Iconic boot updated with radical new design and concept.
Superfly is back. Nike have today unveiled their ground-breaking Flyknit Mercurial Superfly IV in Madrid. Continuing the storied history of the boot that transformed the industry, Nike launches the new generation of the Mercurial to match the speed of today’s game.
Unveiled by Cristiano Ronaldo in the Spanish capital, the Mercurial Superfly IV is born from four years of R&D in the Nike Sport Research Lab. First unveiled in 1998, the original Mercurial was a radical and unprecedented piece of design and with the new Mercurial Superfly, Nike has created another cutting-edge boot.
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“With its new design innovations, the 2014 Superfly makes a quantum leap forward in what high performance boots can be – and what they can help players achieve”, said NIKE, Inc. President and CEO Mark Parker at the Superfly IV launch event.
The Mercurial Superfly’s revolutionary design is driven through Nike’s most advanced technology: Nike Flyknit. A new three-knit weave puts less material between the foot and the ball to enhance players’ touch. The high-top Dynamic Fit Collar, which radically transforms the Mercurial silhouette, is designed to create a better fit and a heightened sensation of the boot as an extension of the foot, much in the same way as the Magista.
“Players have told us that the Mercurial fits like no other boot”, said Phil McCartney, VP of Sport Performance Footwear. “It feels like an extension of the body because the Dynamic Fit Collar integrates the foot, the ankle and the lower leg. It removes distractions and allows the player to be quicker to the ball and quicker with the ball. This is the huge advantage of Flyknit: We can tune a boot to match a player’s attributes.”
Other vital breakthrough additions include Superfly’s Brio cables, which are knitted directly into the upper and locked into the outsole. By connecting this tendon-like support to the heel, the Nike Superfly acts like a slingshot that helps propel the player forward. In addition, a new, more-flexible full-length carbon plate helps players to more efficiently transmit power through the ground.
Added studs at the boot’s heel offer stability, and extra traction has been placed at the toe to give players more grip. The Superfly IV will be worn by Nike's contracted Mercurial athletes at the World Cup this summer, including Cristiano Ronaldo and Franck Ribery.
The Nike Mercurial Superfly IV is available to pre-order from May 26, and on sale from June 12. What do you think? Let us know in the comments.
