The SoccerBible Boot-Vault is back for its latest instalment! For our latest blast from the past, we re-visit one of the most popular Nike football boots of recent times – the Nike Mercurial Vapor IV EC08 Limited Edition! Designed in line with the Austria/Switzerland Euro 08 tournament, Nike's leather speed boot took the competition by storm!
The Nike Mercurial Vapor IV EC08 was a highly restricted release, reserved for Europe's elite and those quick enough to get their hands on a pair! Take a look at our exclusive images as we bring 2008's hottest boot back to life! Share your thoughts online, on Twitter and on Facebook.
The Nike Mercurial Vapor IV EC08 football boots were made famous by Nike's Euro08 Mercurial roster. Players including Frank Ribery, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and most notably Andrei Arshavin, who lit up the tournament with his performances for Russia, made the boot the most in-demand soccer shoe of the year.
Each limited edition Nike Mercurial Vapor IV EC08 was presented in a commemorative box and dressed in EC08 insignia, representing the bond between the two host nations and their heritage. While some professionals were treated to a custom Vapor IV EC08 SL, the standard fixed FG sole-plate edition was only made available to the public in limited numbers.
The Nike Mercurial Vapor IV EC08 football boots were one part of Nike's Premier Leather soccer shoe collection released to take Euro 2008 by storm. Nike's leather Vapor IV sat alongside the Legend II EC08 and Laser II EC08 as part of Nike's campaign to united its players. The success of this three-silo unification was the inspiration behind Nike's next international tournament collection – the 2010 World Cup Elite football boots.
In 2008, a leather speed boot was somewhat of a contradiction, with synthetics dominating the speed boot landscape. But the idea of combining the key elements of Nike's lightweight speed series with the natural benefits of K-Leather was a innovative concept exclusive to the Nike Mercurial Vapor IV EC08 and propelled the boot to new heights! Even with a leather upper, the boot weighed just 245g.
Retaining all the elements of lightweight and speed that the Vapor series is famous for, the Nike Mercurial Vapor IV EC08 sported a smooth, supple and flexible K-leather upper in replace of the synthetic material usually featured in the Vapor IV. The result was the most comfortable Nike Vapor created! One of the only players not to wear the leather Vapor was Cristiano Ronaldo, who was given exclusive rights to the Pine Green Vapor IV boots throughout Euro 08.
Stay tuned to SoccerBible as we reveal even more soccer cleats from the Boot Vault, showcasing the best retro, classic and once forgotten boots and bringing them back to life! As always we'd love to hear your opinions by joining the conversations with the SoccerBible community online, on Twitter and on Facebook.