Hi guys,
Yesterday I was at the RFK Stadium in DC for the US v Germany game. Although the “unexpected” result, (yes I was cheering for Germany) something that must be pointed out was the total absence of black and white footwear.
During the 1998 World Cup, I was a volunteer based in Nantes. The footwear normality at that time was black and white. Some shoes had some red, others a tiny bit of blue, but that was it. Nike’s marginal route with Ronaldo Mercurial with Silver/blue/Yellow, was seen as an intruder.
Yesterday, no german player wore black and white boots. Although it’s been the trend for some time now, it is a significant change, especially for the German team many consider “conservative”.
Nike and adidas just launched respectively the Hypervenom and the Nitrocharge boots. While Nike chose an orange/black colour palette, adidas went for a striking blue/yellow colourway. As for Puma, their new Evo Speed is mainly lime green/yellow.
So in 10-15 years, we’ve gone from total standardisation to total uniqueness, and that is a good thing. Why? because standardisation is boring. The next new trend will be a return to black and white footwear. How soon is tomorrow?
Check out the pictures. From 1998 to 2013….
Karl Lusbec
Football Marketing XI 