New Boot For Changing Game: The Nike HyperVenom
Inside Nike's HQ things are moving fast. In a serious shake up of their boot catalogue, Nike have retired their long-running T90 silo, replacing it with the all new Nike HyperVenom. Launched today in Rio de Janeiro at an event with Brazil striker Neymar, the HyperVenom is a milestone release for Nike.
Nike are pitching the HyperVenom as the ultimate attacking weapon for a new breed of player. "The Hypervenom is a completely new boot created with feedback from top players including Neymar, Wayne Rooney and Zlatan Ibrahimovic - players who need a boot that can help them create space in and around the penalty area. 
Neymar has been Nike's core player throughout the development of the HyperVenom. Neymar s input was invaluable. He had been wearing the Mercurial Vapor IX boot, a pure speed product designed to help athletes look and find space to beat a man. The Hypervenom focuses on creating the space in order to put the ball in the net. said Phil McCartney, VP Nike Football, Footwear. 
When coming up with the HyperVenom concept, the Nike Football design team - led by Nike Football Design Director Denis Dekovic - began by looking at the attacking forces in today s game. The game is changing. It used to be that speed was the focus of the attacking side of the game, but now everybody has pace, Dekovic said.
The Nike Hypervenom is a response to the way the game is changing. Players want to be quicker, not just in a foot race, but quicker with the ball at their feet in small spaces. They want to create chances from nothing. These faster, more agile defenders need to be combatted and the Hypervenom is designed to do exactly that. 
The Hypervenom s upper is created using the new NIKESKIN system. This execution of NIKESKIN features a soft, supple mesh bound with a thin polyurethane film, and is finished off with Nike All Conditions Control technology (ACC) to provide the same level of foot-to-ball control in both wet and dry conditions.
Mesh delivers an amazing level of comfort and feel. The athletes asked us to deliver a boot that gets as close as possible to the feeling of playing barefoot, Dekovic said. Mesh takes us a step closer to doing that and the All Conditions Control finish keeps the mesh dry. 
The Hypervenom also features a new foot last, removing excess materials to place the foot closer to the ground and ball. It is Nike s most anatomical last to date.
Nike worked with some of the world s top podiatrists to create a decoupled outsole that increases the player s ability to make that important first step away from the defender. A groove in the forefoot helps to quickly activate the first metatarsal, the bone that defines reaction time of the foot s first movement.
The chassis of the outsole features compressed nylon for a high-response plate that helps deliver strength while being incredibly light. The stud configuration and length is designed to allow for faster penetration of the surface, and ultimately a quicker release - all innovations designed to help players create space faster than ever before.
The Nike Hypervenom will debut on June 2 in the Brasil v. England match on the feet of Neymar and Wayne Rooney. Stay tuned to SoccerBible for loads more from Rio. The Nike HyperVenom is available to pre-oder now at selected online stockists including Pro-Direct Soccer. Join the conversation online, on Twitter and on Facebook.
