Unveiled last night, here’s a look at Nike’s latest additions to their Mercurial line—the Mercurial Superfly and the Mercurial Vapor 360.
There are two main design details to note here, the first being the Flyknit innovation that allows the full boot to be wrapped in the material. Nike explains this best:
“Previously, All Conditions Control (ACC) was applied on top of the finished Flyknit product, creating a thin layer. Now, ACC is embedded into the yarns prior to knitting, eliminating the additional skin without compromising the performance benefit. The result is a matte finish on a texturized upper that is softer to the touch but can still battle the elements.”
In other words, Nike merged their all weather conditions technology with Flyknit yarn, creating a super-knit that can withstand the elements. The treatment also allows for elimination of the soleplate altogether.
The second design detail is more obvious: the forefoot and heel stud structures look ridiculously cool and remind me of a futuristic Galaga enemy.
At this point, it’s unclear whether the ACC-embedded Flyknit will hold up overtime. Let’s just hope Nike doesn’t have another NBA jersey-like incident in the near future.
If you’re interested in learning more, Nike Football Senior Design Director Jeongwoo Le, speaks a little bit about the Mercurial 360’s design process in this brief video:
http://www.core77.com/posts/73178/Nikes-Mercurial-Superfly-and-Vapor-360-Wrap-the-Entire-Foot-in-Flyknit-Thanks-to-New-Material-Combination