Golden Boy Ronaldo's Nike Air Max 97 CR7

We’re suckers for a good shoe story; when a colourway has more to say than simply ‘I’m gold – buy me.’ Look closely at this and you’ll notice its uppers bear patches, crude stitching and a mishmash of materials. Why? Well, in tribute to Cristiano Ronaldo.

The athlete may be worth squillions today, but as a child he made do with a single pair of shoes in which to play football (a second pair was kept strictly for school). Ronaldo's obsession with the game meant his shoes were quickly worn in and burst new holes regularly. His mother would patch them up over and over.

These days, with a lifetime  deal estimated to be worth more than $1 billion, football boots are on tap for the Portuguese superstar. We can only assume Ronaldo's own pair of these AM97s are made from actual gold, but power to him - a rise against the odds will earn a tip of a cap from us always.