Representing a first in football boots is the application of Flyprint upper on the Nike Air Zoom Mercurial’s upper. The usual setup of a knitted upper is that of a series of interlaced yarns that are in constant friction on its intersections. But with Flyprint, the intersections are already fused as the material is produced through 3D printing. Creating a boot that is lightweight and that fits like a glove, as it removes the nuances of separately knitted designs and enhances instead the one solid material feel to it. Partnered with Flywire cables on the side of the central lacing system and coated with All Conditions Control (ACC), the Nike Air Zoom Mercurial is one lightweight yet durable football boot.
The Zoom Air technology has already found its way to some of the previous football boots like the Nike Air Tiempo Legend I, but Nike is refreshingly bringing back to life its integration to cleats starting with the Nike Air Zoom Mercurial. The name itself already highlights how big of a factor zoom air is to the overall structure, but nothing emphasises it better than the fact that the zoom air bag will be end-to-end, covering the entire base of the foot from heel to toe, contrasting with the zoom air of the likes of Nike Air Tiempo Legend 1 where the zoom air is concentrated on heel area.
Given the end-to-end form of the zoom air technology in the Air Zoom Mercurial, the hard plate underneath the insole is removed and the zoom air bag is sandwiched directly between the sole plate and the insole. More than providing a cushion feel, this kind of zoom air structure puts emphasis on energy return instead, significantly improving pace as you continuously power down on your sprint.
Official colourway that came with the Nike Air Zoom Mercurial is a black upper with a neon green sole-plate. The elegant Swoosh logo on the side is dark purple with an outline of neon green shade similar to that of the sole plate. However, photos of the Nike’s recently released 2020 national team football shirts show the players wearing what may be a white colourway version of the Nike Air Zoom Mercurial too.
