Nike Football Boots

The first book to chart the unprecedented history of Nike’s iconic football boots, from the evolution of their design to the legendary stars who have worn them

Football (or soccer) is surrounded by a particular mythology. As the world’s most popular sport, its players and iconic performances have become part of public consciousness – and so have the boots that footballers wear.

Nike Football Boots charts the history of the brand’s football journey, from the all-black leather boots 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 phenom Cristiano Ronaldo, US Women’s National Team star Megan Rapinoe, and emerging French icon Kylian Mbappé, among others.

Lavishly illustrated with 500 images, Nike Football Boots showcases boot close-ups, on-feet shots, concepts, posters and advertising, film screenshots, material swatches, sketches, prototypes and ephemera from the Department of Nike Archives (DNA). A 12-page glossy insert displays every model of boot highlighted in the DNA, from 1971 to today.

This visual homage to the sport is also an engaging read: celebrated author Caleb Azumah Nelson sets the scene for each chapter, discussing how the culture and style of the decade influenced each boot’s design, while historian Thomas Turner delves deep into the technical innovations that made each boot so successful. An introduction by curator Eleanor Watson puts football design more globally into context.

Perfectly timed with the kick-off of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Nike Football Boots is an essential volume for football fans of all stripes.

Review

‘A different way of seeing the object itself. Not just as equipment. Not just as a tool for striking a ball. [Caleb Azumah Nelson] wants people to see boots as ‘a weird, living, breathing, cultural archive,’ holding the stories of the players who wore them and the fans who watched, copied, collected, and dreamed through them too.’ – Forty-One Magazine

‘Equal parts museum tour and moodboard … For boot tragics, design heads, or anyone who still remembers the first pair that made them feel unstoppable, this is the definitive Swoosh-on-grass chronicle.’ – Sneaker Freaker

‘A definitive 240-page hardcover archive ... [with] illuminating essays on football culture.’ – Hypebeast

‘A really, really good-looking book, and a fascinating read as well.’ – Robert Elms, BBC Radio London

‘A pleasure for football fans, or anyone who is interested in classic design and fashion.’ – NUVO Magazine

About the Author

Caleb Azumah Nelson is a British Ghanaian writer and photographer. His first novel, Open Water, won the Costa First Novel Award and Debut of the Year at the British Book Awards, and was a number one Times bestseller.

Thomas Turner is a historian, writing and working in London, UK. He is the author of The Sports Shoe: A History from Field to Fashion, and is Associate Lecturer, Cultural and Historical Studies at London College of Fashion.

Eleanor Watson is a curator and academic specializing in design and sustainable museology. She curated the Football: Designing the Beautiful Game exhibition at the Design Museum in London, which opened in 2022.

Claudia Cándano de la Peza is a fashion editor based in Mexico. She is the Editor-in-Chief of ELLE Mexico.