The world of customs has gone from passion project to a multi-million dollar business. Some of the footwear industry's biggest players have tapped well-established creatives for special projects, co-signing the customizer profession. And while brands like Nike, Inc. have made strides when it comes to experimental designs, they still fall short of meeting some enthusiasts' needs.
Take Omar Mendoza as an example. Right-back for Mexican football club Querétaro FC, the 36-year-old recently laced up a custom pair of Air Jordan 5 retro red suede boots inspired by Travis Scott's Air Jordan 1 Low OG "Royal" collaboration with fragment design from 2021. Mendoza and his undisclosed customization squad went beyond a simple paint job—they sewed on different components to the performance model to bring Scott's highly-coveted vision to the pitch.
Although Mendoza and his Querétaro side lost to Pumas UNAM on Friday, July 25, the custom pair of Mercurials endured the full 90 minutes of the match. Air Jordan text and fragment's bolt logos appear on the spine, while "La Flame"'s go-to reverse swoosh lands on the lateral profiles.
Nike, Inc. and its competitors have previously brought hype, self-referential styles to performance footwear. Following a slew of customs inspired by iconic colorways and designs from throughout the Swoosh conglomerate for Odell Beckham Jr., the Oregon-based institution launched an air jordan 1 art basel igloo rust pink social status-inspired Mercurial with the help of Kylian Mbappé. Virgil Abloh's OFF-WHITE also model the Mercurial series Air Jordan 13 Flint x Jordan Legacy AJ13 Hoodie.
In early 2022, Italy's Laboratorio 17 crafted a special Mercurial Vapor 14 also referencing the "Royal" AJ1 collaboration for Inter Milan’s Federico Dimarco. France's Marcus Thuram worked with Footpack and Soub in November 2021 to develop a similar custom.
At the Three Stripes, U.S. football cleats inspired by the popular Yeezy 350 "Turtle Dove" sneaker released in limited quantities during the 2010s.
air jordan 1 low los angeles city pack white kumquat dark powder blue air jordan 1 mid hyper royal white hyper royal 554724 114 for sale franchise. Although evidence to support the rumor has yet to surface, the Houston-native hasn't been secretive about his current fascination with "the beautiful game." The UTOPIA artist has helped Nike Football (soccer stateside) promote its "Toma El Juego" tournament inspired by the street football once on display in Joga Bonito iconic best selling sneakers adidas yeezy stan smith converse nike air jordan.
Crenshaw Skate Club Air Jordan 36 Low PE "Neutral Olive" pair of Air Jordan 1 Low Golf Air Jordan 12 WMNS Cactus Jack co-branding. The move confirms both Nike, Inc.'s understanding of how to energize performance product and Scott's revolving roster of interests.
With the 2026 FIFA World Cup coming to Nike, Inc.'s backyard, it's likely white hype football boots will surfaced—both through official and custom channels. Mendoza might be the latest culprit, but surely he won't be the last.
Check out all available football product on Nike.com right now, and see what's new from the retro Total 90 line when you're done.
