When Nike seem quiet then you can guarantee there's a Swoosh storm brewing just around the corner. PUMA and adidas have recently flexed their muscles with the Predator 18+ and Future 18.1, but Nike are biding their time before showing off their Summer 2018 physique.
Tottenham Hotspur defender Serge Aurier becomes the latest player to switch into blackout Nike Mercurial Superfly boots in training as the Swoosh count down the days to their showpiece launch on the calendar. Nike like to launch their summer showstopper around March/April, and with the Superfly V launching in March 2016 in New York, we're on course for a Spring 2018 release as we enter the climax of the European season before all attentions turn to Russia.
Aurier's boots display some of the more distinct changes that Nike have activated on the silo update that will spearhead them into Russia in the summer. The biggest difference in comparison to the fifth-fifth-gen Superfly comes in the shape of the collar that features a different cut shape to what we've seen previously. The upper has also been given some noticeable changes. A smoother material replaces the “Speed Rib” 3D texture of the Superfly V.
More obviously, the boots show that Nike haven't taken the Mercurial Superfly VI into the world of laceless design. Flyknit will remain one of the boots key components, with further new technologies sure to be introduced.
The next-generation silhouette is still expected to be in the early phases of player testing with Cristiano Ronaldo, Leroy Sané and Neymar all giving an early run-out to the blackout design as Nike seek player feedback on a boot that the Swoosh will have been working on for at least two years already.
CR7 and Neymar will naturally headline the Mercurial in Russia and unsurprisingly both players have played their part in the testing phase. Ronaldo has switched in and out of the hi-collared Superfly in recent months, while Neymar has put the lo-cut Vapor through its paces.
Stay tuned for the latest on what's to come from the Nike Mercurial Superfly VI.
