Pink boots swept the World Cup, but grassroots players remain unconvinced | OneFootball

Pink boots dominated this summer’s World Cup across teams and brands, yet as football returns many amateur players are holding back.

A Reuters study counted 365 of 528 group-stage starters in shades from fuchsia to candy pink. Adidas chief executive Björn Gulden called the uniformity a coincidence and told AFP he did not think it pleased anyone.

Two months on, retailers’ shelves remain saturated. Intersport football lead Julien Guanec says pink models hit 50% of stock in summer and still sit near 25%, adding that uniform ranges depress sales.

At a Paris wholesaler for a rival brand, more than half the pairs, especially children’s, are pink. Manager Amir says colours arrive pre-set by the brands, leaving little choice.

Pink has long carried weight in sport, from the maglia rosa in 1931 to Stade Français’ first outing in pink in Perpignan on 4 September 2005. Lionel Messi’s 2023 Inter Miami shirt, Pantone 1895C, drew more than 500,000 orders, according to the New York Times.

On the shop floor, many youngsters hesitate, and staff report slow sales among boys and sometimes parents. An 11-year-old rejects candy-pink to avoid being seen in pink, a 13-year-old worries about team approval, while a 15-year-old now opts for purple.

Adults are cooler still. A 24-year-old prefers classic white or dark blue, and Intersport notes pink remains weak among grown players.

Online interest has ticked up since mid-August, with a major brand saying searches on its site have revived. Firms are not sharing sales figures.

Source: L'Équipe

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