Balotelli plays in boots covered in newspaper headlines about himself

Milan striker Mario Balotelli, who Sports Illustrated labeled "The Most Interesting Man in the World" earlier this year, is never far from the newspaper headlines thanks to the intense scrutiny on him both on and off the pitch. So he's decided to put that fact to use by wearing those headlines on his boots. Balotelli unveiled his unique new shoes in Milan's 2-2 draw against Roma on Monday.

It's unclear who made them since there are no brand markings on the boots — just the newspaper clippings referring to moments like his two-goal performance against Germany in the Euro 2012 semifinals and his "Why Always Me?" shirt from the Manchester Derby a couple years ago. Though Balotelli does have a deal with Nike, so this could be a rare Swoosh-less design from them.

Meanwhile, Cristiano Ronaldo is bitterly disappointed that he didn't think of this idea first.

UPDATE: According to SoccerCleats101, Balotelli's Nike deal is coming to an end, so these boots might actually be prototypes of Puma's new evoPOWER range (hence the lack of branding and design obscuring newspaper clippings). If Balotelli is leaving Nike, it will be an impressive signing for Puma.

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