Soccer player Cristiano Ronaldo, one ofthe most famous athletes inthe world, has recently made some headlines assome eagle-eyed fans noticed that he’s been sporting nail polish onhis toes— and his reason has nothing todowith trends. Let’s dip our toes— pun intended— into why men have been doing this for over 5,000 years and what’s behind Ronaldo’s reason for adopting this practice.
Men have been wearing nail polish for longer than you may think.
One ofthe oldest civilizations that used nail polish was Babylon, where men would paint their nails with ground minerals before battles. The colors they chose would indicate their rank and class and also serve asaway tointimidate their enemies.
Similarly, ancient Egyptian men would wear nail polish according totheir social position, with darker shades reserved for the elite. Some tomb paintings show men receiving manicures from servants. Nail polish was acosmetic product and asymbol ofauthority and prestige.
Today, many male celebrities use nail polish asaway toexpress their creativity and individuality ortomake astatement about gender fluidity and diversity. Wearing nail polish can beaform ofself-expression that communicates one’s identity and values.
Ronaldo’s black toenails are more than apersonal preference orfashion statement.
Cristiano Ronaldo isknown for his impeccable physique and dedication tofitness, which hemaintains through astrict diet and training regimen. One curious aspect about him puzzled people online: his black toes. Hewas first spotted with ablack pedicure while vacationing in2010, and ever since, it’s been acommon practice for the athlete. Heoften shows off his well-groomed toenails, and fans often raise their eyebrows, trying tomake sense ofit.
Many top athletes, like MMA fighters, paint their toenails black toprevent their nails from cracking orsplitting during intense physical activity. Moreover, covering your toes with aprotective layer can protect your tootsies from fungi and bacteria. Because Cristiano Ronaldo’s job requires wearing closed-toe footwear for most ofhis time— onand off the field— heismore prone tofoot infections than others.
While Ronaldo’s black toes may seem odd oreccentric tosome people, this practice shows his professionalism and dedication tohis craft. The soccer player grew upinpoverty and became abillionaire and never shies away from helping others.
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