My first love for football boots was thanks to the Nike Mercurial Vapor 2 — worn by Thierry Henry in his pomp. It was the sleekest thing ever and close to 20 years on, I believe it has aged well. Despite its early reputation for poor worksmanship and a claustrophobic fit, I maintained my admiration for the Mercurial as it led the way in innovation for the industry though my taste for boots started veering towards power boots and the more comfortable leather options.
It was only a year ago when I reviewed the previous generation Mercurial to rekindle some love for the speed boot genre. I believed in speed again. However, when Nike launched an update to the boot at the end of July, I was perplexed. Could this have been just a minor facelift, falsely sold as a big update?
How could they have improved on an already excellent boot which came close to being The Best Boot of ? While I tested the high cut Superfly in the previous generation, I decided to plonk for the Mercurial Vapor 13 this time around considering my preference for lower cut boots.
The Superfly will set you back some extra dollars for its dynamic fit collar — something I was not one overly keen on as it did not provide much more value for money. The biggest change between both generations is its application of Flyknit. The last generation had a moderately stiff upper despite how thin it was. The new Mercurial Vapor 13 however keeps the handsome look of its predecessor but has changed out the upper construction altogether.
This also means we can say goodbye to Flywire cables to keep your foot in place while sprinting and changing direction as these yarns do its job throughout the entire upper. Despite its knit roots, the glossy coating does unfortunately make the boot feel most plasticky than knitted. Pro tip: loosen those laces generously and hope for the best.
They are mighty tough to put on due to the small opening and lack of stretch around the mouth of the boot. The anatomical soleplate returns and it just plants and hugs your foot snugly into the base of the boot. Wiggle your toes and you can feel the difference in the upper. The Mercurial Vapor 13 feels much softer and is more forgiving to your feet. Fit-wise, it accommodates slim footed players. It just barely fits those with moderate width feet, like myself.
Go true to size, like I did with my pair of US 9. The Mercurial has never been kind to those with wide feet and you might be better off with the adidas X Just like the best speed boots do, the Mercurial Vapor 13 makes you feel very light on your feet as it weighs a mere g in my size US 9. The upper comes with almost no padding so every touch you get on the ball feels raw and engaging. I had to be completely focused when receiving the ball, with every touch in the dribble and with my passes as there was no cushioning to dampen the touch.
Striking the ball was also surprisingly delightful as you feel the full brunt of the contact with the ball — this is as barefoot as it gets. If you love a barefoot feel, the Mercurial Vapor 13 is definitely for you. Off the ball, you can feel the high tenacity yarns working overtime to hold your foot in place as you pivot and make quick changes in direction.
The lockdown is pretty good and I think Nike deserve some kudos in trying to solve this problem while ensuring some level of comfort. You probably already know that the Nike Mercurial is split into two different models. As always, the first thing you have to do is choose between them.
In a nutshell, it all comes down to that high sock collar and a few extra pennies. If you prefer a high-top collar, go for the Superfly. If not, then go for the Vapor.
Just like every other major release, the Nike Mercurial Dragonfly comes in various tiers. These boot models will vary wildly in price, which could have you scratching your head when the pictures all look incredibly similar.
For now, though, you just need to know that Nike typically release four versions of their boots: Elite , Pro , Academy and Club. Yep, remember all that awesome stuff I was talking about earlier? You get all of that if you opt for the Elite version of the Dragonfly. The Vaporposite upper, Flyknit collar and stabilising Speed Banding will be all yours, along with all the other premium bells and whistles Nike have to offer. Perfect for: footballers playing at a decent level, but sticking to a more sensible budget.
I mean, at first glance, it kinda even looks like the real deal. Still, the performance is undoubtedly impressive. This is a genuine achievement, and the best value for money you can get. The Mercurial Academy offers another huge drop in price, but now the differences are starting to become clearer.
Of course, the tech itself is also very different here. The cheapest option, but you get what you pay for with the Mercurial Club. Huh, otherwise everyone would just go for these instead. Okay, so the upper is bulkier, heavier and less textured than all the other options, but it still feels really soft on-foot when compared to other bottom tier boots.
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