As the original superstar of speed, the Nike Mercurial Vapor has been at the pinnacle of the game for over a decade. Now Nike Football continue to push the boundaries of one of the world's most iconic football boots, with the ground breaking release of the massively hyped Vapor VIII.
SoccerBible sat down exclusively with Nike's UK Product Insider Chris Tyler, to bring you an industry-inside look into one of the biggest football boot releases of 2012. In part three-of-five in this mini-series, Chris discusses another area where the boot has significantly improved – fit and touch. Join the discussion online, on Twitter and on Facebook.
The Nike Mercurial Vapor VIII features a sleeker and closer feel that is achieved by a special toe-box reinforcer, increasing comfort around the toe. The new Vapor also features a thinner, stronger and lighter Teijin Microfiber with a suede-like finish, increasing ball control and touch as well as reducing the weight to 185g.
Speaking on the new upper material of the Mercurial Vapor VIII, Chris explained; ''Since the first Mercurial shoe in 1998, the product developers have pushed the performance boundaries of advanced microfibre materials. For the Vapor VIII we're using a 1.2mm microfibre one piece upper which gives an unbelievable close and streamlined fit.''
''It's lighter and stronger than any other upper we've used before. It gives the touch and control qualities of a natural material. This is the softest Vapor we've ever created. There's engineered support areas to give additional strength where it's needed. So if you think about explosive players like Walcott or Mata, when they burst past players they're exerting incredible forces through their feet.''
Stay tuned to SoccerBible, as each day this week we'll be bringing you more insider-access to the Nike Mercurial Vapor VIII. Check out our full feature of the boot here. Join the conversation and share your thoughts online, on Twitter and on Facebook.