My Messi Shoe Hunt Begins
So last Tuesday morning I spilled coffee on my old boots during breakfast. Totally wrecked ’em. Figured it’s time for new football shoes, and who better to copy than Messi himself? Grabbed my phone thinking it’d be easy-peasy.
First mistake: searched “Messi shoes” online. Huge mess! Saw Adidas Nemeziz, X Ghosted, something called “19.1” – made zero sense to me. All these numbers and weird names, felt like reading alien language.
Trying Stuff Out
Drove down to the sports mall Thursday after work. Told the kid at the soccer section: “Gimme what Messi wears.” He laughed saying “Messi wore six different models last season!” and dumped three pairs in my lap:
- These crazy Nemeziz ones with bandage-like wraps
- Super thin Copa Sense things
- Weird X Ghosted pair looking like spaceship tires
Started trying ’em right there on the fake turf corner. Nemeziz felt like my feet were in sticky tape prison. Copa Sense were comfy but no grip at all when I did test turns. Ghosted felt springy but weird pressure on my pinky toe.
The Blisters Experiment
Bought the Ghosteds anyway since they looked coolest. Took ’em to Sunday league game next morning. Disaster! After 15 minutes my feet were hamburger meat. Those springy plates made me faster but I got blisters the size of grapes. Could barely walk after halftime.
Monday morning I limped back to the store whining about my blisters. Guy goes “Ah yeah that model runs narrow, should’ve sized up half step for wide feet.” Then drops truth bomb: “Messi gets custom-made shoes anyway – what works for him might suck for you.”
What Actually Worked
Went back to basics. Tried regular Predators in my normal size. Felt boring but damn did they fit. Kicked ball against wall 50 times – no toe jam, no heel rub. Not flashy but worked for my duck feet. Lesson learned:
- Brand doesn’t matter – fit matters
- Ignore names/numbers – try walking properly before buying
- No such thing as “Messi shoes” for normal folks
Still love the guy though. Just wearing his magic boots won’t make me dribble like him. Maybe I’ll just buy his jersey instead next time.
