We look back at the collection celebrating 16 years of innovation.
As Nike round off their Fast Forward Mercurial series we’re taking a look back at a collection that’s inspired by 16 years of Mercurial magic, Nike innovation and legendary players who have made history, smashed records and shaped the game into what it is today.
The Fast Forward series drew inspiration from Nike’s back catalogue of iconic Mercurial Vapor boots. Nike selected designs from their 1998, 2002, 2006 and 2010 Mercurials, each of which soaked in rich footballing history, to place on the current Vapor IX model, the most technologically advanced Mercurial to date.
The Fast Forward story began towards the end of 2013 as Nike launched a brand new Mercurial Vapor IX colourway as a tribute to the famous 1998 boot worn by Ronaldo. Fifteen years since he laced up in the first Mercurial, R9 was still influencing his iconic range. The ’98 Vapor kicked off the impressive collection of throwbacks and was worn by Nike's Mercurial athletes as they began their World Cup countdown.
The second model of the Fast Forward series arrived with Nike turning to their distinguished back catalogue to reinvent another of their most famous and iconic Mercurial Vapors. The ’02 versions were inspired by the first ever boot of the Vapor series from 2002, Nike's first sub-200g boot which Ronaldo wore to score both goals in the 2002 World Cup final win over Germany.
Launched as part of Nike's Summer 2014 collection the Fast Forward ’06 was another tribute to the Mercurial's history. The boot was designed to celebrate the 2006 Mercurial Vapor, worn by Brazil’s Ronaldo at the World Cup in Germany. The original boot featured the first carbon fibre heel-counter and a high-visibility finish, which made it unmissable on pitch. As with the ’98 versions, the boots were supplied to all Nike’s contracted Mercurial players to wear on pitch.
Completing the series was the Fast Forward ’10, a boot inspired by the Mercurial Vapor Superfly II worn at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. The distinctive purple/orange colourway was dropped across all of Nike’s silos for the tournament and became instantly recognizable as the pack dominated pitches. The last of the series will be worn exclusively by Cristiano Ronaldo, a player who starred in the original versions of the boot.
Got a favourite? Let us know. Join the conversation on Twitter and Facebook.
Available at: Pro-Direct Soccer
