Pink shoes at the World Cup

Perhaps you won't take long to realize that the match shoes that appear in the opening matches of the tournament are all extremely colorful and almost identical. Nike, Adidas, Puma, New Balance and Skechers have all provided players with bright pink shoe versions specially designed for the 2026 World Cup.

Ben Warren, founder of BW Boots UK - a unit specializing in finding rare, classic football shoes and providing shoes for many players participating in the World Cup - commented: "People say it's a coincidence, but this has happened too many times. Different brands are launching shoes with almost identical colors. We have seen shoes with quite similar appearances in recent years, but at this World Cup, the colors are almost identical.

So how did manufacturers choose pink together? Odinga Nimako, a senior staff member in Nike's global football shoe team, shared that the great demand for bold colors has made the company decide to choose pink for the 2026 World Cup.

What we constantly receive from athletes and consumers, especially in important moments, is bright colors that give them confidence, that is really our starting point" - Nimako said. "The way we approach is to focus on the brightest colors, colors that really amplify that confidence and pink is one of them.

He added: "We always hear that when you wear pink - which is very prominent and bright - it's like an affirmation... you have to be really good to be able to wear these colors. At the same time, the acceptance of pink today has reached a level that makes it no longer too strange, it attracts a very large audience".

Nimako also revealed that Nike has noticed how prominent the pink shoes are during development. In field tests, no color is more prominent than pink. "Pink really helps the shoes separate from the green grass background, which ensures maximum visibility," he said. "For this World Cup moment, we really want to focus on that visual impact.

One factor that makes pink even more prominent is that no team at this year's World Cup has pink as their main competition outfit. This is also a point that has been considered.

Our goal is to ensure that the shoes stand out compared to the competition outfit" - Nimako said: "In each tournament, we can apply a slightly different approach. Previously, we wanted the color of the shoes to be more harmonious with the outfit. But in this tournament, knowing its size, we really want to make it really eye-catching".

However, there are still a few pairs of shoes that stand out in the "pink sea". In addition to referees wearing traditional black shoes provided by Adidas, some stars will go against the trend. Messi uses a white-light blue El Ultimo Tango model, with yellow accents, synchronized with Argentina's uniform. Pulisic wears a white Kidsuper Ultra 6, with a blue star pattern suggesting the US flag. Ronaldo will have special yellow Nike shoes, debuting before Portugal's first match.

Because this is Ronaldo's sixth World Cup, we want to honor the legacy he has created and how he continues to extend that legacy" - Nimako said: "And there is no color better than yellow to do that.

Of course, this is the trend for the 2026 World Cup, and when the new season begins, it will be a new color.