Nike Mercurial Vapor
The Mercurial Vapor is a popular football boot made by Nike. The boot is known for being lightweight, the latest versions weighing 196g per boot. Because of this, the boot is favoured by many players for whom speed is a very important part of their game, notably wingers or strikers. The boot is now in its third version, available in a variety of colourways - White/Gold, Platinum/Red, White/Silver, Blue Graphite/Sonic Yellow, Ignite (Yellow/Green), Dark Charcoal/Gold, Sport Red/White and Deep Royal. A limited run of 250 World Cup Gold/Azzurri Blue pairs were made to commemorate the Italian national team's fourth World Cup title.
The boot is available in either Soft Ground (SG) or Firm Ground (FG) versions. The SG version's sole plate is fitted with six NikeSnap removable studs, which can be purchased in different lengths, while the FG version has twelve moulded blades.
Mercurial Vapor
The original Vapors were released in mid-2002 just before the World Cup of that year. The first GLIMPSE anyone outside of Nike got of the boots was in the Nike cage advert (starring Eric Cantona, Thierry Henry and Roberto Carlos), in which a close-up shot of the boots is taken near the end of the advert. The boot was first released in just two colourways, Black and Silver/Red. A Silver/Green variation (worn exclusively by Ronaldo in the semi-finals and final of the World Cup) was released to the public in limited numbers in the period after the tournament.
Mercurial Vapor II
The Mercurial Vapor II was released in January 2004 in two colourways - Team Red and Photo Blue. The revised version of the boot differed from the original Vapors in three respects: first, the material from which the boot was constructed was made marginally Thicker; second, a cushioned area around the ankle was added; and finally, the pattern down the sides of the boot was modified to make the indentations more pronounced, along with a thin coloured stripe to complement the colour of the boot.
MVIII
This version of the Vapors is the latest to come out onto the market. This boot features Teijin microfibres which easily conform to the foot and is very lightweight and durable. The boot itself weighs only 196g (6.9oz). It also has a carbon last to give support to the heel and more padding was added to the heel cup area. The original MVIIIs were released in a white/gold colourway, which has since been followed by Sport Red/White, Silver/Yellow, Platinum/Red, Deep Royal, Dark Charcoal/Gold, Ignite (Yellow/Green), White/Silver, Blue Graphite/Sonic Yellow. A limited EDition boot was released to commemorate Italy's fourth World Cup triumph in World Cup Gold/Azzurri Blue.
Towards the end of the 2006-07 season, further colourways were released, including: Obsidian/Metallic Platinum, Metallic Zinc/Tart Orange, Cactus, Silver/Red and Argon Blue.
On 13 September 2007, Nike released a limited edition 10th anniversary version of the Mercurial Vapor, featuring "all the modern technology from the current MVIII combined with the original Mercurial Upper design from 1998".
MVIV
In April 2007, some initial pictures of what are believed to be The New Mercurial Vapor boots were leaked onto the internet. Not much can be ascertained from these pictures, but they do show that the MVIVs might have a cover over the laces. The Nike "swoosh" might also be increased in size. So far, only two colourways have been seen, those being Orange/Black and Navy Blue/Sky Blue. Cristiano Ronaldo has been seen modelling a boot similar in looks to the navy blue MVIV colourway during training sessions but the accuracy of this viewing cannot be confirmed. Later in the year, the new Nike Mercurial SLs were put on to an online website for sale and only 2000 pairs have been made. This version of the shoe is made completely of carbon fibre and weighs a mere 190 grams. The shoe is made in one color, Black and Pink. The shoe is completely black with one pink "swoosh".
Famous users
The Mercurial Vapors are one of the most popular models of boots amongst professionals. Thierry Henry was perhaps the most famous wearer and was the face of the boot until he signed with Reebok in the summer of 2006 after the 2006 FIFA World Cup. Ronaldo and his namesake Cristiano Ronaldo are probably the most famous wearers of the boot at present.