The Prototype

If you haven’t heard much about the Nike Mercurial SL, don’t worry, it’s not your fault. We kept these boots under wrap so that the beautiful game isn’t.

The SLs in short: Superlight (185 grams), superstrong (carbon fiber), supersonic (just check out the vid). These are boots with the look, strength and speed of a bullet, which is exactly what it takes to shoot down the status quo and get to true innovation.

What’s the story?

The Mercurial SL is a concept boot (i.e. not for sale), designed for soccer’s truly elite—we’re talking Didier Drogba, Cristiano Ronaldo—rather than the general public. The “concept,” in other words, is to set a new benchmark in cleat material to inspire the design of the next line of Mercs that we, the “general public” get to wear. Think of the SLs as an investment in the future and a radical commitment to dynamic, high-octane soccer. The process started in 2004 with the big guns at Nike Headquarters making only one imperative: make it the best—the lightest, the fastest—no questions asked. Time, budget, materials, three restrictions that necessarily have an impact on every product that hits the street, make no difference. Sweet honey to any designer’s ears.

Development was an international effort. Bond Laminates of Germany, creators of a patented process for bonding carbon fiber that’s frequently used in the aerospace and high-end automotive industries, engineered the carbon fiber plate. We then called on Korean partners that specialized in track and field design for the injection molding process of the outsole. The final stop was in Montebelluna, Italy where some of the best craftsmen in the world worked their magic to make the carbon fiber upper as supple and comfortable as the softest leather. Again, no barriers, no borders, only function and form. We simply wanted the best.

Fortunately we knew where to start. The Nike Mercurial line began 10 years ago to give the fastest and most lethal players in the game the necessary tool to hone their trade. Judging by the legendary, ongoing careers of strikers like Ronaldo and Henry, the original boots did the job. Now, in a new era of competition with higher demands that will only continue to grow, our designers knew their only option was to use the past to look into the future, which as it turns out, happens to be less than a month away. Keep your eyes peeled Jan 12 and 13 for a sneak peek of the newest launch in the Mercurial family (official drop date of the new boot is February 1, 2008.)