Nike has dipped back into the archive once more, completing its Regen trilogy with a bang. The Mercurial Vapor I RGN SE “Shock Orange” lands as the third and final revival in the Swoosh’s retro programme, serving up a hyper-modern remix of a boot that first set pitches alight in 2002.
Where the “Chrome Lime” and “Dark Cinder” colourways reignited nostalgia, this one brings heat. A bold citrus blast that feels straight from the golden age, “Shock Orange” is a love letter to early 2000s flamboyance, a time when football boots began speaking louder than the kits they were paired with.
Originally made famous by the likes of Ronaldo Nazário, the Mercurial Vapor I was pure speed weaponry. And while the original was all about featherweight innovation, this Regen edition keeps the soul of the OG while loading it with modern muscle. The upper remains faithful—sleek, stripped-back, and synthetic—while underfoot, Nike swaps out the legacy tooling for the current Mercurial Vapor 16 soleplate, delivering elite-level traction and responsiveness that meets the demands of today’s game.
But this isn't just a generic throwback. It’s Chapter Two in a CR7-specific story arc. Nike continues to lean into Cristiano Ronaldo’s deep history with the Mercurial line while the legend is still active. Just like in Chapter One, subtle nods are stitched into the insole—touches that call back to his debut in the silo and cement his legacy in the DNA of the boot.
This release is more than just an aesthetic exercise; it’s a curated moment from Nike Football’s Vault—selective, limited, and purposefully rare. With Vinicius Junior and Kylian Mbappé now carrying the Mercurial banner, “Shock Orange” acts as a bridge between eras: from the firestarter days of R9 and CR7 to the high-octane football of the future.
Don't blink—this drop’s not going to hang around for long.
The Nike Mercurial Vapor I RGN 'Shock Orange' will be available at prodirectsort.com/soccer from 19 May.
