Fact Check: Was Pope Leo XIV spotted wearing Nike shoes along with the papal outfit?
VATICAN CITY: Amid the feud between President Donald Trump and Pope Leo XIV over the geopolitical tensions with Iran, an image began circulating on social media platforms claiming to show the pope wearing Nike shoes along with his papal outfit, garnering mixed reactions from netizens. Let us analyse the viral image and fact-check its authenticity.
Claim: Pope Leo XIV spotted wearing Nike sneakers
The brief clip and screenshot of the trailer went viral, claiming to show the pope walking around wearing his full papal outfit along with a pair of white Nike sneakers.
The clip has garnered mixed reactions from social media users, with many being critical of the pope, who traditionally wears red leather shoes outdoors, often called papal slippers or mules, symbolizing the blood of martyrs and the Passion of Christ.
Despite the negative comments, many reactions were mostly positive; a few others claimed that it was digitally fabricated to tarnish the image of the pontiff.
Fact Check: Pope Leo did wear Nike sneakers
However, the clip and the screenshot are authentic, as the footwear he wears is indeed Nike sneakers.
The shoe that Pope Leo is sporting is the Nike Franchise Low, according to Just Fresh Kicks, which was introduced in the 1970s and 1980s before returning around 2008 as a tennis lifestyle model, but the model is currently discontinued.
A fact check by Grok also confirmed this, saying, “It's a real still from the official Vatican News trailer for the documentary Leone a Roma (released this week for the 1-year anniversary of Pope Leo XIV's election)."
"He's wearing white Nike Franchise Low (or Low Plus) sneakers under his vestments. Viral for the classic ‘Chicago pope drip’ contrast. No fake or AI — confirmed across Vatican media, GQ, sneaker sites, and news outlets.”
Marco Rubio visits the Vatican amid the Trump-Pope feud
The picture went viral after Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived at the Vatican to meet the pope, aimed at repairing a fractured relationship between the Holy See and the Trump administration.
According to US Ambassador to the Holy See Brian Burch, the visit is aimed at fostering “authentic dialogue” and addressing differences through engagement rather than confrontation.
“Nations have disagreements, and one of the ways to resolve them is through fraternity and dialogue,” Burch said.
The new development comes as Trump intensified his criticism of Pope Leo, accusing him of being soft on Iran’s nuclear ambitions.
