The new generation has increased the length of the studs slightly so we wouldn’t recommend playing on turf in these, you’ll be much better suited with an AG plate.Īs an added bonus for this season Nike have also upgraded their Anti-Clog plate – not just in the sense that they can now create it in different colourways – but that it also follows the same split design to keep weight down and not compromise flexibility as much.įor so long the success of the Mercurial was built on super-soft synthetic materials, notably the Vapor X, a strong favourite of ours, but this new Flyknit construction has a strange way of making this feel like a completely new boot while still drenched in Mercurial DNA.Ī couple of other side notes: like any knitted boot, if you leave them in your bag for a few days after a game then they’re gonna stink. You can push off at any angle with absolute confidence that the boot is secure and is offering you optimal energy return. It’s super aggressive, incredibly responsive and is built to cut at speed, accelerate & decelerate. We wont sit on the fence here, the Mercurial has the best speed outsole on the market. There’s a thin layer of All Conditions Control (ACC) technology on top which is still underrated in our opinion, even in the most torrential rain it keeps the boots light, dry and ultimately fast. The upper is made from a high-tenacity yarn which presses nicely against your feet to ensure that there are no gaps between your foot and the upper, which is what offers that warm harnessed sensation we were on about earlier, even when sprinting and changing direction at pace. Honestly, if you’ve got extra wide feet, pick something else. Would we go half a size up if we had extra wide feet? No, they’d been too long. We’d definitely go true to size but we tightened the laces a decent amount to get the right fit.
#SUPERFLY 7 PROFESSIONAL#
We’ve seen a few professional players taking out the laces to wear them as a slip-on boot, but we can’t say we’d do the same. Nike have found a much sleeker way of incorporating the mid-cut silhouette in comparison to the much thicker and more intimidating collar of the Superfly V. The Dynamic Fit Collar is ever so slightly lower than the previous generation but not really enough to notice. Knitted boots have the tendency to feel a bit vulnerable to a tear or foot injury during a game but the Superfly 7’s upper feels strong, which is surprising considering it also feels lighter and more flexible. With that initial tougher feel comes a lot of durability. The new Flyknit construction does the make the boot feel a bit stiffer than it looks but it starts to soften up quite quickly once you’ve worn them a few times.
#SUPERFLY 7 ZIP#
It’s enough to take the zip out of a pass but thin and hard enough to offer that sharp pingy feel when you strike the ball. The upper is textured and offers a grippy feel on the ball because of that. Is it super soft? Not on the outside, but once you're in you feel the perfect sensation of harnessing without it being too tight it really is bang on in terms of lockdown. The Flyknit is rougher to touch thanks to the weave of the material but it instantly feels lighter and tighter once your foot is locked in. That new upper is obviously the key feature that you’re going to notice when you get them on feet. Hence why the Superfly is only a tenner more expensive than the Vapor these days. Other than a slightly more enhanced feeling on the ankle, they’re identical. Flip the boot over and this is where you can tell that you’ve paid top whack for them – the soleplate is armed with a design that screams agility and the usage of ‘Nike Football’ in numerous languages finishes things off perfectly.īefore we get onto the performance review it’s probably worth noting that the Superfly 7 is basically the Vapor 13 with a slightly taller collar.
The white fleck within the new Flyknit upper adds further beauty to the aesthetic, but we’ll have more on that in a bit. The ‘Merc’ and ‘Just Do It’ branding is modern and progressive while offering a streamlined look with its sloping direction, and the outlined Swoosh on the ‘New Lights’ colourway ensures that the blue colour is dominant. This is the busiest Mercurial upper we’ve seen and when you take it out of the box it instantly looks stunning. And do you know what? We’re absolutely on board with that. The technical updates are minimal, at least on first sight in terms of the shape anyway, so naturally Nike have saved the dramatic overhaul for the aesthetic with some strong graphic game taking over the upper. But if you wore the Superfly VI or Vapor XII then the transition will be pretty seamless with some pleasant upgrades in store. If you haven’t worn a Mercurial since the synthetic days of the Vapor X or XI then these will take some getting used to.