Soccer Cleats 101 Soccer Cleats News and Reviews
It isn’t often that we get a weekend boot release, but Nike has dropped their latest 2019 Mercurial silo just in time for the Women’s World Cup, Copa America and Gold Cup finals! Talk about good timing. Sticking with the speed theme, Nike has created a new boot that incorporates the best of its predecessor with some important updates.
Developing this latest release took a lot of time and research. Of the hundreds of professional players currently wearing the Mercurial line-up, only five in the world have opted to have their Mercurials modified in some way or form. According to Nike, when these players were asked to rate the boot on a scale of 1 to 10, they overwhelmingly ranked them as a 10. The lowest score was a very lonely 8. For a design team that starts every project by listening to the voice of the athlete, improving that 8 is the real challenge. The 2019 Mercurial breaks the previous two-year cycle of innovation upgrades, working to make the boot better on a faster timeline than ever before.
Of course, this is information shared by Nike. In reality, what upgrades do we see on the latest version? Well, here is what we know about them to date.
Upper Design and Performance
The structure of the knit upper of the 2019 Mercurial is more open than that of the 2018 version. This lessens any stiffness of the material, making it softer and more comfortable. High tenacity yarns, which are an elevated version of Nike Flywire, are then integrated into the structure for lock-down from heel to forefoot.
These high tenacity yarns keep the boot from stretching out and make the 2019 Mercurial upper Nike Football’s strongest Flyknit offering to date. The upper construction also marks the first time Flywire and Flyknit have been melded into one, which adds to a history of firsts in the Mercurial line.
The addition of All Conditions Control (ACC) prevents the boot from being porous.
Soleplate and Traction
Taking inspiration from speed cycling shoes that clip into pedals, the new Nike Aerotrak plate serves as the power transfer area. In conjunction with the revamped internal chassis, Nike’s Aerotrak plate delivers more snap than its predecessor. It is intentionally minimalist, leaving only what is truly needed — and shaving weight off the boot in the process. The 2019 Mercurial 360 comes in under 200 grams.
Added Graphics
Take a look at the drop Swoosh on the boot’s lateral side. The logo dips down to the stud and continues underfoot — something that can only be done with a Flyknit 360 upper construction. In addition, Nike’s iconic “Just Do It” slogan and the boot’s nickname, “Merc,” are added to the heel counter. “Nike Football” appears in a spectrum of languages across the plate. Consistent with the boot’s theme of lightweight speed, the lateral Swoosh has been left hollow and open-ended on the tail.
Visually, there is a definite emphasis in proving players with an ultra unique look. The debut Blue Fury colorway is extremely sharp, and the intricate pieces of detailing will have fellow players wanting to see them up-close to understand exactly what they are all about. And an added touch of quality is that fact these are made in Italy! We normally only see that with leather boot releases, but Nike has decided to deviate and create a statement with this latest Mercurial release. Unexpected but appreciated from boot enthusiasts that want to see something just a little different!
If you want to be one of the first wearing them, they will officially be available on July 7th at soccer.com.
