Soccer Cleats 101 Soccer Cleats News and Reviews
Over the past few weeks, the Nike Mercurial Superfly 360 Elite has quickly become one of the top selling boots on the market. With a strong advertising campaign and a wealth of players at their disposal wearing the boots, Nike has put the Superfly 360 front and center of the shop window.
Built for complete speed, the Mercurial series has had a lot of reoccurring performance traits in the past, like streamlined fit and lightweight construction. On this release, there are definitely some featured updates that conflict with the norm and several key elements that fans will need to be aware of before investing in a pair. Here, we break down some of the finer details that make the Mercurial Superfly 360 Elite exactly what it is!
Check out everything Mercurial Superfly360 currently available at soccer.com.
1. The Naming Convention
Depending on where you read about the boots, you might have seen them listed as either the Superfly 360 Elite or the Superfly VI Elite. In general, you will find the marketing side calls them the 360 Elite as it represents the updated FlyKnit tech that runs right around the boot. The retail side lists them as the VI, or 6th edition of the Superfly released to market. This simplifies the description and keeps a commonality so customers are aware of what exactly it is they are buying!
2. How Does The Upper Feel?
With a lot of advertising geared around the fact that these have a full Flyknit upper, I was expecting to encounter a very pliable material. But that isn’t the case, with the Mercurial VI featuring a stiff upper out of the box. Rather than having a stretch feel like you’d expect, the upper is a lot more like a synthetic that needs some wear to break in. The reasoning; they are designed to lock your foot in place and eliminate unwanted movement.
Rather than applying Nike All Conditions Control (ACC) as an outer layer, ACC is embedded into the Flyknit—eliminating additional skin, while remaining tough against the elements.
It took 2-3 wears before I started to feel natural in the boots, something that surprised me in a negative way. Maybe that has something to do with the fact I was testing the UA Magnetico at the same time (talk about a plush, supple upper!!!) but still I’d expect a more flexible feel from a boot that places an emphasis on Flyknit as its primary upper material.
3. Dynamic Fit Collar
If you’ve been wanting the same style collar seen on Cristiano Ronaldo and Leroy Sane’s boots, then you are in luck. What was a customized feature of pro players boots has now reached our feet via this release. The focus here is to produce a different type of fit around the ankle, one that utilizes an as one fit between foot and ankle in a more reduced format. In other words, there is still a connection but the cut is low enough to still allow for natural ankle motion through high speed movements. This is an area that has taken me away from the Superfly series in the past, but I’ve definitely appreciated and enjoyed the change-up on this version.
4. Inside The Boots
There is a lot of undulation featured on the insole of the Superfly VI, something we also saw on the Superfly V. This is part of the dynamic internal system used by Nike to create a “Racing-seat-like” fit. Coupled with a split soleplate chassis and Chevron studs, everything on these is built for explosive speed and sharp deceleration. Personally, I’m not a big fan and it is something a lot of players will need to adjust to through the first few wears. It becomes more natural over time, but you still notice a difference each time as you switch from flat sneakers/shoe to the boots.
In a Mercurial first, a minimalist underfoot provides traction only where you need it—aggressive acceleration in the forefoot, braking in the heel. The soleplate has been eliminated between the studs in place of foot-hugging Flyknit, for a sensation that the boot disappears on your foot.
5. Bling Laces
There is a nice, unexpected twist when it comes to the laces as Nike add some reflective thread through. It is like a silver that shines under lights and from feedback, it is something that other players notice on the pitch.
6. The Soleplate is Wicked
We’ve talked a little about the soleplate and performance above, so lets now focus on a key aesthetic feature of the Superfly VI. Nike has gone with a sort of copper chrome glow on the split soleplate the definitely allows it to stand out from the rest. Depending on the angle that you look at it, the color tends to change and shift. It is a great look that adds a fresh dimension the release.
7. How Do They Fit?
And now the answer to the most important question of all! They actually do fit pretty well, although I definitely wouldn’t have said that when slipping them on for the first time. Out of the box, I was surprised with the over stiff feel of the boots and it took a little bit of work to get them on for the first time. It takes a wear or two, but the material does eventually start to release and it becomes easier to slip them on and off.
Compared to previous Mercurial releases, this boot is a lot more accommodating and provides some additional width to suit a wider audience. In saying that, they are still a Mercurial geared toward speed, so the silhouette is still very sleek. I have a medium/wide fit, and they felt just ok. I had just enough space for them not to impact performance, but I can’t say with confidence that the same would be true for a wide fitting player. If you have the chance to try them on, I’d definitely recommend doing so before buying.
8. Mercurial Meets Fashion
In the past few days, we have been introduced to the details of 2 major Mercurial collaborations. Both Kim Jones and Virgil Abloh (OFF-WHITE) are creating very unique, special edition boots that take the Mercurial into the world of fashion. Both designs feature the original Total Orange upper colorway, with individual pieces added to tell a unique story from each designer.
9. Retail Details
Right now, your only real FG colorway choice in the series is this Black version. Here is the part that might surprise some of you; Nike has altered the price of their Elite level boot by dropping the retail price. What has been sitting at $299.99 on recent releases has now been dropped down to $274.99. Although the price is still way to high, it might prove to be enough of a break for some players to make their way into a new pair.
10. When Is The Review?
There are still several areas I want to address further before putting together a final review, and I need to play in some more games to get it right. My main focus is figuring out how loose the upper will get over time and if the fit becomes a little more accommodating with wear. Give me another week, and I’ll have a comprehensive review to offer.
Check out everything Mercurial Superfly360 currently available at soccer.com.
just bought some