Born and bred to perform on the soccer pitch, the Nike Mercurial is worn by players at every level looking for a lightweight, comfortable, and high-performing cleat. Building on the cross-sport face-off betweenCristiano Ronaldo vs. Rafael Nadal produced by Nike last year, the Kobe 8 MC Mambacurial is a Frankenstein mash-up between Kobe’s Mamba and the brand’s flagship Mercurial cleat, resulting in an eye-catching sneaker with qualities of both proudly showing through. Most striking is the neon green Swoosh across the toebox, outsole, and branding on the tongue, but the gradient pink colorway for the breathable fabric upper fights for your attention. This soccer-inspired shoe with all of performance expected from a member of Nike’s Kobe line is available now at select shops, including X-Kicks’ online shop.
Juventus Football Club stays true to its roots with a traditional home kit for next season. The sleek fitted jersey features the club’s famous black and white stripes, this time in a thinner style reminiscent of the kits Juventus wore during its dominant run in the 1980s.
The shirt has a lowered white V-neck collar — also inspired by the 1980s kits — a black stripe print on the cuffs, and two side vents on the hem with a flash of black. The bold, bonded black tape at the bottom of the V-neck is a nod to Turin, home to Juventus and the industrial capital of Italy.
Inside the neck is a woven label featuring a shield with the club’s founding year of 1897. On the back of the shirt is the familiar black panel unique to Juventus to hold the players’ names and numbers.
The home shorts are black with a printed stripe along each side, while the socks are white with a black block on the back to give players greater visual acuity on the pitch.
The kit showcases Nike’s inherent belief in style, craft and strong aesthetics, while aiding the performance of players with key technological features.
RECYCLED POLYESTER
- The kit is made from recycled polyester in accord with Nike’s commitment to produce athletic wear with a low environmental impact. The shirt and shorts of each kit are made from up to thirteen recycled plastic water bottles.
- In the pioneering process plastic bottles are melted down to form yarn that is spun into recycled polyester, reducing energy consumption by up to 30 percent compared to manufacturing virgin polyester.
- Since 2010, Nike has diverted more than 1.1 billion plastic bottles from landfills through the use of recycled polyester.
FABRIC AND NIKE DRI-FIT
- The kit is made of fabric weighing just 150 grams, 23 percent lighter than previous Nike kits. It also boasts a 20 percent stronger knit structure and significantly improved stretch.
- The fabric is integrated with Nike Dri-FIT technology to draw sweat away from the body to keep players cool and dry.
- Updated and improved ventilation zones consisting of tiny laser-cut holes on both sides and across the entire back of the shirt, as well as at the shorts’ waistband allows more air inside the kit for additional comfort and cooling.
FIT AND CONSTRUCTION
- Nike embarked on an innovative program creating 3D body scans of some of the world’s leading footballers to produce a more athletic fit tailored to the contours of their bodies.
- It has been crafted with bonded T-bars at the junctions of the shirts to support the seams and inner welded seams with a clean finish to give a more striking appearance while also increasing comfort and performance.
n 1998 Nike launched the first Mercurial football boot — a shoe inspired by and designed for an athlete who was playing an entirely new brand of football. The player was Brasilian football phenomenon Ronaldo Luís Nazário de Lima, popularly dubbed “El Fenómeno,” but more commonly known as Ronaldo.
The tagline for the Nike Mercurial launch ad campaign, “Ultralight, so your legs can be as fast as your imagination,” spoke to Ronaldo’s unbelievable creativity and speed. Ronaldo not only captured the imagination with his style, speed, skill and instictive eye for a goal, but he also helped reignite the reputation of Brasilian football. His influence continues to guide exceptional players like Neymar as they follow in his footsteps.
Ronaldo is closely associated with the original silver-yellow-blue Nike Mercurial he wore in France during the summer of 1998. Among a field of black and white, the Nike Mercurial stood out for it’s sleek shape and colourful, speed-inspired visual design. To celebrate 15 years of the iconic boot, Nike has created a Mercurial Vapor IX inspired by the 1998 design.
“In the years since the first Mercurial boot was created, modern construction has allowed for a more refined way of making boots. For example, the original version of this boot was constructed of multiple materials stitched together, McCartney elaborated. “This version is a one-piece, seamless upper as per other Nike Vapor Mercurial IX editions.
In addition to rethinking the construction, the team approached the boot with a 2013 visual in mind. The yellow from the 1998 version is replaced by the distinctive Volt hue that became synonymous with Nike design on the running track in London last summer. The original silver is updated with a metallic finish.
1,998 pairs of the Mercurial IX Special Edition will be available from May 8 at select retailers around the world, including nike.com.
Pre-order is now available in Europe http://gonike.me/MercIXPre.
Made by Warrior, the home kit is the second produced by the American sportswear manufacturer and is based on the club’s 1984 kit – the year Liverpool won their fourth European Cup.
