The 2016-17 NFL season has had its share of noteworthy stories — the Dallas Cowboys’ seemingly unstoppable rookie tandem of Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliott, the aftermath of Deflategate and steadily decreasing TV ratings, just to name a few — but perhaps most surprising is the coverage that custom cleats have been getting in the media.
The buzz about custom cleats started to build in September, when Adidas gifted players Yeezy Cleats that were subsequently banned from in-game action. Ever since, colorful, custom cleats have continued to be a hot topic, and the NFL has gone as far as to force players to change out of cleats mid-game and threaten to fine players for wearing Breast Cancer Awareness Month and 9/11 tribute cleats.
With this in mind, Carolina Panthers QB Cam Newton upped the ante on custom footwear during warmups for the team’s 23-20 win over the New Orleans Saints on Nov. 17. Ahead of the kickoff, Newton warmed up in a pair of outrageous Under Armour cleats that were adorned with a dazzle-camouflage pattern, metallic gold accents and finished off with a fox tail at the heel.
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The cleats were every bit as crazy as they sound on paper, and to no one’s surprise, Twitter had a lot to say about them. Here are the best reactions to Newton’s quirky kicks:
