Under the lights of the Madrid derby, Kylian Mbappé’s boots told a story almost as clearly as the 2-1 defeat suffered by Real Madrid at Atlético. Two days after joining On as both ambassador and shareholder, the France forward wore an all-white pair of Nike Mercurial Superfly boots with the familiar swoosh almost entirely concealed.
Key takeaways
- Mbappé played in Real Madrid’s 2-1 derby loss away to Atlético Madrid wearing white Nike boots.
- The Nike branding was disguised on the Mercurial Superfly pair, despite his long-standing connection with the American manufacturer.
- His appearance came 48 hours after he announced a new partnership with Swiss sportswear company On.
- Mbappé has also taken an ownership stake in On, which is making a move into football.
- Thierry Henry has been appointed as On’s football director.
A visible break with Nike
The choice of footwear was striking because Mbappé had been linked to Nike for 20 years. The French captain did not wear a newly branded On football boot in the derby, but instead used a white Nike model whose logo was difficult to identify without close inspection.
The altered boots offered an immediate public sign of the change in his commercial career. Mbappé’s new arrangement with On was confirmed only two days before Real Madrid travelled across the city to face Atlético, where the visitors were beaten 2-1.
On opens its football chapter
On began as a brand associated with triathlon before broadening its sporting presence in recent years. Its investor group already includes former tennis great Roger Federer, while American actor Zendaya is among its high-profile ambassadors.
The arrival of Mbappé, one of French football’s biggest names, gives the company a significant entry point into the game. Henry’s role as football director further underlines On’s intention to establish itself in the sport.
