Nike Mercurial Vapor VIII – Seaweed/Challenge Red/Volt

July 2, 2012 by 24 Comments

Adidas have revealed their hand for the start of the 2012/2013 season over the past two weeks, now it is time for Nike to begin their onslaught. Nike is going to be the all new ‘Black Pack’ for the new season, with the Tiempo colouway we revealed earlier and new T90 Laser colourway making up part of the pack. The Vapor VIII is another part of that pack, and very few boots have as much hype as a Vapor VIII colourway launch. We have all your images of the mean Seaweed/Challenge Red/Volt Vapor VIII for the 2012/2013 season.

It has been a little while since we have seen a darker colourway scheme used on the Mercurial set of boots, so it is nice to see Nike change it up a bit by not opting for a bright football boot. There is one difference between this boot and the Euro Mercurial that was released before it. Nike has changed the upper of the boot ever so slightly, which is said to aid the durability of the boot. Even without the change to the upper, it is a very mean looking football boot that we think is going to be an absolute hit!

The new Vapor VIII has ditched many of the features seen on the Superfly III. First up, Nike have rolled out a brand new material onto the new Mercurial Vapor VIII. The boot has been crafted with a new soft, supple extra-thin teijin microfibre synthetic leather that is designed to adjust to the shape of the foot and it wraps around your foot like a second skin. Throw in the new contoured speed last that has been designed to deliver a superior fit and the two combine together to give the wearer maximum support and aid ball control at high speeds.

The snug fit is going to be one of the main draw cards of the new Mercurial Vapor VIII. This is all designed to lock the wearer’s foot into the boot and create instant acceleration. A lightweight perforated sockliner with textile top clothe also mirrors the natural foot shape and creates low profile cushioning. This is also enhanced by an interior heel that has an abundance of cushioning, while a clear coating prevents the foot from slipping.

But if it’s one thing that we’re very excited about the new Vapor is the new soleplate. The boot features direct inject TPU studs that deliver superior acceleration, which is also aided by the two layers of glass fibre composite, which is another move from the carbon fibre soleplate on the old Superfly model. The twin heel studs is also another change from Nike, and if it works, could be somewhat of a revolutionary addition to the Vapor VIII. It is meant to ensure optimal penetration and stability.

Now, it seems we might need to make an apology. We have touted this colourway as coming with a leather upper. We have heard from two Nike employees that this is meant to be a leather Vapor (and K-Leather from one of these employees), but while this leather is slightly different to that of prior releases, it is not leather. We are going to do a little more investigating, but it seems Nike have led us (and you guys) astray by telling us this was meant to be a leather Vapor.

This boot can be pre-ordered in a few weeks time, with a full online retail launch on August the 1st. Either way, what do you think about the Seaweed/Challenge Red/Volt Mercurial Vapor VIII?

About Jordon English

Jordon is the go-to boot spotting and unreleased boot news writer for Soccer Reviews. Joining the site way back in 2010 (where Soccer Equipment Reviews was not even a blip on the football boot radar), Jordon makes the world famous Soccer Reviews boot spotting and, if there is an unreleased boot, Jordon probably knows about it. Jordon is not looking to make a playing career out of football (he hopes to break into the Australian A-League as a referee within the next 3 years), but he still trains with one of the University of Melbourne football sides where he studies Commerce.

Comments

  1. Shane
    July 2, 2012 at 11:02 pm

    Bueno. I think I like the white/blue release colorway better, but this is pretty solid.

    Reply
  2. ale
    July 3, 2012 at 3:22 am

    usually I don’t like black boots but these are really cool!

    Reply
  3. meme goal
    July 3, 2012 at 3:30 am

    MMMMM TASTY

    Reply
  4. Pete
    July 3, 2012 at 5:24 am

    I was really looking forward to the Kleather .The material doesn’t look like teijin though, maybe the same material from the ctr’s, kanga-lite?

    Reply
  5. Nick
    July 3, 2012 at 6:02 am

    The euro clash version was leather these are the same

    Reply
    • Pete
      July 3, 2012 at 9:58 am

      Hi Nick, do you own a pair? can you tell me how different the clash version was to the original orange vapors?

      Reply
      • Ryan
        July 3, 2012 at 11:39 am

        I have the clash mercs and I can definitely say they feel like a supple kanga lite material. Great quality

        Reply
        • Random
          July 3, 2012 at 7:07 pm

          Actually they’re not in leather, its the finish they’ve changed, instead of the suede ish finish on the Mango and the White/Blue color ways:)

          Reply
  6. Ryan
    July 3, 2012 at 6:44 am

    Will these be available in SG? The mixed sole-plate? Cheers

    Reply
    • Jordon English
      July 3, 2012 at 6:55 am

      We would think it will be Ryan

      ReplyReport user
      • Yoshua Tjioe
        August 16, 2012 at 12:47 am

        hi jordon on the second paragraph it said that Nike has changed the upper of the boot ever so slightly, which is said to aid the durability of the boot. is it comparing the euro 2012 colourway or is it comparing it to the old mango???

        Reply
        • Jordon English
          August 17, 2012 at 12:48 am

          Hey Yoshua, Nike changed the finish on the upper on the EURO Mercurial. It is the same as the finish on this Mercurial, but the Bright Mango Mercurial is the only one to have the suede-like finish which had some durability issues

          ReplyReport user
          • yoshua
            August 21, 2012 at 4:36 am

            how are the durability lately on the new leather like finish?? and is the sg pro plate good on fg because alot of my friends said its comfortable and great on both sg and fg as long as you dont go and wear it on turf of any artificial grounds other than that your on the safe side

  7. Insider_11
    July 3, 2012 at 7:34 am

    Interesting to see that they’re sticking with the Leather finish which was used in the Euros. The suede finish was nice but from a cleaning perspective it was a disaster!!

    Reply
  8. Cole O'Brien
    July 3, 2012 at 9:18 am

    I believe that this same material was used on the clash model of the vapor. It was just less publicized, to the extent where I was still reading that it was a suede finish in the latest eurosport calender. However, the clash model had this material, as I tried on a pair. They have a leather esque texture to them.

    Reply
  9. Woldstad
    July 3, 2012 at 11:16 am

    Oh goodness, those are sexy!

    Reply
  10. Dan
    July 3, 2012 at 7:00 pm

    I saw a pair of these in a store nearby me yesterday, and when i picked them up they didnt feel at all like the upper on the regular vapor 8′s and they were only the mircles

    Reply
  11. theo
    July 3, 2012 at 10:42 pm

    Does that mean the new mercurial have lost the “peach fuzz” feel?

    Reply
  12. Bobotmeister Tiongson
    July 4, 2012 at 8:59 am

    leatherette rules.

    Reply
  13. David Nester
    July 4, 2012 at 9:19 am

    You say that the upper has been changed to improve durabillity. I would really like to know if this change is effective. I love mercurials but after hearing that they ripped a lot I decided that I wouldn’t get them. This could definitely change my decision if it turns out to make a difference.

    Reply
  14. fairy jerry
    July 4, 2012 at 4:08 pm

    they also have the orange/blue/black nike t90s at soccerpro.com

    Reply
  15. Jefri B.
    July 14, 2012 at 6:09 pm

    I just got them…

    Reply
  16. Jefri B.
    July 14, 2012 at 6:55 pm

    I just got them.!

    Reply
  17. abdou
    July 18, 2012 at 8:40 am

    jefri, ow did u get them

    and guys release date please urjent

    thx

    Reply

Speak Your Mind

*