Football Boot Sponsorship Deals: Players Increasingly Choose Personal Preference
Professional footballers once relied on major brands to supply the latest boots free of charge as part of sponsorship agreements. However, a growing number
Professional footballers once relied on major brands to supply the latest boots free of charge as part of sponsorship agreements. However, a growing number of top players are now choosing to wear older models or even boots from competing brands, raising questions about the future of such deals.
The Shift in Player Behavior
Social media has made it easy to spot world-class footballers wearing boots they genuinely prefer rather than the specific models they are paid to promote. In some cases, this is a marketing strategy to highlight a special launch. In others, it is purely a personal decision driven by comfort, fit, or superstition.
Psychological factors and rituals play a major role. Players such as Mesut Özil, Héctor Bellerín, Ivan Rakitić, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, and Benfica’s Gabriel Pires have been seen training and playing matches in classic boot boxes. For Bellerín, the situation is especially striking: he has used different brands in training and official matches.
Bellerín’s Freedom of Choice
Héctor Bellerín has been spotted wearing ultra-lightweight adidas X boots and Nike Mercurial Vapor models, despite having been sponsored by Puma. The Spanish full-back appears to enjoy the freedom to choose what feels best.
Puma had invested heavily in Bellerín to boost its social media presence and attract younger fans. However, perhaps due to his personal preferences, both parties ended their partnership. Bellerín now wears different boots in training and matches and seems completely at ease with the arrangement.
Is This the End of Sponsorship Deals?
The case of Bellerín, alongside other examples, has sparked debate among football boot enthusiasts and online communities. While some wonder if this signals the decline of sponsorship deals, the reality is that such cases remain exceptions. Most professional footballers still honour brand contracts.
Other Players Following Their Instincts
Benfica’s Gabriel continues to wear the boots he finds most comfortable—such as the adidas Adipure, Nike Total 90, or Mizuno Morelia—despite interest from brands seeking a sponsorship deal. Ivan Rakitić wears his preferred boots during FC Barcelona training but switches to adidas Predators for official matches because of his brand commitments.
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