Nike Mercurial Vapor 14
Should we start by saying the the Nike Vapor is the professionals choice, we have! So many Pro's love these boots, but will you too? The Vapor just got an upgrade to the Vapor 14 Elite, does it have the same benefits of previous boots, that players loved, or is it now just a Superfly with the collar cut off? Read our Vapor Review to help you decide what is right for you.
Mercurial Vapor Models
Read our Boot Secrets guide:
Your choices of Nike Vapors
Elite Vapor
The Elite represents the most premium execution of the Vapor as it has the sophisticated Vaporposite upper and the responsive Aerotrak soleplate on top of the anatomically-shaped insole. The Vapor Elite has models dedicated for firm ground, artificial ground, and soft ground that uses the Anti Clog technology.
Vapor 14 Elite
Top-end model for the low-cut Mercurials; all the tech of the Superfly less the Dynamic Fit collar; worn by PROs like Erling Haaland and Bruno Fernandes
Pro Vapor
The Pro, while still bringing the vibes of the Elite version, has some of the features toned down for price considerations, like not being as thin and pliable as the Elite's Vaporposite upper and the Aerotrak not as responsive as that of the top-end model. You can find the Pro Vapor available in natural grass, synthetic pitch, and indoor court variants.
Vapor 14 Pro
Costs half the price of the Elite but still brings some Elite vibes; some changes include circular knit replacing Flyknit and the absence of speed wings; still has the Aerotrak spine
Academy Vapor
Where significant changes are noticeable is on the Academy and Club levels, which both have a bulky upper construction and aesthetics inspired by the looks of the Elite boot. The Academy has soleplates available for indoor courts and turf pitches. The Academy is flexible with regard to natural grass and artificial grass as it has an FG/MG label, you can read our review of the academy Vapor here.
Vapor 14 Academy
Like the Superfly 8 Academy, no longer has a translucent layered upper but has instead a plain meshed-textured solid synthetic upper
Club Vapor
The club is an entry level boot, designed for children and a very cheap option, it is only in FG/MG and Turf soleplates, the young kids boots include a velcro strap instead of laces to make it easier to put them on.
Vapor 14 Club
Entry-level Vapors; Cheapest but most structured; perfect for young players as it offers the most protection
Mercurial Vapor 14 Deals
The 14th generation of the Mercurial Vapor arrived in January 2021 and continued sharing the same upper and soleplate of the Mercurial Superfly except for the collar. This iteration of the Mercurial featured a thin, pliable, and translucent Vaporposite upper comprised of an engineered mesh overlay and a Titan synthetic structural layer. A soft internal microfibre liner called Avail Q and relatively increased volume added a comfortable sensation. This Vapor brought a redesigned Aerotrak soleplate, displaying a central torsion bar running length-wise to connect the front and rear stud plates. The Vapor 14 launched with the Dragonfly colourway that showcases a deconstructed look of the Titan synthetic through its colour-coded parts, all covered by a white mesh.
Mercurial Vapor 13:
The Mercurial Vapor 13 released in July 2019 had the best construction of Nike's trademark knit material called Flyknit. A soft yarn base layer had a structural reinforcement in the form of Nike's High-Tenacity yarns, resulting in a Flyknit that remained pliable while also being structurally sound. This reinforcing yarns also worked in harmony with the boot's tight-fit built and central lacing closure to produce a boot that had a very secure lockdown and noticeable responsiveness. The 2019 Vapor launched with the New Lights colourway made up of light blue base colour and white accents, the crimson-based Future Lab, chromic Neighbourhood, and vibrant Daybreak Vapors got wide releases in terms of usage among Nike-contracted professionals. Neymar's last few Nike-signature boots were the racing-inspired Vapor 13 Speed Freak and the kaleidoscopic Jogo Prismatico, whilst the Future DNA Vapor 13 finally brought the orange and silver Superfly 1 colourway available for retail.
Old Vapor 12 Colours:
The Vapor XII started the trend of essentially being the same as the Mercurial Superfly, just less the collar. Called the Vapor 360 at launch, this Mercurial had the first Flyknit construction that completely hugs the foot up to the underfoot, made possible by the split soleplate and anatomically-shaped internal board. The chassis inside the boot had a debossed pattern that matched the embossed pattern underneath the insole, locking in together and reducing internal boot slippage. The Vapor 12 went live in February 2018 and started with the orange Born Mercurial colourway which also had a wearable finish on the soleplate. The bluish-grey Victory Pack Vapor 12 featured in the 2019 Women's FIFA World Cup and showed a hand-drawn wing graphic. Leroy Sane, during his time with Manchester City, received the exclusive Euphoria Gold Vapors; they had a white upper and a gold soleplate and the gold accent extended to the lower edge of the sides through a spray paint-like aesthetics. Another notable Vapor 12s were from the Heritage Pack designed with the looks of iconic Mercurials such as the R9 and the 2006 World Cup Vapor III.
Vapor 11
Together with the Superfly 5, the Vapor 11 were launched in May 2016 under the Spark Brilliance Pack dedicated for that year's Euro tournament. The Vapor 11 had a Teijin synthetic upper and Speed Ribs texturing on the forefoot, the paint job of the launch colourway was predominantly red that faded to black towards the heel with black and pink highlighting the Speed Rib elements. Other black accents included the tongue, laces, and soleplate, with Volt details such as the Swoosh and the stud tips. Neymar's first signature Mercurial Vapor were the Vapor 11 Written in the Stars; this blue-green Vapor with yellow accents showed a constellation graphic whose points detail the journey of Neymar in the football world at that time.
Vapor X
In May 2014 Nike followed up the release of the then-new gen Superfly IV with the Vapor 10. Vapor 10 utilised an ultra-thin microfibre upper that introduced the integrated tongue construction. TPU studs filled in the nylon soleplate. The launch colourway of the Vapor was the same Hyper Punch Red and Gold as that of the Superfly IV. If you liked the Laser Orange Superfly 7 Limited Edition, then the Fall 2014 Vapor X might have also appealed to you, partnering the laser orange upper was a white Swoosh with a black outline. Nike's penchant for bold colour combinations was also evident early on with the Vapor X Silver Storm which had an understated wolf grey upper and a hyper pink swoosh and soleplate, that were debuted on pitch for the 2015 UCL Final.
Originally launched in 2002, Nike unveiled their first ever speed-themed silo which has since become arguably the most iconic boot of the past two decades. Updated usually every two years, Nike release a new generation for World Cup and European Championship tournaments.
Headlined in its early success by Ronaldo de Lima, for many the greatest ever striker, the Mercurial Vapor has always possessed a speed-theme and this can be seen today being represented by Eden Hazard and Neymar.
In 2018, in-line with the Mercurial Vapor XII, Nike changed the boot's upper for the first time ever switching out its Teijin synthetic for a full Flyknit construction.
Players Who Wear The Nike Vapors: