Immediate Thoughts

Testing out the Mercurial Superfly in both training matches and match days, I can say that the Nike Mercurial Superfly 11 is built for straight-line acceleration, making it a joy to run and cover those acres of free space in front of you.

It stands out when:

• You’re a player being released into space
• Outpacing the opposition for the through ball
• Adding that extra pop in your jump for a header

As it leans on a secure, strapped-in feel, it might not be for those who like a more relaxed-fitting boot.

What You’ll Find On This Page:

• Mercurial Superfly 11 Elite Review
• Nike Mercurial Superfly Pro
• Cheaper Mercurial Superfly Academy Review
• Previous Generations of Mercurial Superfly
• Key Facts about Mercurial Superfly 11

What You Actually Notice On Pitch

With the Mercurial Superfly 11, Nike has introduced the following features:

• Flyweave Ultra Upper
• Air Zoom System
• ZoomX Insole

All of this combine to give you a responsiveness that you can feel in every step of your acceleration.

From playing around with the latest Superfly, the noticeable differences compared to the older generation of speed boots are:

More pop in every step

The new positioning of the Zoom Air bag, the snapback of the outsole itself and the inclusion of ZoomX insole all work to give you that energy return in every step of your acceleration.

More forgiving than older synthetic speed boots

The Mercurial Superfly might be trending back towards having more structure. Nonetheless, the current Superfly boot breaks down easily and has decent pliability to become comfortable enough and avoid being too restrictive.

Goes back to a low-cut finish

Superfly 11 finally moves on from its collared era and goes back to the much-preferred low-cut opening.

FAQs about the Nike Mercurial Superfly 11:

1. How is it different from the Vapor 17?
   • Zoom Air technology is one key feature that differentiates the Superfly 11 from the Vapor 17. The upper is also different, with the Superfly going for woven yarns instead of the knitter material on the Vapor.
2. Who wears Mercurials?
   • Recognisable names under the Mercurial Superfly brand include Cristiano Ronaldo, Kylian Mbappe and Marcus Rashford.
3. Why is Nike Mercurial so popular?
   • The silo was revolutionary when it was launched in 1998 because of its relatively lightweight and tight, making an instant impact as far as football boots were concerned. Nike sustained that reception to the Mercurial through constant innovation and marketing with some of the best players like Ronaldo Nazario, Thierry Henry, Zlatan Ibrahimović, Franck Ribéry, Gareth Bale and Eden Hazard.

Is the Nike Mercurial Superfly 11 worth it?

Yes — this is perfect for those looking for a high-octane speed boot.
This is a boot that works best when the game involves a lot of running or at least a playstyle that sets you up for an explosive attack on spaces. Some of the best scenarios for this boot are:

• High Press/Gegenpress
• Counterattacking football
• Player release on the opposing flank of a side overload

My Nike Mercurial Superfly 11 Review

• Release Year: 2026
• Generation Number: 11th
• Purpose: Speed Boot
• Competitor/s: adidas F50, Puma Ultra, New Balance Furon
• Notable Players: Cristiano Ronaldo, Kylian Mbappe

Being a Mercurial athlete, I’m always thinking about fast. I want to be faster than my opponent. What excited me most is that this technology is revolutionary. Air is what’s really going to put the Mercurial athletes in the best conditions to perform.

Kylian Mbappe, Forward

How I Tested the Superfly 11

• 2 competitive matches
• 3 training sessions
• Firm ground and synthetic grass
• Dry and wet conditions
• Narrow foot shape
• Playing as a winger

Its competitive advantage becomes evident in situations where you can reach your top speed.

Who The Superfly Is For

What It’s Like to Play In

Attacking Channels

This is where the Superfly works best.

When you’re sprinting towards an open space:

• You feel a trampoline effect on each step.
• The boot feels secure and react immediately.
• Traction is aggressive and makes each step stable.

Especially when partnered with proper timing and movement, gunning for those spaces can feel effortless with the Superfly boot.

Through Balls/Loose Balls

When directly competing to get to the ball first:

• It’s easier to get ahead right on the very first step.
• There’s a cushioning effect that lessens the impact of these high-intensity situations.

As such, you stay relatively fresher late in the game.

Aerial Challenges and Headers

Assuming you’re unmarked or contesting with someone with roughly the same height and verticality, the underfoot experience might give you an edge in winning the ball up in the air.

This is because when you jump:

• The insole feels much denser and cushioned than your average Elite boot insole.
• The same trampoline effect is in play when you jump and rise up.

Whether on the pitch or up in the air, the Superfly helps you be the first to get in contact with the ball.

Receiving/Dribbling at Speed

When receiving the ball on the move and dribbling it:

• Contact is relatively barefoot, though the woven pattern arguably interrupts that effect a bit.
• You feel nimble because of how lightweight and responsive the boot is.
• You can even push the ball further up into space and be the first to it still.

In the end, the Superfly doubles down on speed above anything else.

Fit Profile & On-feet Feel

The fit and feel of the Mercurial Superfly 11 certainly has its distinctiveness:

• Not wide but certainly has some forefoot width
• Toe is low and pointy (though not as pointy as previous generation)
• Significant tapering towards the midfoot
• A bit of roundness on the heel
• Pliable for a synthetic-like football boot after some break-in time, though focused really is on putting up some structure to secure the feet
• At around 180g, one of the lightest in the market

It’s best suited to narrow to standard foot shapes (can accommodate some width but not suitable for really wide feet).

Real experience: Your feet feel contained and locked-in even deep into a long session.

Lockdown & Responsiveness On The Move

Nike boasts the structure of the Superfly 11 for its 360-degrees containment. And in actual testing:

• Your foot stays locked-in not only in side-to-side movements but also during acceleration and deceleration.
• Heel lockdown is good, but could have been better if there is a bit more pinch towards the top
• The 3/4 Nikeskin tongue overlay does secure the wrap top of the foot (though some might feel some initial pressure point before break-in)

The upper lockdown combined with the underfoot responsiveness make up for a performance-oriented boot.

Real experience: Abrupt changes in direction and in the movement itself does not affect how secure the boots are on your feet.

Traction & Underfoot Experience

If it’s not yet clear at this point, the bite on the ground is above-average thanks to those long chevron studs. And besides the underfoot benefits mentioned above:

• The combination of the Zoom Air bag and ZoomX foam also has a comforting effect especially to the metatarsal area.
• Despite the repositioning of Zoom Air to protrude out of the sole, the soleplate does not actually feel bulky underneath.

Real experience: It feels like your playing on a flat pitch with that kind of traction involved. That helps make the effects of the Zoom Air even more pronounced.

Ball Touch & Control

Nike incorporated the Gripknit technology in the previous Superfly. This time around, the Superfly 11 relies heavily on the natural texturing of its woven yarns and textile mesh upper composite. As such:

• Touches stay clean and simple, with no additional stickiness
• No adjustment/learning time needed for utilising the friction points of the upper’s natural texturing.
• Ball comes off easily when striking and passing.

This is great for players who want a raw, connected touch rather than a softer, cushioned ball contact.

Real experience: Nothing beats having that raw ball feel as your main haptic feedback to monitor the position of the ball relative to your feet.

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What Stands Out In Superfly 11

How It Compares To Other Boots

vs adidas F50

• Superfly = more responsive underfoot
• F50 = more closer to the ground

Choose Superfly if:

• You want more springiness and bounce when sprinting.

vs Puma Ultra

• Superfly = more snug and anatomical
• Ultra = more forgiving

Choose Superfly if:

• You want a closer, tighter fit.

vs New Balance Furon

• Superfly = narrow and synthetic-like
• Furon = wider and sock-like

Choose Superfly if:

• You want a more structured material and a snug profile.

Final Verdict

Nike has brought back the super in the Superfly 11.

It’s all about:

• Playing and running at your top speed
• Sustain your effort for the entire match
• Having a boot experience only the Nike Mercurial Superfly can provide

That’s why it is perfect for modern football, which has become faster and faster as time goes by.

