We were all burned by the AI-generated prank images of Pope Francis in a puffer jacket, but this time, the papal street style is real. In a set of photos that’s sweeping the internet, Pope Leo was well and truly seen in a pair of Nike sneakers, paired with his traditional, priestly robes.
Pope Leo XIV in 2026
Vatican Pool/Getty Images
The suddenly ubiquitous images have been taken from Leone a Roma, a Vatican-produced documentary about the Chicago-born pope‘s years in Rome before his ascension to the Catholic church’s highest role, which happened almost a year ago today.
The pontiff’s casual footwear choices, therefore, do not appear to be a secret preference: Though the rules imposed by the church in terms of priestly clothing respect tradition and formality, a film planned for distribution on Vatican media channels was certainly scrutinized for any impropriety. That it’s public news that Pope Leo shared a shoe brand with Michael Jordan, Serena Williams, and Cristiano Ronaldo is hardly an accident.
The future Pope Leo, then known as Robert Francis Prevost, is appointed as new cardinal U.S-born prelate prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops by Pope Francis on September 30, 2023 in Vatican City, Vatican.
Vatican Pool/Getty Images
Sneakerheads have inspected the images of the then-Robert Francis Prevost, in an effort to determine what model the white-with-black swoosh kicks might be. While some suggested the Air Force 1 or the SB Force, experts have identified the shoes as Nike’s Franchise Low Plus, a shoe sold in the ’70s and ’80s that was briefly re-released in 2008.
One wonders if an additional re-release is in store for the kicks, given the shoes’ exceptional endorsement. We’re told their asking price on resale sites such as eBay has already shot through the roof.
Originally published by Vanity Fair Italy
