Why pink football boots are the vogue in Kenyan Premier League

APS Bomet coach Sammy ‘Pamzo’ Omollo, 51, was one of the first Kenyan footballers to wear colourful boots in Kenya.

Omollo first encountered “coloured boots” when he represented Kenya at the 1992 African Cup of Nations.

“We saw Tony Yeboah of Ghana wearing white boots, and we found that so peculiar,” Omollo says. “Later, when I went to India, I was exposed to more colourful boots, and after that I embraced them. I remember a match I played for Harambee Stars against Zambia in the 1990s where I was the only one wearing orange boots, and it caused quite a stir because other players were in black boots,” Omollo adds.

Read: Rebecca Okwaro: From ‘giving up’ on football to league top scorer

The former Kenya Breweries and Gor Mahia described black boots as “out-moded” and “only left for referees”. “It is hard to find black boots nowadays,” he says.

Siaji Otieno, who has been selling football boots at Gikomba for six years, is another one best-placed to explain the fascination of Kenyan footballers with colours. He has even classified the interests of his prime clientele – the country’s top footballers – according to their generational cohorts.

According to Siaji, as he is popularly known, obsession with colourful boots is a fad exhibited by the Kenyan Gen-Z footballer. Older footballers like KCB’s captain Humphrey Mieno, Siaji says, keep it traditional by stepping into black boots.

“They are old school,” he says. Ben Stanley Omondi of Gor Mahia and AFC Leopards’ Kayci Odhiambo also belong to the “black boots battalion”.

“Younger players want to stand out, but there is a double-edged sword to that need. If they make a blunder, people catch it quickly, but if they do something outstanding, it is also noticed just as fast,” he adds.

Siaji also admits that the influence of international football stars like Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappe and aging superstars like Cristiano Ronaldo of Al Nasr (Saudi Arabia) and Inter Miami’s Lionel Messi is driving up the interest in colourful boots by young footballers.

 “I have had players coming to ask for boots like those worn by Mbappe, Messi, or Ronaldo,” Siaji says.

 Mbappe (Nike), Messi (Adidas), and Ronaldo (Nike) have lucrative boot deals, which come with signature boots released under their name. Such boots easily become a hit among aspiring footballers, driving demand for their acquisition. These boots come in an array of colours that make them stand out.

Read: Leopards claw crisis-hit Nairobi United to go top of the table

The needs of those star players and their contemporaries have revolutionised football boots tech. Materials used to make football, as Siaji explains, have changed over the years. “That has made it possible to have boots in different colours. Previously, boots could only come in black or brown because the technology of manipulating leather had not advanced to what it is now. Hence, back then, football boots were functional. Evolution in the technology of their manufacture has made it possible to have them in various colours, hence sparking trendy fashion trends inspired by players who want to look good,” Siaji says.

The AFC Leopards duo of midfielder Kelly Madada and Ugandan forward Samuel Ssenyonjo are part of Kenyan football’s “pink boots brigade”.

Yet, their reason for wearing them has nothing to do with a desire to stand out or surf on the wave triggered by an international football superstar. If anything, they are circumstantial.

Madada’s flashy neon magenta kicks are actually a gift he received when he represented Kenya at the 2025 African Cup of Nations Under-20 championship.

For Ssenyonjo, the story goes back to his childhood. “The first boots I wore when I was young were pink,” he said.

Wearing pink boots means overcoming certain gender stereotypes – pink is a colour associated with women. That label does not bother Madada and Ssenyonjo, and Kariobangi Sharks player Timothy Ekhavi, another circumstantial member of the “pink boots brigade”.

“I can wear any boots as long as they fit me,” Madada says.

 Ssenyonjo retreats to childhood memories.

 “I used to play in pink boots when I was young.”

Ekhavi, on his part, admits to preferring black boots.

“I prefer black boots. The pink ones I have were a present. All in all, colour does not matter to me when I am picking boots to wear for a game. I go for comfort. I play with boots that have suitable studs for the surface of the pitch I will play on,” Ekhavi says.

A host of other notable players wear pink boots. They included Gor Mahia goalkeeper Byrne Omondi and his teammates, left-back Bryton Anyona and Cameroonian forward Patrick Essombe.

Nairobi United has the muscular defender Lennox Ogutu steamrolling in purple boots. His captain, the shaggy-haired John Otieno, wears black boots which have pink heels and soles.

Anyona and Otieno also exhibit other fashion trends that make FKF Premier League players stand out on the pitch. Anyona wears socks that have holes in them.

Otieno sags his shorts, as do players like Gor Mahia’s Shariff Musa and Hansel Ochieng’ of APS Bomet.

Other players like Ovella Ochieng’ of Nairobi United and AFC Leopards’ Emmanuel Lwangu play with their shorts pulled up, exposing one or both thighs.

Ovella also stands for tucking in his jersey, giving him the look of the quintessential Congolese sapeur or a back-up dancer in Lingala music group. Other players who tuck in their jerseys are Ovella’s teammates – Dancan Omala, Enock Machaka, and Kevin Otiende – and Kakamega Homeboyz’s Henry Omollo.

Follow our WhatsApp channel for breaking news updates and more stories like this.