The History of Speed - The Mercurial Vapor IV

It’s the first rule of working as a Nike designer: never believe those who say you can’t improve on perfection. After years of development work – and the input of Mercurial athletes from R9 himself to the latest brilliant Brazilian – the Mercurial Vapor IV is living proof that the definition of ‘perfect’ never stops changing.



When the seal was broken on Cristiano Ronaldo’s new shoebox in January 2008, you could hear the groans from defenders all over the world. The most in-form player on the planet was hard enough to stop, without adding a new weapon to his arsenal – and it took CR7 a mere 88 minutes to sear his orange peel Vapors into the fans’ memories with his first ever Manchester United hat trick. Five months and 20 goals later, CR7’s boots contained the first winger ever to win the European Golden Shoe, and the seventh consecutive Merc wearer to take the title of English Premier League top scorer.

Everyone knows a boot is only ever as good as the foot inside it. And with the likes of Ronaldo, Zlatan, Drogba, Robinho, Pato, Ribery, and Walcott, all donning the MVIV, it’s clear that this boot is as good as it gets.