Although Achraf Hakimi was unable to make his comeback from injury in Morocco's opener at the Africa Cup of Nations on Sunday, his custom made shoes still made headlines.
The specially crafted footwear, dubbed the Under Armour Shadow Elite 3, isn’t just another pair of football boots.
Produced in collaboration with celebrated Moroccan-born artist Hassan Hajjaj, this bespoke design celebrates Morocco’s rich cultural heritage with bold colours and intricate detailing that pay homage to traditional artistry.
The boots feature the nation’s signature red and black palette, with crisp white laces providing a dynamic contrast on the pitch.
The handcrafted design drew inspiration from sfifa, a complex button embroidery found on the country’s traditional djellaba robes.
“@HassanHajjaj_larache transformed that detail into performance design. Tradition stitched into innovation. Culture embedded into sport. With a limited-edition boot that tells a story far beyond the pitch,” posted Under Armour on Instagram while launching the shoe.
What makes this release truly remarkable is its exclusivity. Under Armour and Hajjaj have produced only 30 pairs of these custom boots in the world, each individually tailored to fit Hakimi’s precise measurements and come boxed in artisan-crafted packaging made in Marrakesh’s medina.
While Under Armour has not publicly confirmed the exact price tag of these limited-edition boots, custom players’ editions from elite sports brands can fetch a premium well beyond the standard retail cost.
For perspective, bespoke match-worn boots from top players have previously been valued at upwards of Sh400,000on collectors’ markets, though Hakimi’s custom pair may command significantly more owing to its scarcity and cultural significance.
Achraf Hakimi was unable to return from injury as Morocco opened their Africa Cup of Nations campaign on Sunday with a 2–0 win over Comoros, but head coach
Walid Regragui insisted his absence did little to weaken the team.
Despite optimism in the build-up that the Paris Saint-Germain defender could feature for the first time in seven weeks, he remained on the bench as Manchester United’s Noussair Mazraoui was handed the start at right-back.
"Without Hakimi we could have done better, but Mazraoui is fantastic," Regragui told ESPN. "I place him in the hierarchy as strong as Achraf, even if he has different qualities.