Nike Turns Mbappé’s Whiteout Boots Into a Product

Kylian Mbappé may have left Nike for On, but his latest boot choice has seemingly inspired a new look available to football fans.

The Real Madrid forward ended his two-decade partnership with Nike earlier this month before signing with Swiss sportswear company On. The deal also makes Mbappé a shareholder in the company, which is preparing to enter the football-boot market.

On September 20, Mbappé made his first appearance for Real Madrid after the announcement in the derby against Atlético Madrid.

Despite his new partnership with On, Mbappé did not wear an On football boot during the match. Instead, he wore a pair of Nike Mercurials with the Nike branding covered up, creating an almost completely white appearance.

The unusual boots immediately attracted attention because On's first commercial football boots are not expected to arrive until 2027.

Now, Nike appears to have capitalised on the attention.

A whiteout version of the Mercurial Superfly 11 has appeared on Nike By You, allowing customers to create a pair with an almost entirely white finish closely resembling Mbappé's disguised match boots. The design also retains the visible red Air Zoom unit underneath the soleplate.

The timing has naturally led to jokes that Mbappé has accidentally helped Nike market its own boots after leaving the company.

There is, however, no confirmed indication from Nike that the whiteout design was specifically created because of Mbappé. The similarity and timing have simply made the connection impossible for football-boot fans to ignore.

Mbappé's move to On remains one of the biggest football sponsorship changes of the year. On has recruited the France captain as the face of its football project, with former France international Thierry Henry also serving as the company's director of football.

For now, though, Mbappé is still wearing a disguised version of the boots that helped define his career — while Nike is selling fans a very similar look.