Montreal Impact superstar striker Didier Drogba is set to leave the Swoosh after he debuted a mystery pair of blackout cleats in the MLS match against Orlando City on October 3.
Didier Drogba had been wearing the Nike Mercurial Vapor during his entire career, while he surprisingly switched to blackout boots in Montreal Impact's last MLS match. Is Drogba set to leave Nike after more than twelve years?
Didier Drogba To Leave Nike?
Drogba already wore Nike Mercurial Boots in 2003.
While Drogba laced up in the Wolf Grey Nike Mercurial Vapor Boots until September 2015, he made the switch to a blackout pair of boots in the last league match.
As blackout boots usually indicate that a player and brand go separate ways, if they are worn in official matches and not raining sessions, it's likely that the Ivorian striker already has left the Swoosh. But which boots was he wearing?
Didier Drogba's Classic Blackout Cleats
Close-up pictures of Didier Drogba's blackout boots.
It's obvious that Drogba is not wearing a blackout version of the Nike Mercurial Boots as his cleats feature a classic sole plate and a leather upper, while the Nike Mercurial Vapor 10 Boots offer a lightweight synthetic Teijin upper. So which boots are those?
Drogba's Boots boast a large external heel counter and a smooth leather-like upper structure. The forefoot area of the cleats features a traditional stitching, while there is a eye-catching stitching around the tongue. But the most remarkable element is that outsole.
The traditional sole plate of the blackout Didier Drogba Boots is light grey and features a classical stud configuration with four conical studs in the heel area and seven conical studs in the forefoot area.
We are not aware of any boot that is identical to Drogba's Blackout Boots. Most likely, Drogba is wearing a customized boot of the Italian heritage brand Pantofola d'Oro as his boots have many similarities to the Pantofola d'Oro Lazzarini Cleats.
Do you know what he was wearing? Let us know in the comments section below.