The Nike Mercurial Vapor Superfly II Elite
Personal Point of View on the Shoes
Theses shoes over the past few weeks have left somewhat of a great impression on me. I’ve looked at them, held them and been given a quick trial with these shoes. I have a love hate relationship with these boots from personal experience alone, but completely understand why these are the top and newest shoes on the market right now. I wouldn’t call them the perfect shoe for me, I’ve tried somewhere over 20 football shoes in the past 5 years and I’ve come to learn that all shoes have advantages and disadvantages and depending on the person, the shoe could suit different people in different ways. These shoes from my own knowledge are by far the lightest I’ve ever tried. The lightness of these shoes contributes to why they are so popular, it made me run faster and accelerate quicker, and in a sport which is played so quickly, speed is of a high priority. I personally think that these shoes have been well designed in the aspect of visual attractiveness, because when I walked into the shop they were the first shoes that came into my view. Certainly they are attention grabbers, and being in the middle of the field it’s quite important that my teammates know where I am.
Nike’s Stated Benefits of the Shoes
- Flywire for ultra light-weight and support
All four shoes of the Nike Elite series introduced for the Fifa World Cup 2010 - Revolutionary traction for extra grip
- Traction pattern for cutting and instant acceleration
- Includes exclusive shoe bag and box
- Firm-ground (FG) Bladed and conical cleats for use on short grass fields.
Nike’s revolutionary traction in Nike’s opinion is the top reason for the shoe’s popularity. The traction in this shoe is
what is called ‘adaptive traction’ that activates a cleat in the forefoot that extends when enough pressure is exerted, it extends when needed for the “relentless grip and acceleration the game demands.” Along with the injected stud, the traction in the vapor allow for effortless acceleration. The shoe also includes toe off traction for instantaneous bursts of speed.
All fields of the aesthetics and materials were carefully chosen and for specific reasons. The Vapor Superfly II Elite features innovative Flywire. Flywire is made of nylon fibers, these fibers are sturdier than older materials and help hold the foot in position. Another advantage to Flywire is that the mass of the material is a lot lighter than older materials. The Flywire also provides better control of the ball and adjust to the foot a lot better. The most minimizing factor of weight in the unparalleled lightness of these shoes is the carbon-fiber chassis, which makes the shoe lighter but also at the same time maximizes strength. The final major contribution to making these shoes such a success was the perforated sockliner which presents low profile cushioning and support whilst also lessens the cleat stress. The total weight of this pair of shoes is an amazing and currently unmatched 370g (13 oz). This boot is favored by wingers or strikers who feel that speed is the most important asset in their game. As a publicity stunt, Nike got Olympic Gold Medalist sprinter, Asamfa Powell, to run 100 meters in these football shoes and on the first attempt he covered the entire distance of the football field in less than 10 seconds, four tenths of a second slower than the track world record.
Part of Nike Elite Series
After spending nearly 2 hours in the store I came to the conclusion they weren’t the shoes for me. Instead I chose the T90 Laser III, also from the same elite series. The new revolutionizing elite series consists of 4 shoes. The first, as I have discussed previously in depth because they have been the biggest success and most sophisticated technology, was the Superfly II. Secondly was the shoes I purchased, based upon personal preference, the T90 Laser III. Thirdly, the Tiempo III, these boots are more intertwined with the classical designs of the previous years, but still incorporates much of the revolutionary technology. The final pair is the CTR360, which is the sturdiest of all the shoes, and as the name of the shoe states it optimizes control of the ball. As I have said before the choice goes down to preference but all these shoes have their given benefits and a choice of any of these would be a choice of a football shoe that has left its mark in revolutionizing the football industry.
Sources and Further Readings:
http://store.nike.com/us/en_us/?l=shop,pdp,ctr-inline/cid-1/pid-337913/pgid-301857
http://www.studs-up.com/2010/08/nike-mercurial-vapor-superfly-2-elite-review/
http://www.designboom.com/weblog/cat/8/view/9325/nike-mercurial-vapor-superfly-ii.html
http://www.prodirectsoccer.com/prodinfo.asp?PID=PDS-002-009-C17&DEPT=2&BRAND=9&SS=1&PROFILE=Speed
By Laurance Townsend
Class: Design Technology SL I
Teacher: Mr Mark Trumpold