Superfly 11 Quick Summary

Best for:

• Players that use pace as central to their playstyle
• Elite channel runners/counter attackers
• Explosive footballers in general

Strengths:

• Excellent energy-return from interplay of Zoom Air bounce, ZoomX insole density and soleplate forefoot snapback
• Secure in all directional movements
• Perfect for attacking space and running in behind

Weaknesses:

• Can accommodate feet with average width at best
• Comfort and cushioned on-feet feel not a priority
• Does not standout in slow, build-up play

Fit:

Best suited to standard or narrow feet.

Playing style:

Works great on players who attack space and always on the run.

*Takedown sections to be updated soon

Which Superfly 11 model should you choose?

Choose the Elite if you want the most responsive and secured Nike speed boot.

Choose the Pro if you don’t mind a dropping a feature and two in favour of getting a more affordable option.

Choose the League if you’re still physically growing or just need something functional to wear in a match.

Nike Mercurial Superfly Pro

Model	Quality	Pitches
Attack	Flyknit upper Limited Zoom Air Tech		>> Get Mercurial Superfly 10 Pro at Nike
Shadow			>> Get Mercurial Superfly 10 Pro at Nike
Mbappe Plum Eclipse			>> Get Mercurial Superfly 10 Pro at Nike

The thing about the Pro is that it is a full Flyknit upper, so on that note expect to have a sock-like sensation. Flyknit simply makes it premium and feel like the Elite of older generation knitted Mercurials. With that said, I do feel that those who are looking to get the Gripknit tech on a lower price point will be left disappointed. In fact, the thin PU coating even smoothens the upper somehow and might cause the ball from slicking away.

I could say that the mantra of the Pro is comfort above all else. The basis for that is the Flyknit upper does not have the high-tenacity yarns that provide the balancing structure for the Elite. And so while the upper feels nice on-feet, the lockdown and responsiveness are decreased a bit (especially when you factor in the wider cutout on the heel). There’s also that additional width relative to the Elite’s shape.

Regarding the Air Zoom technology, it is limited to the heel and is nowhere near the cushioned sensation that the 3/4-length Zoom Airbag delivers. The good thing is that the Pro soleplate in turn is a bit more responsive and retains the chevron and blade stud configuration.

Cheaper Mercurial Superfly Academy Review

The Superfly Academy is a cheaper option for the Mercurial Superfly compared to the Elite version worn by pros like Ronaldo, Sancho and Mbappe, but it still has lots to offer the amateur player who wants to wear a cheaper boot that looks the same as their idols.

Model	Quality	Pitches
Attack	Nikeskin upper and heel Air Zoom bag		>> Get Superfly 10 Academy at Nike
Shadow			>> Get Superfly 10 Academy at Nike
Mbappe Plum Eclipse			>> Get Superfly 10 Academy at Nike
United 003			>> Get Superfly 10 Academy at Nike
Nike By You			>> Get Superfly 10 Academy at Nike

Things to Know

1. Costs £85
2. At the time of writing, being offered alongside the Academy Phantom and the Academy Tiempo Legend 10
3. Competes with the likes of adidas F50 League and Puma Ultra Match
4. Considered as the most popular takedown courtesy of the popularity of the Mercurial line

Upper and Fit Profile of the Superfly Academy

I must say first and foremost that the mesh-based synthetic Nikeskin is significantly more pliable and less structured than that of the previous Academy Superfly. It does not have that sticky sensation but the chevron texturing at least gives the upper multiple friction points for that ball grip element. The upper is thin and therefore you can expect a barefoot-like contact with the ball. I think Nike has switched the collar as well to be a more relaxed fabric, which I believe might be related to keeping the sock-like feel of current generation of the Superfly.

I feel that this generation of Superfly Academy is more comfortable and better fitting, and does a decent job of giving you a preview of what to expect from the Elite model should you decide to go for it. It maintains that narrow-fitting bias and might cause some challenge for extremely wide feet. But it must also be said that Superfly 10 Academy somehow does forgive a bit of width to appeal to more audience. Lockdown heel is also improved, as it has a shaping and padding that more or less is similar to the elite level. Sensation is also enhanced because of the smooth lining material as opposed to the synthetic leather material on the replaced Superfly Academy model.

