Messi spotted wearing Nike tainers?! Problems with Adidas?

Lionel Messi has been photographed wearing what appear to be Nike sneakers.

Messi Wears Nike Air Force 1s?

Instagram page leomessicloset shared a picture of Messi posing with a fan, wearing a black tracksuit and what seems to be a pair of white and black Nike Air Force 1 trainers.

The photograph was apparently taken while Messi was at Disneyland with his family, with some commenters on the Instagram post suggesting that the trainers were part of an effort to avoid being recognised.

Messi wore various Nike boots before signing with Adidas in 2006Messi has been wearing Nike match kits and training wear for the entirety of his club career, with PSG and Barcelona respectively being sponsored by the American brand since well before Messi burst onto the scene. However, we have become accustomed to seeing only the Three Stripes on his feet. Although he did wear Nike boots for a few years in his youth, even featuring in a “Remember My Name” Nike ad, the Argentinian has been an Adidas athlete since 2006. He has probably been the brand's longest serving number one “face” of all time due to his sustained excellence at the highest level of the sport.

Relationship with Adidas

Adidas gave him a lifetime contract in 2017 and released a new Messi signature boot just the other day, which would suggest that all is well between player and sponsor, so his choice to wear Nike Air Force 1s out in public would be strange, if that is indeed what the sneakers are. Messi also participated in the photoshoot for the Jordan (a sub-brand of Nike) PSG fourth kit launch a couple of weeks ago, with a plaque strategically placed in front of his feet to hide the fact that he wasn't wearing Nike footwear.

The PSG star regularly wears sneakers from fashion brands such as Dolce and Gabbana and Alexander McQueen, as these are not considered to be Adidas' competitors. However, wearing Nike shoes would certainly be a breach of the terms of his contract with his main sponsor.