Ribery and Shaqiri Wear Nike Vapor IX In Qatar Exhibition Match
Bayern Munich yesterday brushed aside Bundesliga rivals Schalke 5-0 in a Qatar exhibition match where both sides are holding their winter training camps. The match provided Bayern stars Ribery and Shaqiri with the perfect opportunity to test their new Nike Mercurial Vapor IX boots before returning to Germany.
While we'll have to wait a little longer for the official release of the Vapor IX, some of Nike's biggest names are already ahead of the game. Unlike his Swiss team mate, Ribery hasn't been in any rush to get into his new boots. Since arriving in Qatar the Frenchman has been training in his Vapor VIII boots. 
It will be interesting to see which of the two colourways Nike players choose to wear. For past Mercurial launches, Nike have given minimal player support to any secondary colourway released alongside the lead boot. But for the Vapor IX, we think there will be an even split between Mercurial athletes wearing both the purple and orange designs.
If purples not your thing, then Xherdan Shaqiri's boots might be more up your street. There's nothing shy about either designs which both deliver typical Mercurial style and flair. As for the performance, we don't expect anything ground-breaking. A newly engineered, golf ball inspired upper will be the key advancement, while the traction sole-plate is expected to remain the same. 
Anticipation is building as we get closer to the official launch of the Nike Mercurial Vapor IX. Let us know what you think of the two launch colourways. Join in the conversation online, on Twitter and on Facebook.
