On the Football Field, Pink Is No Longer Feminine

The 2026 World Cup, held in the United States, Canada, and Mexico from June 11 to July 19, set the stage for a new trend: neon pink footwear. The notion of pink as a “girl’s color” is no longer a factor, with this color appearing on the shoes of Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal), Kylian Mbappé (France), and Son Heung-min (South Korea).

It did not take long for spectators in the stadium, on TV, or on their mobile screens to realize that the shoes showcased by sponsors through the participating teams were quite prominent. Major sports equipment manufacturers, such as Nike, Adidas, Puma, and New Balance, collectively launched a trend of neon pink soccer shoes.

“Different brands are releasing boots in more or less the same colorways. We’ve seen boots that look very similar in recent years, but this World Cup has almost the same colorways,” Ben Warren, founder of BW Boots UK, which specializes in finding rare and classic football boots, told the New York Times.

At the 2026 World Cup, everything seems to return to the starting point, which is when players wear shoes of the same color, but not black. The uniform pink color of the shoes is clearly visible, particularly in the opening match between Mexico and South Africa in Mexico City on June 11. Almost all players wore striking neon pink shoes.

In the following days, athletes from other teams, such as Argentina, France, South Korea, Japan, appeared wearing the same colors.

So, how did the brands that sponsor these teams manage to popularize pink shoes at the biggest sporting event, the World Cup?

In the past, leading brands such as Nike, Adidas, and Puma often favored more minimalist black-and-white designs. However, this summer, their latest releases focus on efforts to stand out through bold and bright colors.

As reported by the BBC, in 2024, consumer trend forecaster WGSN predicted that ‘Electric Fuchsia’ would be one of the defining colors of summer 2026. WGSN described the color it predicted as a shade between pink and purple with bright neon undertones and luminous hues.

Therefore, when football and fashion are interconnected, manufacturers begin designing new shoes with a process that starts two years before the product is released. They often consult trend forecasters such as WGSN to determine which colors, themes, and styles are likely to be popular when the product is marketed.

In addition to the role of trend forecasters, pink was chosen for its contrast with the color of the field. This contrast can be seen by spectators in the stadium, those watching on TV, or on mobile screens.

In addition, there are other factors that have contributed to the popularity of the color pink in football, namely the athletes themselves. They are now much more open to wearing luxurious and eye-catching shoes compared to previous generations.

Odinga Nimako, a senior figure in the Nike football shoe team, stated that the high demand for bolder colors led the company to choose pink for the World Cup.

“What we always hear from athletes and consumers, especially when it comes to big moments, is that bright colors give them confidence, so that was our starting point,†Nimako told The Athletic.

Therefore, Nike is focusing on the brightest colors that are considered to enhance confidence. Pink is one of those colors.

“The level of acceptance of pink is very high, and it’s not particularly specific to a specific group. Pink, it turns out, can reach a wide audience,” Nimako said.

Nimako stated that Nike is aware that pink can stand out during the development stage. In field trials, nothing stands out more than that color.

“The pink color stands out prominently against the green grass on the field, whether you are in the stands or watching on TV. Its visibility remains. That is certainly something we are paying attention to. For this World Cup moment, we really want to focus on that visual impact,” explained Nimako.

What makes pink stand out even more is that no team at the 2026 World Cup will be wearing a pink main kit (Belgium’s Adidas away kit is perhaps the closest). That’s also a consideration.

“Our goal was to make sure the shoes stood out against the uniform,†Nimako said.

Among the pink shoes, Nike has a higher price, ranging from Rp 3.8 million to Rp 4.7 million, depending on the type. Adidas is slightly below Nike, with prices ranging from Rp 3.5 million to Rp 4.1 million. Meanwhile, pink Puma shoes are priced between Rp 2.2 million and Rp 3.5 million.

However, there are still a few shoes that stand out among the sea of pink, one of which is the shoes worn by the match officials. This is because FIFA requires match officials to wear black shoes made by Adidas as the sponsor of FIFA.

Additionally, there’s a star player who’s bucking the pink shoe trend, including Lionel Messi. The Argentine star is wearing the El Ultimo Tango, a white base with light blue accents, matching the Argentina uniform, with a shimmering gold accent. On the official Adidas website, these shoes are priced at around Rp 4 million.