The Elite is noticeably lighter, but that is not to say that Superfly Academy is not a lightweight boot. In fact, compared to its competitors, it is one of the lightest at its price point.

Academy Superfly Studs and Outsole

Like in the Superfly 9, Zoom Air is limited to heel in the Superfly 10. You can feel it if you really pressed on your heel.  As most of the time you on your toes, I think the positioning is less than ideal. And because of it, I think the only time it can make its presence felt is when you are in a relaxed standing position and start running around.

When it comes to the soleplate itself, it still has surprising amount of responsiveness left despite being on a takedown level. But perhaps because of the softer upper, the outsole also falls on the flexible side. While Nike labels it as an MG tooling, I might opt for an actual AG option should I play more on artificial grounds just because the chevrons are just too clingy. The conicals do lessen the aggressiveness of the traction, but still aggressive nonetheless and just better suited to FG.

Final Words for the Superfly Takedown

The Superfly Academy is a perfect example of simply using cheaper materials to offer a budget option without sacrificing much of that boot experience that characterises its parent Elite variant. That alone is reason enough to consider it as the best boot of its price point. Be sure to get it at true-to-size and only size up if you think you need more space for your foot’s width.

Children’s Mercurial Superfly 10 Academy FG

Kids Academy  this version in Nike Jr sizes applies to Younger and Older Kids, these boots lack the 3/4-length Zoom bag and limit the Air unit to the heel of the soleplate, but interestingly are laceless making them easy to get on and off and something unique with Nike boots.

Previous Generations of Mercurial Superfly

The original Superfly was released as the Mercurial Vapor Superfly in 2009. The silo has come a long way since then in establishing itself as one of the popular speed boots in football. Let’s see how we got to where we are by taking a brief walk down the memory lane and remembering each generational release of the Mercurial Superfly.

Mercurial Superfly 10 (2024)

Superfly 10 maintained the 3/4 length Zoom Air bag of the Superfly 9, but it changed the layout back to chevron studs. Moreover, Superfly 10 also incorporated the highly-successful Gripknit technology from the Phantom line and slapped it on the forefoot. Atomknit was utilised on the forefoot to reinforce the structure of the boot.

Mercurial Superfly 9 (2022)

Technically not the first to bring Zoom Air to the Mercurial, but the Superfly 9 arguably had been the first successful attempt to implement the tech into the silo. Nike partnered it with a Vaporposite+ upper that was inspired by the cut-out Roman sandals. Superfly 9 launched with the white with red Disruption colourway. 

Mercurial Superfly 8 (2021)

The 2021 Mercurial Superfly was the 8th generation of the brand’s popular silo, the original release was the Dragonfly, with all the individual aspects of the boot highlighted in different colours and numbered, they were followed shortly by the red Spectrum pack.

Mercurial Superfly 7 (2019)

The 7 were released in July 2019, high-tenacity yarns reinforced the Flyknit upper for a soft yet well-structured boot, and an Aerotrak arrow spine on the soleplate made them very responsive and fast-feeling. These included feature colourways like the white Mercurial Dream Speed III with black accents, the pink Mbappe Rosa taking inspiration from the Berry Vapor IV, and the bright blue Sancho SE11. Regular releases included the orange-yellow Daybreak Superfly, shiny chromic Neighbourhood boot, and the flashy crimson Future Lab.

Mercurial Superfly VI (2018)

Nike introduced the Superfly 6 on February 7, 2018, it was the first Superfly to have a split-sole construction and to have the Flyknit yarns coated with ACC rather than having the ACC on top of the upper. The release of the Superfly 360 came with the Born Mercurial orange colourway pack, designers Virgil Abloh and Kim Jones had their respective takes of an orange Superfly 6, with the former designing his with eye-catching circles and the latter with a safari-skin graphic. Released in the year of a World Cup, Nike included them in the Just Do It pack dedicated for the 2018 tournament; the Just Do It dressed the boot in a pearlescent white accented by orange hues.

