21-05-2025
adidas Copa Mundial 'World's Most Iconic Boot' Faces Radical Redesign After CEO Reveal
By Ben McKimm - News
Published: 21 May 2025
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Readtime: 5 min
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adidas Copa Mundial is the world's best-selling and most iconic football boot
Production of kangaroo leather has ended, transforming the Copa Mundial forever
CEO Bjørn Gulden confirmed the discontinuation at adidas' Annual General Meeting
adidas joins Nike, Puma, and others in banning kangaroo leather use
Likely the final chance to buy the Copa Mundial in its original form
Worn by Zinedine Zidane and Diego Maradona, the adidas Copa Mundial is the most iconic football boot ever created and is the best-selling model of all time. While boot technology has progressed and they're not a performance-focused choice for players anymore, they're just as desirable as they were when launched in 1982, thanks to their retro design and premium kangaroo leather construction.
That's about to change as adidas has quietly ceased the production of Kangaroo leather products, and this will take the Copa Mundial with it, at least in its purest and most original form.
adidas ceased production of the boot months ago, but CEO Bjørn Gulden only recently announced the news at the company's Annual General Meeting in Fürth, Germany. While no public statement was made, the news was confirmed in a press release from the Center for a Humane Economy, which has lobbied sneaker brands around the world to cease the production of kangaroo leather products for some time.
adidas Copa Mundial | Image: Supplied / adidas
Decision to Cease Kangaroo Leather Production
adidas is not an outlier in this decision, they're the latest brand to join the list of kangaroo-free sneaker makers, which currently includes ASICS, Diadora, Puma, Nike, and New Balance.
'The mass killing of kangaroos has been driven by exports mainly for kangaroo skins,' said Wayne Pacelle, president of the Center for a Humane Economy and Animal Wellness Action. 'With adidas exiting the trade, we have shut down sourcing of skins by the world's top five athletic shoe brands. We now will redouble our efforts to secure similar pledges from Japanese companies ASICS and Mizuno and end this trade once and for all.'
'Adidas has been the most important supporter of the Australian kangaroo kill for years,' continues Pacelle. 'Its exit from this trade is thrilling news.'
Kangaroo Commercial Harvesting in Australia
It's hard to pinpoint the number of kangaroos in Australia because of the vast areas they roam, but trained observers regularly conduct ground and aerial surveys in states where 'commercial harvesting' takes place (New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia and Tasmania).
From these surveys, the kangaroo population is estimated to be around 32 million. Quotas are then set for the harvesting of the population, which was set at 4.8 million two years ago, but eventuated in the harvesting of 1.2 million, or about 3.7 per cent of the national population.
Scientific research from the Ecological Society of Australia says some species of kangaroos have become so plentiful that they threaten the biodiversity of the land due to a lack of predators and grazing impacts. However, others don't share this view.
'The brutal commercial slaughter of kangaroos has operated in the shadows for too long,' said Emma Hurst, Member of Parliament, Animal Justice Party, Australia. 'Adidas joining its competitors in ending the use of kangaroo leather is not only a win for animals—it's a win for transparency, ethics, and global consumer expectations. Australians and animal lovers worldwide owe a great deal to the relentless work of the Center for a Humane Economy and the global coalition that made this possible.'
Diego Maradona wearing adidas Copa Mundial untied during a training session in Boston with Renato Cesarini's youth team during the 1994 World Cup in the United States | Image: Supplied
Where That Leaves the adidas Copa Mundial
Made in Scheinfeld, Germany, the adidas Copa Mundial (1979) stands next to The Puma King (1966) as the most iconic football boot of all time.
'Copa Mundial' in Spanish translates to 'World Cup' in English, and the football boot was first introduced to the world ahead of the 1982 FIFA World Cup in Spain. Throughout history, it's been worn by the likes of David Beckham and Zinedine Zidane. However, Diego Maradona is the one who made them famous, wearing them untied during a training session in Boston with Renato Cesarini's youth team during the 1994 World Cup in the United States.
Design-wise, the boot has gone through several changes over the years, including changes to the letter colours on the side of the shoe and refinements to the tongue and heel collar, but its most important features have remained true to the 1982 original. The 12 moulded studs, the die-cut EVA midsole that distributes stud pressure, and the soft kangaroo leather upper with reinforced heel panel have all stayed true through the shoe's nearly 50-year history.
While it's unlikely the shoe will move away from using a leather upper, this is the last chance you have to buy the adidas Copa Mundial with its iconic kangaroo leather upper, as the brand has ceased production of kangaroo leather products.
Priced at AUD$280 the Copa Mundial is available at linked below.
adidas Copa Mundial | Image: Supplied / adidas
adidas Copa Mundial | Image: Supplied / adidas
adidas Copa Mundial | Image: Supplied / adidas
adidas Copa Mundial | Image: Supplied / adidas
adidas Copa Mundial | Image: Supplied / adidas
adidas Copa Mundial | Image: Supplied / adidas
