Photos: The zaniest boots that could win this year's World Cup

[caption id=“attachment_87223” align=“alignleft” width=“860”]  With the FIFA World Cup beginning in a few days’ time, we thought we’d take a look at the shoes that will be helping our favourite football players fly across the field. Banish the thought of plain cleats from your mind and take a look at these technicolour beauties. Let’s begin with Puma. The company is pushing the envelope by putting its athletes in one pink shoe and one blue shoe. Apparently, this will make it easier to tell which foot that player delivers goals with: Pink is right and blue is left. Look for Spain’s Cesc Fabregas and Italy’s Mario Balotelli in the boots. (Text & image: AP)[/caption]

[caption id=“attachment_87224” align=“alignleft” width=“860”]  Nike’s statement for the World Cup is its new Magista and Mercurial soccer boots that use the company’s fly-knit technology, which basically looks like cleats attached to a pair of socks. Cristiano Ronaldo is going to be wearing the Mercurial Superfly, a high-top version with a cool name. (Text & image: AP)[/caption]

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[caption id=“attachment_87225” align=“alignleft” width=“860”]  May be the Adidas line will remind you a bit of your PT shoes. Adidas is offering the back-and-white Battle Pack collection of four different cleats, featuring prints that are supposed to pay homage to Brazil - the only pop of color is the trademark three stripes in neon orange. An exception was made for Messi, who gets the star treatment with his own design and a bit of added Argentina blue on his F50s. (Text & image: AP)[/caption]

[caption id=“attachment_87226” align=“alignleft” width=“860”]  Mizuno has designed special gold-and-black Wave Ignitus 3s for Keisuke Honda of Japan. It’s only fitting for a player whose nickname is “Emperor Keisuke.” (Text: AP, Image: Reuters)[/caption]