Pepe and Umbro – It’s More Than Just Boots

Everyone has a story about their first top tier pair of boots. Maybe they were a birthday present, a gift for an outstanding report card, or a reward for making that regional team you tried out for. No matter the occasion, you always remember the story around your first pair of top tier boots. Arguably the best story about getting a pair of top tier boots has been shared by Real Madrid’s Pepe and his father Anael.

It’s the story of a father who sacrifices so that his son can own a classic pair of boots. Going so far as to borrow a friends credit card to have the ability to pay for the boots in installments as opposed to upfront. It’s has all the hallmarks of a great story, it adds humour and a touch of, what the internet generation would call “the feels”.  You should definitely watch the video up top if you haven’t already.

But a feel good story about a young lad and his first pair of proper boots wasn’t the only thing. It’s about a relationship to a brand. The first pair of top class boots Pepe owned were a pair of Umbro Speciali’s; and he’s formally ‘come back home’ with the release of the brand new Speciali Eternal (note: While Pepe was wearing Speciali’s last season, he’ll be wearing the Eternal this season, which is styled after the original Umbro boot Pepe wore growing up). Pepe mentions in the video his move into the new Speciali Eternal is about more than just the boots themselves. To him Umbro as a company represents the sacrifices his family made to help him rise to the top.

While Pepe will be going back to a pair of Speciali’s which resemble the pair his father first bought for him; Umbro still haven’t announced when they plan on releasing the boots to the North American market or how they’ll be distributed. However, there’s definitely a plan to release the Speciali Eternal on our side of the pond, because yesterday afternoon a pair turned up at the gaffers house and he’s pretty excited to see what they have in store!

As soon as we know what the plans are for the Speciali Eternal in North America we’ll be sure to let you know. But in the meantime what are your thoughts on the boots which are more than just the tools used by Pepe to succeed on the world stage? Do you have a pair of boots which hold a similar meaning? Let us know in the comments.