It's early days, but we can now officially say that we're in a World Cup year. 2018 will take football's most cherished prize to Russia, followed by an innovation super-storm chasing it all the way to Moscow. A landmark year sees landmark releases, and Nike will hit hard with the Mercurial Vapor XII.
We've already seen headline Mercurial acts such as, Mbappe, Neymar, and Isco training in the next-generation silo, and now Juventus youngster Marko Pjaca has provided a closer look at the next chapter of Swoosh speed. Nike are counting down the days to their showpiece launch on the calendar, and while Cristiano Ronaldo and Serge Aurier have been spotted in the Superfly VI model, Pjaca has slipped into the low-cut Mercurial Vapor XII.
Nike always favour a March/April launch for their summer showpiece, and all signs suggest we're on course for a Spring 2018 release before all attentions turn to Russia. The Mercurial Vapor made its World Cup debut back in 2002 as the first generation of the Vapor series and has gone on to feature prominently in four World Cups in total. The 2018 tournament in Russia set to be the fifth.
The blackout design worn by Pjaca reveals more details in regard to the changes that Nike have activated on the update. The upper has taken on some noticeable changes, far more distinctive than previous generations. A smoother material replaces the “Speed Rib” 3D texture of the Vapor XI, while Flyknit is introduced across the upper and collar design after the success of the Mercurial Vapor Flyknit Ultra.
Stay tuned for the latest on what's to come from the Nike Mercurial Superfly VI and Mercurial Vapor XII.