US team star Christian Pulisic’s Kidsuper Ultra 6, made by Puma, is also white with the blue stars that are synonymous with his country’s flag.

Nike also designed a special gold-colored shoe for Cristiano Ronaldo, even though the Portugal team is sponsored by Puma. However, the shoes released on June 18 were not worn by Ronaldo during Portugal’s first match, where they drew 1-1 against the Democratic Republic of the Congo on June 17. Ronaldo wore pink shoes like most of his teammates.

FIFA does require players to wear official team uniforms during matches and official events; however, shoes are an exception. This is similar to the difference between racket and clothing sponsorships for professional tennis players. Therefore, Ronaldo wears shoes branded differently from his attire.

For football players, shoes are a weapon that can be highly personalized, both for performance and fashion trends. They are allowed to wear shoes from their own independent sponsors.

“The fact that (Ronaldo) is playing in his sixth World Cup, we want to celebrate the legacy he has created. There is no color better than gold that can help realize this,” said Nimako.

Evolution of design and color

Before 1891, football shoes as we know them today were not used. People played football wearing the same shoes they used for work, usually leather shoes that were, of course, heavy and uncomfortable for free movement.

Around 1891, minor changes were made to the soles of soccer shoes, including studs, which were spike-like studs designed to maximize traction on the field. The shoes were also made high to protect the heel. These shoes became the forerunners of today’s soccer shoes.

In the 1950s, Adidas introduced shoes with interchangeable studs, made of rubber or plastic. These shoes could be worn in various field conditions and weather, allowing football players to avoid the need for different types of shoes.

In its development, evolution continues to occur in football shoes, in terms of weight and design. The shoes have become lighter with designs that follow trends in the fashion world.

In the early emergence until the mid-1900s, football shoes were only black. This changed in the 1970s when designers began experimenting with different colors, although they were not as striking as they are today. Other colors were usually added as accents to the black shoes.

In the World Cup, bright colors began to gain popularity in the 1990s. Nike released striking blue and red colors. Ronaldo (Brazil), for instance, wore silver shoes with blue accents. These colors were later recognized for making the big stars stand out.

Entering the 2000s, neon colors became increasingly popular, including hot pink at the 2026 World Cup. “Pink has always been a color in transition, as have social attitudes toward it,†said Valerie Steele, editor of the book “Pink: The History of a Punk, Pretty, Powerful Color,†in an article about the history of pink published by CNN in November 2018.

Steele stated that pink, which is often associated with fragile femininity, has transformed its image into a color that conveys coolness, trendiness, androgyny, and strength.

In the West, the color pink first became a trend in the mid-1700s, when European nobility, both men and women, wore pale and soft shades of pink as a symbol of luxury and class in society.

At that time, pink was not considered a “female color.” In fact, the color was often deemed more suitable for boys as it was viewed as a lighter shade of red that carried “masculine” connotations.

The association of the color pink with women and femininity began around the mid-19th century when, according to Steele, men in the Western world increasingly wore darker and more subdued colors. Men abandoned brighter and pastel color choices for women.

“The feminization of pink began around that time. Pink became an expression of softness, as well as luxury,” Steele said.

Pink regained its allure around the 1960s when public figures such as Jackie Kennedy and Marilyn Monroe adopted it as a symbol of luxury.

This color continues to be received in different ways around the world. According to Steele, Asian cultures prefer pink compared to Western cultures. In India, pink has long been understood as a color for both men and women.

Men in the state of Rajasthan, in northern India, commonly wear pink clothes, jewelry and turbans.

“Pink is undergoing a generational shift. Society is increasingly moving away from the notion that pink is a childish and overly sexual color. There is an acknowledgment that the color pink can be beautiful and strong, feminine and feminist. Men are also beginning to embrace this color,” said Steele.

However, will the moment of pink soccer shoes last long? Like fashion trends that are always changing, Warren stated that the trend of soccer shoes in the 2026 World Cup will change. “When the new season begins, the colors will be different, around the end of July,” he said.