Adidas on Thursday apologised for a surfeit of pink boots at the World Cup, saying that it was a coincidence that they were sported by a striking number of players.
Asked by AFP about the unusual uniformity of boot colours during a press conference on the company’s quarterly results, Adidas CEO Bjorn Gulden said “it was an accident”.
“I think it’s a coincidence, and I hope it will not happen again,” he added.
It was not the colour itself but different brands all opting for the same hue that had surprised him, Gulden said.
“Pink is a good colour, no doubt. But that we all ended up with the same is strange,” he said.
Various theories have been advanced for the prevalence of pink boots at this year’s World Cup.
Some have suggested that pink boots are more visible against a green pitch, helping boot makers’ products stand out to fans.
Nike football footwear product manager Odinga Nimako told sports publication The Athletic that pink was preferred by some players as it was seen as an expression of confidence.
Boot makers usually had little knowledge of their rivals’ precise colour schemes before new collections are launched, Gulden said.
“We don’t have information on what Nike or Puma or New Balance is doing,” he said, adding that retailers could have stepped in.
“Retailers normally would tell you: ‘Hang on a minute, you’re all doing the same colour’,” Gulden said.
“But we didn’t hear anything. And shame on us, I think no one liked it.”