The all-red strip contains subtle changes from this season’s number, with the sleeves and collar now displaying white trim in a strip that is sure to go down well with supporters.
Two embroidered Eternal Flames alongside a 96 logo are located on the nape of the shirt’s neck to commemorate the events at Hillsborough in 1989.
It’s a design that’s proven a real hit with captain Gerrard, who confirmed the team have taken well to the new home strip.
Casual footwear lovers benefit from the years of knowledge adidas has gained as one of the top soccer – or football – outfitters with this latest adidas Originals Campus FTBL. Set off in a blazing hot orange suede, the sneakers feature a side panel lace-up build, which every self-respecting striker knows provides them with a smooth platform for a strong strike through the ball. Balanced with a white midsole and heel tab and a set of laces to match the hairy-suede, this fun alteration shows that a little cross-breading back at adidas HQ can bear some interesting and progressive fruit. We have a feeling these will be hard to overlook as they begin to hit retailers in the coming weeks.
Earlier this month, adidas and Chelsea FC launched a campaign to show how faithful the fans of Chelsea are. The new spot showed a few of Chelsea’s players drenched in blue paint, and announced that the team’s new kits were available for pre-order without even previewing them. Now, adidas and Chelsea FC have unveiled the 2013/2014 Kits. The kits feature TechFit technology, designed to improve speed, endurance and awareness by stabilizing muscles and focusing energy. Another added feature is the ClimaCool attribute, which provides a mixture of heat and moisture control through ventilated chambers to key heat areas. You can pre-order your kit now through the Chelsea Megastore.
Not only is pace one of the hallmarks of Cristiano’s game, it also defines the bold, distinctive spirit of the new CR7 Collection.
Vibrant colors combine classifies the CR7 Mercurial Lite shin guards, CR7 Prestige ball and CR7 Cheyenne backpack, while additional training items appear in monochrome.
The speed inspiration is also seen in the lifestyle items in the collection, particularly with the CR7 Pique Polo and CR7 V-neck T-shirt. It is represented in the flashes of green, blue, red and white that run across the body. The Graphic Top for training opts for green and cream stripes combined with white shorts. The apparel pieces are constructed of premium materials and carry the CR7 trademark “love to win, hate to lose” heart-with-cross logo.
The white button-down Saturday Jacket with drawstring hem and front patch pockets and vintage-inspired Nike Tennis Classic, Cristiano’s favorite sneaker, complete the summer range.
The CR7 Collection will be available from nikestore.com from April 11.
Design inspiration comes from Cristiano’s love for all things fast. The collection includes the new colorway of the CR Mercurial Vapor IX boot, performance training items and a variety of polos and tees. Each element is aesthetically inspired by velocity in sport.
The signature CR Mercurial Vapor IX boot has been reworked with this season’s version - a fusion of white, neon orange, with a neon yellow and orange safari print inspired by the safari print that was first seen on a Cristiano Ronaldo product in 2010 on the Mercurial Vapor Superfly II.
Beyond its striking design, the boot features an engineered upper that enchances support and touch allowing Ronaldo to perform at high levels of speed and skill. A leather-like finish on the upper, preferred by the athlete, and Nike’s innovative All Conditions Control (ACC) technology further aids his performance; the special treatment now used on all Nike boots ensures a consistent touch whether playing in wet or dry conditions weather.
Combining elements of the past and present, Nike offers a fresh take on soccer casuals. Drawing inspiration from the centennial US Soccer Kit, classic Americana workwear, and design cues from traditional cut and sew techniques, the collection provides a classic but contemporary look off the pitch.
Highlighting the collection, the USA Best Jacket comes in a patriotic obsidian colorway. The canvas workwear-style jacket features deep and easily accesible front pockets, a cotton twill lining for comfort and lightweight poly fill for warmth. Depending on sartorial inclinations a ribbed cotton shawl collar folds down and ribbed cotton cuffs keeps it clean at the wrist. A centennial embroidered badge with a 100-year anniversary banner is placed on the inside back neck finishing off the look inside and out.
The collection also includes the USA Best Crew. The french terry raglan sleeve crewneck features a laser-cut rip-stop pouch accesible via a bonded zipper with ergonomic zipper pull. The pocket is extremely useful and durable but also innovates an otherwise traditional crewneck. Screen printing on the front identifies US Soccer’s birth year and an embroidered badge with 100-year anniversary banner is placed inside on the back neck.
The entire collection is available online and in stores now. Show your support for the team in style as they enter into another round of important qualifying matches.
The Lunar Gato II, launching in a distinctive blue and yellow, is designed for a fast and dynamic game on all surfaces. Featuring 33 percent fewer components than its predecessor, it is also 16 percent lighter. The supple leather used on the upper improves the ball-to-foot feel. The soft leather eliminates a break-in period and the contoured sock liner supplies an anatomical fit.
Fused mesh panels lock down the mid-foot to maximize lateral support and gives the Lunar Gato II a fine balance of lightweight and comfort.
