Gone are the days where colours are reserved for genders or certain demographics; girls must wear pink, boys wear blue. If you want to wear rainbow-coloured ankle tape with a gold baseball cap and pink swimming goggles, who are we to tell you not to? Sure, the ref might pipe up about the goggles, but in our society nowadays there are more important things to worry about than the colour of someone’s equipment.
Is it acceptable to wear pink boots on the pitch?
So moving onto pink boots specifically, a hotly contested topic of debate. Anyone who’s not a moron knows that it’s okay for guys to wear pink. There’s banter, but that’s now more about the flashy, vibrant nature of pink boots rather than related to outdated gender stereotypes.
Wearing pink boots comes with a statement; if you have the audacity to wear them and imply you want people to see who you are, you have to be a good player. So, in terms of sociological pressures or expectations, yes it is definitely acceptable to wear pink boots. As for in terms of ability, unless you are a certified baller, it might not be acceptable to wear pink boots on the pitch and you may end up looking foolish.
What are the connotations of wearing pink football boots?
As mentioned, wearing pink boots can be a recipe for disaster. They are by far the most outlandish boot colour around. Bright orange, yellow or green boots are distinctive, but pink is the boldest you can go.
Given that it takes some bravery to lace up in pink boots, the connotations of wearing pink them are that you are going to be a fantastic footballer. Not just that, but a skilful one too. Vincent Kompany, John Terry, Virgil Van Dijk, they’re all great footballers but none of them would jump out as players who would wear pink on their feet. Everyone knows defenders ‘should’ wear black boots. Wingers and strikers, on the other hand, have the skills to pay the bills, and the ability to handle the hostility.
Who was the first footballer to wear pink boots?
Given the fact that we’ve spent the whole article explaining that unrivalled footballing ability and mesmerising skill is needed for a player to be able to pull off pink, we will give you 100 guesses as to who the first player to wear them was.
Cristiano Ronaldo perhaps? In his United days, he had that fearless attitude, the self-loving arrogance and the ability to wear pink boots, but it wasn’t CR7. Neymar then? You just have to look at his hair to realise he’s not shy of attention and skills? Is there anyone better than a man brought up in the Brazilian favelas? It’s none of them.
The first player to wear pink football boots was (Lord) Nicholas Bendtner on the 26 November 2008. Get that right? No, thought not (if you said yes then you are a LIAR!) It was a Champions League night that sent Arsenal through to the last 16 courtesy of a solitary goal from the Dane himself, as the Gunners beat Dynamo Kiev 1-0.
Since that moment, he made it a personal goal to push pink boots into the mainstream, wearing them a number of other times. All jokes aside, he really is the player that can be credited with starting this revolution of players donning pink boots. On that night in 2008, he wore the Berry Pink Nike Mercurial Vapours.
Which footballers wear pink football boots?
Nicklas Bendtner was the first footballer to wear pink football boots
Players change boots all the time, sometimes even during games, but here is a list of all the players that have at some point worn pink football boots.
The most high profile footballers to wear pink boots are some of the biggest in the game; Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, David Beckham. Even the most famous women footballer, Megan Rapinoe, proudly sports her personalised pink Nike boots.
Other players include Alexis Sanchez (back when he was actually good), Sergio Aguero, Mesut Ozil, Raheem Sterling, Mario Balotelli and Yaya Toure – the later two choosing one pink and one blue which is probably even more audacious.
The most surprising to ever lace up pink boots is a player known for tacking limbs as opposed to banging in goals and beating defenders. Granit Xhaka, believe it or not, has also worn pink boots, though it was for a good cause. Scott, my local Sunday-league team’s CB, might also be up there as well as most surprising player to wear pink boots. He brought pink boots out once, got completely rinsed for at least a month and have since never been brought out again. Who do you think you are Scott? Stay in your lane.
The best pink football boots available to buy
Adidas Nemeziz 19.3 Fucsia
Click here to check the current low price of the Adidas Nemeziz Fucsias on Amazon.
The best pink football boots to buy – Adidas Nemeziz 19.3 Fucsia Football boots
At this price range, these Nemeziz boots are an absolute steal! We’re a big fan of the synthetic upper and outer layer. The classic leather and mesh outers have their benefits, but the synthetic outer makes cleaning the boots so simple and somehow satisfying as well.
They have a rubber sole and a stretchy ankle collar as well, which both combine to add good stability. These Nemeziz boots have a load of different elements, made from different materials and yet they all fit in very neatly with one another. There’s certainly a plastic feel to them, but it’s for all the right reasons. It means they’re light, durable and great boots for astroturf especially.
Puma evoPOWER 4.3 Tricks
Click here to check the current low price of the Puma evoPowers on Amazon.
The best pink football boots to buy – Puma EvoPower Tricks Football boots
BARGAIN ALERT. We can’t quite call these evoPOWERs beauties, but their distinctive appearance will certainly see you stand out on the pitch. And boy can they do a job.
These are nothing special. They have no ankle collar, no special stud configuration, no ghost laces feature. But their one USP is durability. Made from an entirely synthetic outer with no additions, these are made in the style of the classic football boots.
These are perfect for defenders or battling midfielders. If you have no boots and need a quick, cheap pair to tide you over until payday or maybe even the end of the season, these are ideal! Boots for £20, I. AM. SOLD.
Nike Mercurial Victory V
Click here to check the current low price of the Nike Mercurial Victory Vs on Amazon.
The best pink football boots to buy – Nike Mercurial V Football boots
After two relatively cheap boots, these are ones for those who don’t mind splashing a bit of the cash. In our opinion, they’re the nicest looking. Where the evoPOWERs were the ugly duckling of the bunch, these Mercurials are pure pink all over but for the trademark Nike tick which is outlined in black.
The lightweight synthetic upper ensures that you’re not bogged down and with the Mercurial traction stud pattern works well to enhance acceleration. With light-weighting, you feel almost shoeless as you’re running, making controlling the ball seem a lot simpler. The synthetic outer also offers sufficient protection. Overall, these Nike Mercurial Victory boots are a very solid choice.
Want more football boot reviews? Here’s our top football boot picks of 2020.
