06/20/26 04:55:00
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06/20 16:53 CDT Pink boots are everywhere at the World Cup as the color becomes
a soccer star
Pink boots are everywhere at the World Cup as the color becomes a soccer star
By STEPHEN WHYNO
AP Sports Writer
Gio Reyna scored an iconic goal to kick off the World Cup for the U.S. Vincius
Junior scored a dazzling one in Brazil's opener. Kylian Mbapp scored twice to
become France's career goals leader. Harry Kane got two of his own to tie
England's mark as he and his teammates try to bring the elusive trophy home.
What do they all have in common? Pink, of course.
Of all the colors of the rainbow at the World Cup taking place in the U.S.,
Canada and Mexico, pink is the star on soccer's biggest stage. Dozens of
players are wearing pink boots that stand out against the green grass of the
pitch after multiple shoe companies produced them ahead of this tournament with
an eye on performance as well as visibility.
"Athletes associate this color with confidence and standing out, and that
resonates," Nike Director of Global Footwear Odinga Nimako said.
Nimako pointed to Nike's silver, yellow and blue boots at the 1998 World Cup
changing how people saw boots in the sport. Before that, black and white was
the standard.
This time, Nike, Adidas, Puma, Skechers and New Balance all came out with pink
boots.
Mbapp and Vincius have the Nike swoosh on his feet, as does Portugal's
Cristiano Ronaldo and Norway's Erling Haaland. Reyna, England's Jude Bellingham
and Declan Rice, Canada's Jonathan David, Spain's Lamine Yamal and France's
Ousmane Dembl wear Adidas.
Whenever Neymar Jr. plays for Brazil, he's expected to be in Puma pink like
American Weston McKennie. U.S. teammate Timothy Weah is among those in New
Balance. Kane and Sweden's Anthony Elanga are sporting Skechers at the World
Cup.
Skechers Director of Technical Performance Alex Bardini said the inspiration
came from the company's headquarters in southern California.
"The colorways reflect the breathtaking palette of an L.A. sunset: warm shades
of pink and purple melting into white, with subtle tinges of orange," Bardini
said.
From Los Angeles and Vancouver to Guadalajara, Houston, Miami and Boston, long
before the World Cup is decided, pink has become a clear winner. When Sweden
put up five on Tunisia in Monterrey, Mexico, three came from players in pink
boots: two by Yasin Ayari and another in the 84th minute by Mattias Svanberg.
Pink itself does not make players perform any better, but shoe company
executives consider it a mindset. Bardini said comfort and performance are at
the core of what Skechers does, and Nimako said Nike wants players to feel more
aerodynamic.
"That feeling is holistic," Nimako said. "It's the engineering, yes, but it's
also how the entire product comes together. When an athlete puts on a Mercurial
and it looks fast, feels locked in, and weighs next to nothing, that perception
reinforces performance. Everything works together."
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AP World Cup: https://apnews.com/fifa-world-cup
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