"The icon. The teacher. The Phenomenon.
R9 defined a new breed of striker and inspired a fresh generation of footballers and boot nerds"
Ask any boot nerd... growing up everyone has a stilled image of their favorite boot and professional player in their head that touched them in some way. It is very rare that we get one amazing player that dominates a decade of footy and treats use with skill that none of us could have ever imagined in our wildest dreams. Not to mention the player, but to have a hand in making one the best speed boots of all time is important as well. In some ways, I think these players are sent from above because these players are one in a billion so be grateful for the Messi and CR7 battle because like everything in life it will soon come to an end and we will only be left with memories.
The one and a billion player during my youth was the OG R9 aka the pioneer of the Mercurial Series which was an essential figure in creating one of the lightest and fastest boots on the planet. I will never forget when the first Mercurial Vapor was launched in 1998.
It was innovative, feather light and in many ways ahead of it’s time because as a consumer we had never seen anything like it. Thanks to R9 and his partnership/relationship with Nike is why we have the current speed boot race today. Never in my wildest dreams would I have ever thought that a soccer boot could weigh an astonishing 5.6 oz. Nike has always done an amazing job of listening to its athletes and by asking the athletes their needs/wants in a product Nike is able to create innovative and game changing products. A perfect example of this is the relationship between R9 and Nike because without the help/insight of R9 the athlete the Mercurial Series would be non-existent today.
You might be asking where I fit in this story and how this relates to me…. Well actually in high school when Ronaldo was recovering from his second knee surgery and many doubted if he would come back I was able to meet him and shake his hand. R9 was in town because Nike actually named the main soccer field on the campus after him and they celebrated this event by making a statue of the living legend. Furthermore, living in Portland, Oregon has many perks because the Nike and Adidas headquarters are here and after I have lived here for awhile I have realized it is a small community. I found out through a friend that R9 would be at the event so I skipped school that day and went to the event and stalked R9 after the event as he went into the Lance Armstrong building for rehab/training. Why? I simply wanted to meet the man that captured my imagination! For what seemed like a life time standing in the freezing rain he came out with his posy and without a question he gave me his trade mark buck toothy smile and shook my hand and signed everything I handed him. I was no longer cold and in a way I was in shock because I knew this was a once in a lifetime opportunity because let’s be honest R9 was a pioneer of the game of football! The faints, the snake, the countless step over’s by R9 shaped the world of footy as we know it today! Looking back R9 had a major impact on the game and the soccer footwear industry!
 |
| As for the autograph, you better believe I still have it. |