They are two polar opposite worlds, yet oddly similar in so many ways. In what is arguably their largest-ever collaboration effort to date, Adidas has united two of their biggest ambassadors: Lionel Messi & Bad Bunny, the GOATs of their respective disciplines.
The end product?
Brand-new, limited edition pairs of F50 Elite’s and Gazelle Indoors, set to be launched this Saturday, October 26.
Retailing for $300, the F50 soccer cleat offers a unique new colorway to the long-running Adidas speed boot. Meanwhile, this new Gazelle style - valued at $180 - marks the third Bad Bunny edition released to date.
Both releases are dressed in a sort of brownish gold, which was apparently inspired by a 1949 Adidas shoe. See it below alongside the F50 and Gazelle.
Both pairs are also accented by a bright cyan tertiary color, which helps bring some life to the footwear while still maintaining the retro look provided by the leathery brown, a color officially labeled as “Cardboard” by Adidas.
Subtle details that pay homage to both Messi and El Conejo Malo, some of them doubling as easter eggs, can be spotted throughout both pairs of footwear. On the F50, ‘Benito’, the artist’s real name, is featured on the right boot, with Messi’s name reserved for the left one, of course. The flags of their respective homes of Argentina & Puerto Rico also appear.
Meanwhile, the signatures of both are stamped on two of the stripes on the Gazelle, with an ‘X’ stripe heel symbolizing Messi’s iconic jersey number. This is a double entendre of sorts, since the 1949 Adidas shoe that was used as inspiration also features the same design.
A blue version of this ‘X’ heel is located on the left boot of the F50.
Those that know, know that Latin music and The Beautiful Game have been mentioned in the same breath for decades on end, so this sort of collaboration should come as little to no surprise. For those not quite as involved in these seamlessly intertwined worlds, then this news is probably the definition of random.
Realistically, though, it’s far from it. Let us explain why.
The lyrics found within reggaeton tracks more often than not find themselves delving into romance, heartbreak and things of the sort, but it’s no secret that pop culture & sports tend to be the topic of choice for many artists.
Bad Bunny’s music in particular has its fair share of sport nods, and the Inter Miami captain’s name is one that the Puerto Rican has often resorted to rhyming with. In fact, one of his earliest Leo Messi references dates way back to 2016.
In the track “Tu No Vive Asi”, Bad Bunny raps “no he metido un gol y tengo cristianos orándole a Messi”, a wordplay bar that also happens to shout out a certain Portuguese football great.
In fact, Messi is name-dropped a total of five times throughout the artist’s 2023 studio album, nadie sabe lo que va a pasar mañana, a clear sign of admiration for the World Cup winner from the Vega Baja native.
Speaking of the World Cup, Bad Bunny has publicly shown his support for the Argentine via his social media accounts as well, notably tuning in to the 2022 Final and celebrating Argentina’s win by posing with the #10’s jersey after the match.
What you may not know is that the rapper’s admiration for Messi is actually mutual. It might be clear as day now, but Messi has been a fan of Bad Bunny’s music for years, although it’s unclear whether they had ever met up in person prior to Adidas publicly getting the job done.
One of the earliest instances came in 2017, when Messi uploaded an Instagram Story listening to Bad Bunny’s verse on "Báilame (Remix)", where he raps "otro gol de Messi, tú eres mi Antonella."
In July 2023, Messi was captured arriving at Inter Miami’s stadium to make his first ever appearance for the club, wearing the Bad Bunny x Adidas Response CL’s in the ‘Triple Black’ colorway. He doubled down a few months later in September, repping yet another pair - this time the Bad Bunny Campus’ in the ‘Wild Moss’ colorway - in a sit-down interview with Migue Granados.
If it’s not obvious enough that Messi listens to Bad Bunny, then it’s definitely worth noting that the artist has six songs featured in the “Messi: The Warm-Up” Apple Music-exclusive playlist, which features 60 of the football superstar’s favorite pre-match songs to listen to.
This mutual respect between the two Latin icons has been hinted at for years, which has finally culminated in a direct collaboration between them. In a promotional video released on Monday by Adidas, the pair are seen together in the same room for the first time, a sight that millions around the world probably didn’t have on their bingo cards.
For many others, though, including me…
ya era hora, puñeta. 🇵🇷
The Bad Bunny x Messi collection is set to drop both online and in select flagship stores on Saturday, October 26. You can participate in a draw for both releases via the adidas CONFIRMED app.
