In one of the most surprising sneaker moments of 2026, Pope Leo XIV was seen wearing a pair of white Nike sneakers in public. And everyone already has opinions.
A new trailer, released by Vatican News for Leone a Roma, a documentary (that retraces the nearly two decades Leo spent in Rome before his election), has gone viral after sneakerheads noticed that he was wearing a pair of box-fresh white Nike sneakers.
While everyone initially thought it was a pair of white Air Force 1s, sneakerheads quickly pointed out that it was a Nike Franchise Low, with a black swoosh, instead. The sneakers were first released in the 1980s as a tennis model, but were later re-released as an everyday sneaker.
Still, seeing the Pope, born Robert Prevost in Chicago, this way has got the internet talking. Some are very upset, but others were genuinely excited about how relatable Pope Leo XIV is. Then there were those who were just there for the memes and the funny comments. Looking over on social media, you’ll find comments like: “Nike just got blessed” and “You can take the kid out of Chicago, but not the Nike out of the kid.” Some have even called his outfit “Holy drip”.
Of course, the Nike sneakers shouldn’t come as a huge surprise to fans, as Pope Leo XIV is known to be a White Sox supporter. In fact, before he moved to the Vatican, he was often seen at local gyms in regular athletic gear.
He wasn’t trying to make a statement or “look cool”. He was probably just wearing the most comfortable shoes (and it’s probably a pair he’s used to wearing). As one corner of the internet cleverly put it: the devil wears Prada, but the Pope wears Nike.
