As sure as day follows night, a new signature edition boot for Lionel Messi follows a Ballon d’Or win for the Argentinian, and that’s no different following his eighth success this year, with adidas revealing the X Crazyfast.1 Messi “El Ocho”.
Wasn’t a massive surprise to see Lionel Messi scoop his record-extending eighth Ballon d’Or last night, and it clearly wasn’t a surprise to adidas either, with the brand very quickly revealing not only a set of eight unique 14 karat gold championship rings honouring Messi’s achievements, but also a new signature edition boot for the 36-year-old. It’s the latest a slew of signature styles for Messi, following the ‘Leyenda’, ‘Infinito Messi’ and the most recent ‘Las Estrellas’.
The “El Ocho” re-imagines Messi’s signature X Crazyfast boot – which is differentiated from the regular X Crazyfast through the use of the Burrito Tongue – with a new colourway inspired by the shades of gold that can be seen on the Ballon d’Or award. It’s nothing new for Messi – the gold hues that signify success have been a running theme in Messi’s signature line for so long now, emphasising the fact that everything he touches seems to turn to gold. Here, they’re combined with white accents for a soft finish.
The boot design feature Messi’s children’s names and dates of birth on the heel, as well as eight balls on the medial side of each boot, representing his eight Ballon d’Or wins. Of course, there's the number 10 in there, and a subtle little goat face for good measure. As a final sign-off, the year of each of his Ballon d’Or wins appears on the soleplates. Expect to see Messi wearing these in upcoming fixtures.
The X Crazyfast.1 Messi “El Ocho” pack is available at adidas.com
