Soccer Cleats 101 Soccer Cleats News and Reviews
It is not quite “Blackout” but the shimmer effect layered across the upper of the Nike Mercurial Vapor X has an exquisitely royal appearance that screams “Wear Me!” As we close out 2014, it only seems appropriate to highlight what is one of my favorite boot design of the year.
In October, Nike introduced the Cristiano Ronaldo, galaxy style design with the motto “out of this world.” Of course, Ronaldo went with the Superfly version of the boot, but I’m all about the Vapor and what they have on offer. Up close, the Shimmer Effect is subtle yet very effective in producing a balanced look perfect for both serious, get the job done players and in-game entertainers. The sparkle effect that is placed on the black synthetic upper, takes things to a persuasive grey shade.
Another way of looking at them is as the perfect businessman casual boot! They’d pair perfectly with a freshly ironed pinstripe suit.
The first thing of note is that the CR7 version of the Vapor features no micro-texturing as found in the standard Vapor X model. So, they are slightly different to what some of you are familiar with. This is nothing new, each version of CR7’s boots has featured an alternate material and feel through the upper.
It also features an all new upper material and a built in tongue – or you could say it is tongue-less. Using a freshly created, ultra-thin, microfiber upper that mimics the touch of a synthetic leather, Nike created a boot that provides a glove like fit thanks to a fully enclosed design. In order to make the tongue-less design work with lacing, a new lace eyelet pattern has been employed. Rather than a standard “in and out” design, Nike use a double eyelet cut for each directional change. In other words, your lace goes through one eyelet and inside the boot, then a separate eyelet is used to exit the boot.
And in case you were wondering, these boots come with a little disclaimer – the sparkle effect on the upper might fade over time. But don’t worry, it won’t effect your performance! It might seem pretty funny to see Nike add a disclaimer like this with the boots, but it covers them when picky players start to complain about the boots not being shiny anymore. From experience (I’ve been wearing these boots since taking the images) and player feedback, the effect doesn’t fade very much and it definitely won’t impact performance in any way!!!
Find the Nike Vapor X CR (FG, AG, SG and Youth) currently listed at soccer.com.
