Nike look set for another round of redesign ahead of the 2018 World Cup as another new-generation silhouette edges closer to a release. Real Madrid's Isco becomes the latest man to trial the blackout silo in training this week.
Isco has been wearing the new generation Mercurial Vapor 360 since it replaced the Mercurial Vapor XI in February but Nike may be trying to lure the midfielder into their upcoming concept. Manchester City's Kevin De Bruyne has also been spotted training in the unreleased boot recently indicating that the boot could replace the current Magista Obra II model.
It's no secret that the Magista is ready for its next move. After all, the second generation Magista boot launched in July 2016, and Nike don't tend to stick on the same card for more than two years. A release ahead of the World Cup is inevitable, whether that's a Magista III or a new silo entirely. A closer look at Isco's blackout boots indicates it could well be the latter.
The silhouette looks to have taken on a complete re-design with numerous standout changes. Most notably the blackout boots feature a mesh lace cover built onto a one piece Flyknit upper, with a compression styled mid-collar coming up through the interior of the design. The outstep of the boot looks clean, but there's visible ball control technology on the instep, and a reinvented soleplate down below.
Nike's 2018 World Cup squad starts to take shape as the Mercurial 360 begins to get company. Don't expect any official release from Nike until late May at the very earliest. As for Isco, his intricate play in attacking midfield is far suited to a control boot from Nike's point of view, so we can expect that the Swoosh are trying to push him towards their preferred category.
Stay tuned for the latest on the unreleased Nike football boots...
