Throwback Thursday: R9 Mercurial Vapor I

"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.

OG Thierry Henry & Ronaldo Nike MV 3

A look back at one of the silos that changed soccer boots forever. 

The Mercurial Series was one of the first speed boots...

R9 The Icon...

"The icon. The teacher. The Phenomenon.

Ronaldo defined a new breed of striker and inspired a fresh generation of footballer" 

Ask any footy fan; growing up everyone has a stilled image of their favorite 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. 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. 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.

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 because I simple 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 and his impact on the game and the soccer footwear industry! As for the autograph, you better believe I still have it… check it out!

This post stems from last June when Brazil paid their respects to R9 by playing against Romania in a friendly match that they dedicating the match to R9 and gave him one last cap. Of course this was a major boot spy because Nike let R9 wear the unreleased Tiempo IV Elite boot which only increased the hype surrounding the release of this unique concept/elite boot. In a way it was a sad going away party because you could see glimpses of his greatness at times but it showed that the OG Ronaldo was gone and no longer the dominant player he once was. The video below highlights the event and shows Ronaldo’s thoughts on his career along with his pride for footy and playing for his country…

Any boot fan would be jealous of this footy collection!

Any boot fan would be jealous of this footy collection!

Blogger note: Thanks Eric for the picture and the support. Best of luck in your trials this coming year!  

OG MERCURIAL...

OG R9 PHOTO....

This picture is forever in my memory. R9 in his prime was something else to watch...

OG MERCURIAL...

Dirty...

Check it; Boot collector jealousy

Ronaldo: The Legacy

Ronaldo for so many years was the poster boy for Nike boots, most specifically the Mercurial Range. Without his passion for football and his ability to pull tricks in the tightest of spaces i do not think Nike football would be where it is today without the help of Ronaldo. For his services Nike put together this video which pays tribute to his career and what he did to so many fans and football fanatics around the world; which was motivate and inspire people to play football. You like any other athlete of my generation will be sadly missed!

For his final game for Brazil, R9 showcased the soon to be the Legend IV which is completely retooled and looks awesome.

Mercurial Vapors of the Past....

"You have to know the past to understand the present"... Looking back at the Mercurial series it is no wonder why fans are wanting more with this latest release, in a way Nike Soccer and this boot under achieved this year/release in 2011. To be honest, looking back at the past models in a way it seems that the mercurial was a boot that came before it was time because it was a concept boot. No one in their mind could have ever thought you could ever get a soccer boot to weigh a staggering 9 oz. So looking into the future Nike needs to retool the line by innovating or by scratching the series and come out with a new boot... In the end, i thought i would take you down memory lane by sharing these amazing boots!

Brief history around the boot...The origin of the Mercurial Vapors can be traced back to as early as 1998, when Ronaldo debuted the original Nike Air Mercurial boots. The boots were originally released in black, but a version in silver/blue/yellow was released for the 1998 World Cup and a blue/black version followed soon after. In 1999, the Mercurial 2 was released in two colourways: black/blue and black/red. These were identical in shape, size, and fit to the originals, but they had a different insole and a smaller swoosh on the side of the boot. The Mercurials were Nike's first boots to be made using synthetic materials, and also their first venture into the market of lightweight boots designed for speed.

Vapor needs a face lift...VII?

With adidas adapting to the times and making a run at the light weight boot race we would expect Nike to rise up for the challenge but it seems from the looks of the 2011 line of boots I have seen from both Nike and adidas, it seems that adidas is aggressively innovating and improving their boots while Nike is stuck thinking what haven’t we done. It is a big gamble for adidas to show their hand so soon by releasing the Prime and the adizero II so soon in 2011 but it could pay off if consumers love the new f50 as much as they did the original f50 which was the boot of the year on footy guru for 2010.

In my opinion, it is time for Nike to redesign the vapor series and look back into the past models and pick the different uppers, outsoles, and technologies that made each one so unique. In recent years, Nike has relied on there color ways to sell boots but I think it is time that they brain stormed new ideas and redesign the vapor, the consumers are ready for it!

For example, I would love for Nike to reengineer the Vapor I/II series and add current day technology. Out of the vapor series that was my favorite model and I loved the way the boot looked and felt.

Footy fans, what is your favorite vapor of all time?

Gigi Ruf Nike Boot Release

Football/Soccer as we all know it is the most popular sport in the world. For instance, Nike is putting on a football tournament to even celebrate the imminent arrival/release of the NEW Gigi Rüf Nike Zoom Kaiju QS snow boarding boot, designed to the exact specifications of pro snowboarder Gigi Rüf. Nike has come a long way since the birth of ACG. However, since Nike has entered the unknown world of action sports they have made the transition look very smooth. It does not surprise me that Nike has quickly gained market share in the action sports industry, due to the fact that Nike has always been able to adapt and listen to their athletes needs/wants and reach their target market. In the end, this boot is the perfect example of Nike listening to the athlete for inspiration and innovation.

November 2010 will see the release of the Gigi Rüf Nike Zoom Kaiju QS. Gigi’s passion for football and his hometown club SC Bregenz in particular has been the starting point of inspiration for this project. Add Nike’s Mercurial Vapor football boot to the mix and you’ll get one of the most technically advanced snowboard boots out in the market.



What do you think about the boots?