【Book Description】
Nike Football Boots is a landmark volume that offers the first comprehensive history of Nike’s iconic football boots. Tracing their evolution in design and technology—and the legendary players who wore them—the book reveals how Nike’s football boots intersect with football culture, the spirit of each era, and advances in sports technology to become enduring symbols in the global game.
Football, the world’s most popular sport, is steeped in a unique mythology. Iconic moments are endlessly celebrated, and the boots worn by players—those closest to the body and most influential to performance—carry stories of their own. From this perspective, the book positions football boots as a convergence of design, culture, and competitive spirit.
The volume chronicles Nike’s journey into football from the early 1970s to the present day, beginning with the all-black leather boot—the first to feature the now-famous Swoosh—and moving through contemporary designs. It is structured around four core product lines that best express Nike’s design philosophy: Tiempo, Mercurial, Total 90, and Phantom, mapping the brand’s key milestones in football boot innovation.
Along the way, readers discover the stories behind signature boots worn by football greats, including Brazilian legend Ronaldo, Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo, US Women’s National Team icon Megan Rapinoe, and France’s new-generation phenomenon Kylian Mbappé—demonstrating how boots evolve in dialogue with playing styles, match tempo, and the ethos of their time.
Lavishly illustrated with more than 500 images, the book features close-ups, on-feet photography, concepts, posters and advertising, film stills, material swatches, sketches, prototypes, and archival ephemera, all sourced from the Department of Nike Archives (DNA). A special 12-page glossy insert showcases every football boot model included in the DNA, from 1971 to today, making the book a true collector’s piece.
Beyond its rich visuals, Nike Football Boots is also a compelling read. Acclaimed author Caleb Azumah Nelson sets the cultural scene for each chapter, exploring how the style and culture of each decade shaped boot design; historian Thomas Turner examines the technical innovations behind each model; and curator Eleanor Watson situates football design within a broader global context.
Timed with the kick-off of the FIFA World Cup 2026, Nike Football Boots is both a visual tribute to the sport and a definitive reference that spans design history, sports culture, and brand storytelling—essential reading for football fans, designers, and collectors alike.
【Details】
Authors: Caleb Azumah Nelson; Thomas Turner
Afterword: Claudia Cándano de la Peza
Publisher: Phaidon Press
Year: 2025
Size: 26 × 20 cm
Binding: Hardcover
Pages: 240 pages
