Just last Saturday, Lionel Messi scored a wonder goal in the Spanish Copa del Rey Final. It saw him dribble past three defenders on the right wing, before beating one last defender in the box and then leaving Athletic Bilbao goalkeeper Iago Herrerin a second too late at the near post. However, the boots that saw him do that are a thing of the past.
Yes, Messi is hanging up his old pair for the brand new Adidas Messi15’s, which he will unveil for the most important game in European club football, the UEFA Champion’s League Final. Messi will lace up his icy blue boots to vie for a third major trophy this season for FC Barcelona. They will be playing Juventus F.C., the winners of the Italian Serie A, on Saturday at 2:45 p.m. ET.
Adidas added a few unique features, which improve on the previous boot, the Messi10. The new boot comes with three qualities that resemble the way in which Messi plays: messiTOUCH, messiFRAME and messiGAMBETRAX. The messiTOUCH is an X-ray surface to the outside of the boot, which allows for a “lethal grip,” and close touch on the ball. Adidas describes the messiFRAME as “a locked-in fit with exposed cage for maximum traction.” Here, Adidas is attempting to capture the way in which Messi can so quickly accelerate and stop while on the ball. Lastly, the messiGAMBETRAX involves the way in which the studs are formed, in a dynamic position that Adidas hopes will give a player even more explosive speed. To top it all off, the boots have a Messi logo on the back heel.
The Messi15’s will not be available for sale for about a month. Adidas will begin selling them on July 1, along with the turf version and the indoor version. The Messi15’s also come with two more affordable options, the Messi15.2’s and the Messi15.3’s, which are $100 and $70, respectively. These are comparable to the $220 price tag on the Messi15.1.
Whether these boots can help to capture or add to the seemingly miraculous qualities that Messi possesses is yet to be seen. But wearing a brand new pair of boots for a final is a bold move on any players part, both for superstitious reasons and matters of being comfortable. Messi will hope that this risk pays off though, as he will going up against seasoned Italian defenders like Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini, alongside left-back Patrice Evra, who played against Messi a couple of times while he was with Manchester United. One of those matchups was the 2009 Champion’s League Final, which saw Barcelona best Manchester United 2-0. Messi scored one in that game, being voted the Fans’ Man of the Match. We will see if he can bring that same magic to Berlin on Saturday—sporting some new, blue boots.