Nike Magista 2 Released – Evolution of Touch And Traction

Nike has unleashed their latest innovative boot, and it is very unlikely that you’ll miss this one on pitch. The Nike Magista 2 is designed to emphasize an evolution in touch and traction, something that is reflected in the visual aesthetics. There is an interesting creation process with this one, as the design team tried to answer the question of how a foot might adapt if its primary purpose was soccer. In other words, if all you did was play soccer, what would your foot look like and boots on them fit?

Accordingly, for the Magista 2, Nike football designer Phil Woodman and his team re-imagined the original Magista silhouette (a design that, with its mid-height collar and Nike Flyknit technology, changed the look of footwear and redefined feel and touch on the pitch) to further the boot’s tactility and tighten the gap between the brain and ball.

We were focused on sensory amplification through feel. By delivering a better feel for the ball, players are able to confidently create on the pitch without distraction.

What Is With The Colorway?

Nike researched which parts of the foot are most sensitive to touch and mapped those against high-touch zones gleaned from slow-motion film study of ball control. They then turned this into a heat map, with the more defined red areas representing slightly thicker material in that particular area. As a result, the upper features peaks and troughs of varying dimensions. These peaks and troughs utilize the same amount of materials as the original Magista through the use of negative space. The highest peaks (4.5mm) are in the premium touch areas, aligned with where the foot should come in contact with the ball.

Dynamic Fit Collar

Flyknit is a material that has really revolutionized how Nike think about the creation of their boots. In the past, they had to build material over material, but Nike can now define the structure of material without adding any additional weight. One area that has really benefited from this is the dynamic mid cut collar, with the design much more anatomical on Magista 2. Designed to accommodate the shape of the ankle bone while leveraging a thicker knit structure for additional coverage, the revamped collar also dips lower on the tendon for comfort. The tongue-less solution now features light padding under the laces for coverage in this high contact area.

Soleplate and Stud Configuration

There is a lot going on here, with many new upgrades. It starts with a more secure fit through the heel, as the Magista 2 leverages an internal heel counter for enhanced lockdown. Inside the boot, and adding to the boots overall traction system, a Nike Grip sockliner is implemented to enhances in-boot stability. There is the stud configuration, completely revamped through Finite Element Analysis (FEA), which takes the guesswork out of traction patterns via scientific testing of the optimal pattern per style of play.

Key to the new traction pattern is not how a particular stud performs individually, but how the configuration interacts as a complete system. The emphasis on foot rotation for Magista players led to the chevron shape around the ball of the foot. There are also medial and lateral half-conical studs designed for acceleration, as well as heel plant and braking studs positioned by data. The entire soleplate is also significantly lighter than its predecessor: 60g as opposed to 85g.

Visually, this is a striking boot and that heat map design is unlike anything we have seen on pitch to date. Players love boots that stand out. And when you factor in how the upper materials padding is designed to enhance particular areas of the foot, there is real promise to this one. Science doesn’t always create a top quality performing boot, but everything Nike has in play just makes sense with these.

Retail wise, you have a little time before they will be available. July 24 is the date when you will find them on the Nike Football App, with a full release on soccer.com set for the same time.