Mercurial Superfly V (2016)

The Superfly 5 debuted on May 17, 2016 under the Spark Brilliance football pack; the launch colourway had a red-purple split, black accents radiating from the collar, heel, and speed ribs adorns the boot. A Flyknit boot that had textured Speed Ribs wrapping around the upper. CR7’s Chapter 5: Cut to Brilliance, Chapter 4: Forged to Greatness, and Chapter 3: Discovery were all based on the five’s template.

Cut to Brilliance displayed a multi-coloured graphic of diamond cuts on a grey upper while the Forged to greatness had a fiery orange base a silver top with a metallic tone. Discovery’s colours reflected his days with Sporting Lisbon. Lock In, Let Loose combined yellow and black in a Superfly 5 and the Fire and Ice Pack had the boots in red and blue colours to be worn by players depending on their club’s kit.

Mercurial Superfly IV (2014)

The Superfly 4 saw Nike Flyknit for the first time on the Mercurial range and brio cables on the sides of the boot connected the laces to the sole and acted like slingshots to propel the player forward. Once again, Ronaldo dominated with his first Chapters releases, named Savage Beauty and Natural Diamond. The IV launched on April 25, 2014, and the debut colourway became part of the pack for the World Cup that year.

Some of the distinct colourways included the Urban Lilac in the Liquid Chrome Pack, the Hyper Pink of the Lightning Storm Pack and the Bright Crimson of the Intense Heat Pack. Superfly 4 also brought the What The Mercurial which combined popular Mercurial colourways into one mashed up boot.

Mercurial Superfly III (2011)

Superfly 3 were released in April 2011, they were more of a cosmetic update to the Superfly 2, the boot debuted with a violet upper with a white Swoosh and tonal heel. Alongside the launch colourway was a CR7 exclusive black-on-black safari print with yellow accents.

A more streamlined purple Superfly 3 was released later that year in the form of the Court Purple/Metallic Luster-Magenta. It was also in late 2011 that another CR7 signature colourway appeared; with a red pinstripes and black block stripes combination on a grey upper.

Mercurial Superfly II (2010)

Nike launched the Superfly 2 on February 24, 2010; introducing the Nike SENSE studs that expanded or retracted depending on pressure, weight, and surface condition. The first Superfly 2 had violet poppy/obsidian/orange colourway. This Mercurial generation gave CR7 his first signature boot and arguably one, if not the most iconic Ronaldo colourways; the Safari print, Nike would remake those in 2020 to celebrate ten years since the original boots.

A distinct feature of the Superfly 2 was the diamond cut-like graphic on the medial side. The Superfly 2 had a large orange or black Swoosh located on the toe box and moving towards the lateral side. The colours on each side would usually be different, like the cactus/white/anthracite and the Voltage Cherry/Obsidian/Silver.

Mercurial Vapor Superfly (2009)

Nike unveiled the Superfly 1 in February 2009. It was the boot that made Cristiano Ronaldo the face of the Nike Mercurial. The first edition of the Vapor Superfly featured an ultra-thin Teijin synthetic reinforced by Nike Flywire cables for lockdown and structure. It also introduced a carbon fibre soleplate.

The original max orange/abyss/metallic platinum colourway was able to debut on the field but not on retail, prompting Nike to remake the colourway 11 years later with the Future DNA Mercurial Vapor 13, the boots ultimately debuted on retail in black with a volt yellow Swoosh.

Key Facts About Nike Mercurial Superfly 11

1. Nike Mercurial Superfly 11 features a Flyweave Ultra upper, ZoomX insole and composite soleplate featuring the Air Zoom technology and chevron studs.
2. Available models: Elite (~180 g), Pro (~210 g) and Academy (~230 g).
3. SRP: Elite ~£275, Pro ~£155, Academy ~£85
4. The Mercurial Superfly 11 is worn by the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Kylian Mbappe.