From West Ham to Arsenal, Declan Rice has grown into one of the most influential central midfielders in world football. And through it all, he's been wearing adidas boots. But could that era be coming to an end?
Declan Rice's relationship with adidas has always been a curious one. Back in his West Ham days, he'd regularly be spotted wearing old-school Predators in training. Yet despite that clear affinity for the iconic silo, when it came to matchdays, he always laced up the COPA. In fact, as time passed and players like Paulo Dybala switched boots, Rice became one of the last remaining high-profile names representing the model, despite arguably being perfectly suited to the Predator. No, Rice stayed loyal to the COPA. Until now. Because it now appears that not only could he be moving on from the COPA, he may be moving on from adidas altogether.
This follows sightings of Rice training first in the Nike Tiempo Maestro last week and now in a mystery whiteout boot. And it's that latest appearance that's really piqued our interest. What brand is he trying out? What exactly is the boot? Could it still be adidas or Nike, or is he considering a more left-field switch?
While we don't have any definitive answers, we can take a closer look at that whiteout boot and try to get a better idea of what's going on. The main thing to note is the clearly raised texture across the upper. That's not something featured on any of adidas or Nike's current football boots. That's not to say it couldn't be a new technology that's about to be introduced, but this doesn't feel like a boot from either brand. In fact, it bears a striking resemblance to the Under Armour Magnetico 6, so much so that you'd be fairly confident putting money on it. So, is a switch to Under Armour on the cards?
It's an intriguing possibility. Under Armour have largely operated under the radar since Trent Alexander-Arnold's move to adidas back in 2023, but they've been quietly building a respectable roster of players. Being the boot that scored the winning goal in the 2026 World Cup final, courtesy of Ferran Torres, certainly won't have hurt their credentials either. And landing Declan Rice would represent a major statement of intent from the American brand.
Watch this space...
