, discussing how the culture and style of the period informed the evolution of Nike’s iconic footwear.
Meanwhile, Thomas Turner, a historian and lecturer at London College of Fashion, delves deep into the materials, form, fit, design, and technology that makes these boots special.
Design curator Eleanor Watson's accessible introduction provides an overview of football design more globally, while Claudia Cándano de la Peza’s afterword discusses athletes as style icons. Take a closer look at Nike Football Boots.
(Main image Phantom GX, 2022. Image: Courtesy and © Nike, Inc.)
