Mbappé’s ON deal raises classic question, can changing boots unsettle a player? | OneFootball

According to L'Équipe, Mbappé’s move to ON revives a familiar question, can changing boot supplier unsettle performance? He wore neutral boots for Real Madrid on Sunday.

His previous switch came in 2006, aged seven, when he ditched Adidas for Ronaldinho-style Nikes after Zinédine Zidane retired, without even trying them on.

Boot specialist Thomas Prouteau says comfort is paramount, citing Ibrahima Konaté. He says Konaté signed with Under Armour in August 2025, wore them only four times, then played in masked Nike Phantoms for Liverpool and, more recently, with the Nike logo visible.

A former player sponsorship manager says switching brands is complicated and can be disruptive. He adds contracts usually wait on a studs green light and that moves are about priority or relationships, not initial discomfort.

Choice has not always been free. With the federation’s Adidas deal running to 2002, some France players had rival contracts, and in April 1997 eight of the 11 against Sweden hid their boots.

Brands can personalise fit, create half sizes, modify heels and adapt soleplates to mimic Mercurial, Predator or Future setups, even disguising one pair as another. Yet matches reveal issues, and a bad debut can turn change into a mental block.

Mbappé should ride out the adjustment period, though France’s official photo may now cost him a front-row spot reserved for Nike ambassadors.

Source: L'Équipe

“Artificial intelligence was used to assist in creating this article based on reporting from the original source quoted.”