Lionel Messi has been gifted a pair of custom adidas Sambas that celebrate his storied career. Designed by Argentine designer Stepwise, every inch of the pair is filled with details nodding to the different stages of Messi’s life on the pitch.

100% hand-painted by the Oakland-based customiser, the ‘What The Messi’ Sambas are a patchwork of an icon’s footballing odyssey. Taking visual cues from different shirts worn by La Pulga, the custom creps nod to his time at Barcelona, PSG, Newell’s Old Boys and Inter Miami, as well as his successes with the Argentine national team. The iconic Samba tongue is decorated with Messi’s own logo and a 2022 World Cup winner’s patch.

This isn’t the first time Stepwise has created a pair inspired by the beautiful game’s greatest operator. Back in December, he released the ‘What The Messi’ Nike SB Dunk Lows for pre-order to the masses. Now, he’s taken it one step further -  customising a pair of the year’s most popular silhouettes for the adidas icon and delivering them by hand.

Take a closer look at the custom creps below.