8 men's retro football boots that made history

In today's market you can find an endless number of football boots with almost any design you can imagine.

But this same market was more limited in the 70s, 80s and 90s. Brands such as Nike, Adidas or Puma surprised the world with retro men's soccer boots that would pave the way for today's boots.

The 1968 Puma King, the 1998 Nike Mercurial, the 1970 Stylo Matchmakers, the 1979 Adidas World Cup or the iconic 1997 Mizuno Wave Cup highlight the sport's Olympus because of its influence and emblem.

The great stars of football, such as Pelé, Maradona or Cruyff, used some of the retro men's football boots that will be presented below. You can't miss them!

What were the biggest hitting retro men's football boots in history?

Did you know that the first pair of football boots in history was worn by Henry VIII of England? There is an illustration from 1526 that shows the English king practicing something similar to today's foot ball.

Since then, a number of shoes have burst onto the market to improve the game of footballers, as well as improve their external appearance. Are you in the mood to discover them?

Adidas World Cup, 1979

One of the most iconic classic men's football boots of all time belongs to Adidas. The German brand introduced the Adidas World Cup model in 1979, with a black leather design with three stripes adorning the sides.

This shoe, which since the late seventies has not undergone significant changes, became one of the emblems of players like Franz Beckenbauer and Michel Platini, but remains popular to this day.

Needless to say, the Adidas World Cup remains one of the bestsellers in this market, with so many imitators that it would be impossible to list them.

The Nike, 1971

But Nike, Adidas' historic rival, was not left behind in the manufacture of sports footwear either.

A decade before the launch of the Adidas World Cup, Nike presented The Nike, the first shoe to display the brand's trademark swoosh.

It cost $16.95 and was very imperfect, poorly weathering cold and humid climates and unable to offer acceptable durability. And yet, this model was the great pioneer of the Nike Mercurial, its greatest commercial success.

Of course, one of those old football boots for men that any fan would want to have in their private collection.

Mizuno Wave Cup, 1997

Prior to the World Cup in France, the Mizuno brand launched the Mizuno Wave Cup in 1997. As was becoming customary, this Japanese manufacturer understood the importance of victimising its boots to a leading figure in the world of football, and the chosen one was Rivaldo.

Unlike other men's retro football boots of the time, Mizuno's model featured a revolutionary stud design that gave players better traction, and quickly found favor with other high-level professionals.

Adidas Samba, 1950

The peculiar name of these Adidas boots already makes us suspect that they were designed for the beautiful game of the selection carioca.

However, this multifunctional athletic footwear did not claim to be a reflection of Brazilian football culture. The 1950 Adidas Samba boast to be the second most popular football shoe from this manufacturer.

The Samba can be found in a wide variety of colours, but the original design is a simple black shoe with three white stripes on the side. To date more than 35 million pairs of this model have been sold.

Ryal La Storia 1946, 2011

Among the retro football boots for men can not miss such emblematic models as the Italian brand La Storia.

Your most emblematic footwear? It is from 2011, but is inspired by the initial models produced by hand by Giulio Moriani in 1946, founder of La Storia.

Unlike other revivals, the Ryal La Storia 1946 does not mix the classic with the modern, but pays tribute to the shoes of the brand of the seventies.

Following their craft philosophy, the Ryal La Storia sought to be a vintage alternative to the eye-catching modern football boots.

Nike Mercurial, 1998

This model, launched in 1998, deserves a separate article because of its enormous influence on the beautiful game. For many, this is the best classic men's football boot ever made.

The Nike Mercurial are proud to be the first boots made of new synthetic leather. The American brand wasn't sure if this concept was accepted by athletes. But the first green light they received came when players who were given a pair of samples, after using it, refused to return it.

They made their debut at the 1998 World Cup in France, and one of the first great players to wear them was Ronaldo. They had a lighter design than their competitors, with an adherent coating inspired by competition motorcycles and a very innovative aesthetic.

Stylo Matchmakers, 1970

For fans of George Best and Kevin Keegan, there is only one boot candidate to be the best of all time. We're talking about the 1970 Stylo Matchmakers.

In addition to being the most popular of this decade, the Stylo Matchmakers were the first boots to offer short laces, which meant it was no longer necessary to wrap the laces around the sole. Its design, moreover, was asymmetrical, a feature that would be imitated several decades later by Puma, Nike and Adidas.

Puma King Pelé, 1968

Another of the most remembered old men's football boots belongs to Puma. The mythical German manufacturer surprised in 1968 with the launch of the Puma King, which were designed for Portuguese legend Eusebio.

However, the popularity of Puma's boots skyrocketed during the 1970 World Cup, when a special edition known as Puma King Pele was launched. In a sequence recorded on television, Pele stopped playing to tie his boots, and since then the rest of the players wanted the same footwear.

Johan Cruyff himself wore a Puma King for the next World Cup, demonstrating the influence of this shoe on the world of football.