Nike Mercurial

Mercurial

The year was 1996, and Nike had just partnered with the World Cup winning Brazilian national football team to make their new kit. This accomplished group played with such panache and flair that Nike decided to update its trusty football boot, the Tiempo, to give them a shoe which matched their abilities. The technologically advanced model this collaboration created was so forward-thinking that Nike decided it should have an equally impressive name: the Nike Mercurial.

The word ‘mercurial’ can describe something that is either unpredictable and prone to sudden changes or that is smart, energetic and quick. However you read it, the name was a clever choice as it describes both the boot and the multitude of talented players who have gone on to wear it. The first to do so was a certain Brazilian striker who perfectly embodied the Mercurial name through his agile movement, blistering pace and unpredictable footwork. Nike wanted to release its new boot to coincide with the 1998 World Cup, so O Fenômeno was brought in to trial it in 1997. The brand believed that if it could create a shoe to match his style and speed, he would play better, which would in turn show those watching just how great the design was. 

Building on the expertise of its running division, Nike implemented an unprecedented technological process with inspiration taken from the spikes normally used on the athletics track. These were incorporated into the design, leading to a much more streamlined stud pattern that allowed the wearer to move more smoothly and with extra speed. Alongside this, Nike’s concomitant sole plate technology was added, bringing the thickness of the plate from 3mm down to 1.75mm. It was an astronomical shift that brought the player’s foot closer to the ground for increased stability and control. Next, a synthetic KNG-100 leather upper replaced the kangaroo leather used on previous designs, the first time this had happened on a football boot. It was like normal leather in many ways but absorbed less water, so it still retained its lightweight properties in wet conditions. The designers were also able to experiment with the aesthetic more as a wider variety of colours could be printed on its surface. New innovations aimed at improving ball control were engineered via a technical sticky substance taken from the motorcycle industry that improved the player’s touch on the ball. On top of all this, it was an incredibly lightweight boot, one of the first to drop as low as 250g, which set a new bar for the sport. 

With its novel components, exuberant aesthetic and technical capabilities, the Nike Mercurial changed the game. It went against the conventions of the time to put a greater emphasis on speed, which perfectly suited Ronaldo’s expressive style while also allowing him to play with even more intensity and speed. When the shoe was released at the 1998 World Cup in France, the Brazilian showcased a slick silver, blue and yellow colourway called the Mercurial R9. It wasn’t long before Nike’s new boot became associated with the striker’s magical talent. However, 1998 was not to be his year as he was hindered by illness in the final and Brazil lost out to a powerful French side. Yet it still brought the release masses of attention, the image of a dejected Ronaldo standing with his new Mercurials hanging round his neck after the final whistle becoming particularly iconic. In fact, this tournament was just the beginning for the remarkable rise of the Mercurial and of Nike’s outstanding partnership with Ronaldo. In 2002, the Brazilian maestro returned to the World Cup in a pair of extremely lightweight boots called the Nike Mercurial Vapor I, which were made to resemble something more like a track spike, making them perfect for players with exceptional speed. This time around, his boots weighed just 190g thanks to their NikeSKIN one-piece upper, and Ronaldo set the tournament alight, scoring an incredible eight goals as his team won the title.  

By this time, the Mercurial had become a flagship design, not just for Nike but for the game of football too. Nike began to identify the mercurial players of each generation who could be ambassadors for the boot and who personified its ideals. In the early 2000s, a young Portuguese talent was beginning to make waves in the sport. A footballer with similar flair on the ball and similar rapid pace to Ronaldo. He even had a similar name. That player was none other than the legendary Cristiano Ronaldo. During this time, he reached the final of the 2004 European Championships with Portugal at his first major tournament, showing signs of the magnificent player he was becoming and earning a place in the team of the tournament. Throughout the competition, he wore the Mercurial Vapor II, signifying the emergence of a new star on the global football scene as the Nike Mercurial torch passed from R9 to CR7. 

In the early 2000s, the women’s game was also beginning to grow, and the Mercurial was a big part of its evolution. USA greats Mia Hamm, who won two Olympic golds as well as two World Cups while playing for her country, and Brandi Chastain, whose match-winning penalty in the final of the 1999 World Cup earned her fame around the world along with a Nike endorsement, both played in the Mercurial Vapor I. In 2003, Nike created the Women’s Mercurial Vapor, which was designed for the particular shape of the female foot, leading to future collaborations with stars of the women’s game like Dutch international Lieke Martens, who received her own signature model.  

As the years have gone by, Nike has continued to adapt and enhance the Mercurial, with an impressively prolific output of boots that have allowed mercurial players to achieve high speeds as well as excellent ball control while on the pitch. Over time, newer technologies have been added to push the boundaries of what is thought possible in a football boot. One such evolution came through the release of the Nike Mercurial Superfly. The cutting edge model was launched in 2009 by Manchester United and the club’s star player, Cristiano Ronaldo, at their Old Trafford stadium. The shoe was the result of two years of hard work by Nike’s designers in conjunction with pro footballers, whose feedback informed the final construction. It brought together a carbon fibre soleplate, which was extremely lightweight but also strong and durable, with the brand’s latest Flywire tech, which also provided lightness alongside sturdy support. It was the epitome of the Mercurial name, weighing a mere 185 grams and giving players the ultimate in speed, strength and agility. 

This level of innovation has become an integral part of the Mercurial’s journey. With every update, the fit, ball control capabilities, dynamic style and solid traction improves, but, in reality, every Nike Mercurial design falls under the pursuit of one ideal – eye-catching football. This has been achieved through partnerships with the world’s most influential players. As well as its special relationships with the two Ronaldos, Nike has crafted signature models for Brazilian sensation Neymar Jr and honoured the achievements of many other remarkable players. In 2019, the brand rewarded the electric talent of Kylian Mbappe with the Mercurial Superfly Mbappe Bondy Dreams, making him the youngest player and the first French footballer to be given a personal Nike collection. The precocious World Cup winner was just 20 years of age at the time. 

Over the years, speed, explosiveness and an astounding dribbling talent have defined the mercurial player. The Mercurial football boot has always been made to enhance these skills, which is perhaps why it is one of the most enduring and well known lines of sporting shoes in the world. In its lifetime, it has become an institution and been worn by some of the most exhilarating footballers ever to have played the game. By providing players with a boot that affords them the sturdiest traction, the lightest of steps and the deftest of touches, the Nike Mercurial has become iconic.