NIKE MERCURIAL SUPERFLY AND VAPOR 360
The Mercurial Superfly 360 and Mercurial Vapor 360 wrap the entire foot in Nike Flyknit. “This new innovation hugs the foot and eliminates the gaps between the foot and the soleplate. In fact, it eliminates the soleplate altogether,” explains Max Blau, VP of Nike Football Footwear.
Without a soleplate, the sockliner interlocks with a new internal chassis that is tuned for maximum responsiveness. The chassis is individually tuned per size via computational programming. “With previous Mercurials, we based everything on a size 9. But with Mercurial 360, we can deliver properly proportioned fit at every size,” explains Jeongwoo Lee, Nike Football Senior Design Director. “Each size has a unique chassis designed to align with the expected bone structure.”
Cristiano Ronaldo embraced the Mercurial Superfly 360 right away. “My first reaction when I saw the new Mercurial was...the best boots ever! They fit straight away. The material, the design, the new technology, it’s amazing,” he says.
The plush feel of the Mercurial 360 can also be attributed to advancements in Nike All Conditions Control (ACC). Previously, ACC was applied on top of the finished Flyknit product, creating a thin layer. Now, ACC is embedded into the yarns prior to knitting, eliminating the additional skin without compromising the performance benefit. The result is a matte finish on a texturized upper that is softer to the touch but can still battle the elements.
For its 20th anniversary, the Mercurial adopts a clean aesthetic with a small forefoot Swoosh and a bold “M” on the heel. “Mercurial players tend to be very fast, so that “M” is the last thing defenders will see when a Mercurial player blows by them,” says Lee.
Mercurial Superfly 360 and Mercurial Vapor 360 will debut on pitch this weekend and will be available February 14 on nike.com.