Thierry Henry wants to revolutionise women's football through an unlikely gateway: boots. The former France star is developing designs tailored specifically for female players rather than relying on models originally built for men, a move that fuses technological innovation with investment in a market growing fast.
Spanish newspaper "Mundo Deportivo" reports that Henry, the Arsenal legend and 1998 World Cup winner, is driving the project as head of football at Swiss company "On", which wants to strengthen its foothold in the game through innovative kit.
"There are female players wearing men's boots, and this is not normal," Henry said, pointing to the gap that still exists in equipment designed for the women's game.
Switzerland's Sydney Schertenleib, a Barcelona midfielder, is helping to develop the company's new products. Her input lets the firm draw on the expertise of a professional to design boots that genuinely meet players' needs.
At the heart of the project is LightSpray technology, which produces an extremely lightweight, seamless upper. The aim is sharper comfort, less weight and better performance on the pitch.
On see the 2027 Women's World Cup in Brazil as the perfect stage to launch the new range and build their profile worldwide.
The push fits a wider strategy to expand in football, leaning on collaborations with big names. Kylian Mbappé is on board alongside Schertenleib, part of an approach that goes beyond traditional sponsorship into technology and specialist design.
Henry wants to close a historic gap in women's football equipment. Growing the game, he insists, is not just about bigger crowds and bigger investments. It demands products built specifically for female players, in a market that now offers sports brands a genuine commercial prize.