Revealed: Why Ronaldo doesn't wear black football boots

Ever wondered how involved footballers are when it comes to designing the boots they wear on the pitch?

In the case of Cristiano Ronaldo, the answer is very.

"It all starts with him," Max Blau, the global vice-president for Nike Football Footwear who works closely with the 31-year-old, told  Goal . "I think he's amazing, but he's the first to say 'I can improve'. He says he can get better and will do his part, but he needs us to do ours too. 

"That puts a lot of pressure on us. We have to come up with something to help him. That's how we came up with the new Mercurial Superfly [the boots Ronaldo currently wears].

"Every player has their favourite colour, and it's been scientifically proven that the colour of the boots activates chemicals in the player's mind. 

"When you feel better, you play better. The main reason of the colour is to give confidence. For example, Cristiano Ronaldo doesn't like to wear black boots because he says black looks slow and he wants to feel fast."

Blau believes that wearing the right footwear is essential, so much so that he considers himself to have played a big role in Ronaldo's success.

"I sometimes say that I've won a couple of Grand Slams, Champions Leagues and some World Cups," he added. "I believe that I share a piece of that success.

"The most interesting aspect of my work is the chance to strengthen human talents. The key is in the person, but the product also plays a big part.

"The same individual under the same conditions will have a better performance if he wears a better product."