No other football footwear collection carries the same magnitude as the CR7 series. The heavyweight duo of Nike and Cristiano Ronaldo have forged an unstoppable force of signature pieces, each as rich in design as they are deep in back-story. Flexing another muscle from the "Forged For Greatness" collection comes the Mercurial Vapor XI.
Mirroring the design of the Nike Mercurial Superfly V edition, the lo-cut Vapor XI is themed on Cristiano Ronaldo's early days at Manchester United and how Sir Alex Ferguson helped him transition into the famous number seven shirt at Old Trafford. The fourth chapter of seven signature Mercurials that follow the path of his career is titled "Forged For Greatness" – inspired by a time when CR7 showed early signs of heading for the very top of the game.
The graphics on the Nike Mercurial Vapor XI CR7 Chapter 4 boot are a nod to hot iron being forged into shape. Molten-esque orange and red gradients feature on the sole-plate and transition into metallic tones on the colour-shifting upper – a process that echoes Ronaldo's coming of age at Manchester United. A new legendary number seven was born at Old Trafford and Nike recognise that in the details of the Vapor XI.
The CR7 logo features a prominent 7 against tonal “CR” lettering to highlight his shift to the number, and the heel counter features the Roman numerals for 28, Ronaldo’s previous squad number, with the VII of the XVIII highlighted to reference the emergence of 7 from 28. Makes sense.
CR7 Chapter 4: Forged for Greatness boots will be available in Superfly, Vapor, and Nike FootballX versions from April 10. Want a pair? Get them here.
