Nike Mercurial Vapor VIII up on NIKEiD

Nike’s latest boot release, the Nike Mercurial Vapor VIII, is now up for customisation on NIKEiD. Generally, it takes a little while for Nike to provide the customisation section of their website for new boot releases, but Nike are stressing the importance of the latest Vapor release by immediately making the option available to the public.

NIKEiD provides a number of customisation options, some performance related, different stud patterns, and some purely aesthetic, as in ‘Your iD’, which allows you to put your name and number on the side. Other options include posting your design onto Twitter, Facebook or even emailing it to your friends.

With this release, Nike provide you with the two stock-standard traction plates, firm ground and the new Soft Ground Pro. Nike plan to put this release on all future boots, which can only be a good thing for boot fans who are currently enjoying the mixed-stud pattern that other companies provide. Nike also allow you to choose the type of sockliner you would like in your boot, with responsive and cushioned being the two options. The ‘responsive’ sockliner is ‘slightly firmer for quicker reaction’, compared to the cushioned one which is ‘slightly softer’, offering a ‘plush ride’.

Moving onto the upper options now, and Nike have initially provided you with six colours to choose from. For you people who love black boots, yes, Nike have provided you with that particular option. Other options include; mango (orange), challenge red (red), game royal (blue), pine green (green) and white. Intriguingly, Nike have also allowed you to customise your new Vapors with a ‘safari’ pattern, similar to the Safari Superflies that Ronaldo employed in the Nike Mercurial Vapor Superfly IIs.

The next option is the colour of the ‘swoosh’ on the toe of the boot. Here, Nike provide several more options, bringing the colour total to a grand thirteen different colours. The new additions include purple and sky blue, which are a nice little bonus for Nike to add. The process then continues onto the ‘inner swoosh’, where you are also provided with thirteen different colours.

The concluding options that Nike provide are the colour of the lining of the boot, and the laces. Again, thirteen different colours are provided for you, and quite frankly, they all look really rather smart. The very final option that you are granted is your own personal iD. Unfortunately, you are only granted eight characters, meaning that you are really limited by what you can put. This is complimented by your own personal number on the other side of the boot, no going above three digits though!

To top things off, you can then put your country’s flag on the instep of the boot. There are some quite unusual options, such as Norway and Sweden over Spain for example. But again, it’s a nice little addition onto the boot.

I ended up going a Soft Ground plate, with a black upper and light blue swooshes. I chose the Safari print, and had my name as iD on the side of the boot.

At a reasonable price of £185, Nike appear to be attempting to pull out all the stops in the quest to topple the AdiZero miCoach off the top of the speed boot pile. What are your thoughts on Nike’s latest release on NIKEiD? Do you think you’ll be purchasing a pair?  Leave your comments below!