Oleksandr Usyk: A Tribute in Purple and Green
One of the most personal pairs Art of War has created for Oleksandr Usyk, bringing together family, Ukrainian heritage and the story behind the fighter.
Art of War's relationship with Oleksandr Usyk began in 2023 and has grown across a number of projects since.
Across that time, 23 pieces have been created for Usyk and his team, including 15 custom Adidas Ultra Boosts, five pairs of fight-worn boxing boots for Usyk and three custom training headguards.
Each project has been different, but this particular pair remains one of the most meaningful.
Unlike some of the projects that come through the studio with extremely tight deadlines, this one allowed the time to focus properly on the execution and detail of the finished pair.
The concept
Purple formed the foundation of the design.
The colour was used as a tribute to Usyk's late father, whose favourite colour was purple, giving the pair a personal connection from the outset.
The design also incorporated references to Ukraine and Usyk's heritage.
Viburnum leaves and berries were detailed across the boots, drawing from a plant with strong cultural significance in Ukraine and a long association with Ukrainian identity.
Within the wider concept, the berries also represented Usyk's victories and the journey that had brought him to that point in his career.
Chestnut leaves sat alongside the viburnum, continuing the references to his homeland and its regions, with Crimea also represented within the overall design.
Nothing on the pair felt decorative for the sake of it.
Every element connected back to something personal to Usyk, whether that was family, heritage, home or his career.
The finished pair carried far more than just a colour scheme.
From the studio to Riyadh
On 21 December 2024, Usyk stepped into the ring in Riyadh wearing the finished pair for his rematch with Tyson Fury.
He went on to beat Fury by unanimous decision, retaining his unified heavyweight titles.
Seeing a pair Art of War had worked on being worn on a stage of that size was significant in itself, but this one carried more weight because of the meaning already built into the design.
The boots were telling a story before Usyk ever stepped through the ropes.
The result that night simply became another chapter in it.
Building the relationship
One of the strongest parts of working with the same athlete across multiple projects is seeing the relationship develop over time.
The work with Usyk has moved across different products and purposes, from custom Ultra Boosts for him and members of his team, to training headguards and fight-worn boxing boots for some of the biggest nights of his career (Fury I, Fury II, Dubois I and Dubois II).
Together, those pieces form a visual archive of Art of War's work across Usyk's camp and fight schedule, a body of work that keeps growing alongside him.
That history gives each new project more context.
This pair is one of the clearest examples of that.
It was not about producing the loudest boot possible.
It was about executing a pair that carried meaning and felt personal to the person wearing it.
Purple for his father.
Ukrainian symbolism throughout the artwork.
References to home.
Then, ultimately, another major chapter added when he wore them to victory against Tyson Fury.
For Art of War, that is where bespoke work becomes more than simply changing the appearance of a product.
The boot is the canvas. The story behind the person is what gives it meaning.