Nike Mercurial SL

The background for the Nike Mercurial Super Light (SL) was to create a football boot with no design or financial limitations. Taking money, time and manufacturing considerations out of the equation, Nike set about producing the lightest, fastest football boot possible.
The Nike Mercurial SL weighs only 185g and is made almost entirely of carbon fibre. Something which, until this point, had never been done before. The Nike Mercurial SL is being marketed as the football boot brand’s most lightweight, most highly responsive yet flexible and strong football boot to date. A football boot featuring only what’s needed without giving up any performance.

Initially designed in the style of a concept car: to lead innovation, to drive new ideas, to push the boundaries in design and engineering, the development process for the Nike Mercurial SL took 3 years, spanning four continents. The Nike Mercurial SL has been specifically designed to cater for the fastest football players, and as such will be primarily sported by Chelsea’s Didier Drogba and Manchester United’s Cristiano Ronaldo. As a limited edition football boot, it is likely to become one of the most sought after football boots on the market. Only 2000 pairs of the Nike Mercurial SL have been produced and each pair will set you back a cool 400 euros.

Sole

Nike worked with a partner in Germany to create a 7 layer carbon composite material interwoven with TPU and polyurethane to maximize the material of the sole. With no lasting board, the structure is in the sole itself. The construction gives the player torsional stability to offer greater propulsion across the field. The foot is closer to the ground, giving players a smooth ride. A reinforcing rib adds support to the foot, increasing impact resistance and preventing reverse bending during a hard toe kick. The carbon fibre is woven together at angles to provide the most flexible, lightweight, foot-fitting support without sacrificing strength.

In Korea, cleats and stud tips were injection moulded on to the sole-plate, creating a single outsole piece. The traction of the cleat is built for a fast athlete, allowing for quick acceleration across the field with or without the ball. The Nike Mercurial SL has a minimized heel bucket keeping the heel in place.

Upper

In Montebelluna, Italy, at Nike’s Research Centre, engineers created a new process enabling them to mould the carbon fibre into a soft performance upper for the football boot.

The black aesthetic of the football boot is dictated by the colour of the carbon fibre. The pink Swoosh is the only added element. “It invites you to take a closer look so you’ll see the detail and the beauty of the football boot” explains Nike designer, Peter Hudson.

He goes on to say: “With the Mercurial SL, we’ve truly delivered on a promise – as a lightweight, high performance football boot for acceleration, the Mercurial SL sets a new standard not only for football performance, but as a conceptual product without limits – a product based entirely on a vision. We created a new design and aesthetic vernacular for football.”

Adidas Predator PowerSwerve

The ninth generation of the Predator® family sets new standards, in particular with regard to power, swerve and control. Scientific tests have shown that, in comparison to its predecessor, the Predator® PowerSwerve can achieve up to eight percent more swerve and increase the power behind every shot by around three percent. The Dynamic PowerPulse™ technology in the sole of the boot and the special hi-tech foam in the forefoot upper material make these improvements possible. The PowerPulse™ element filled with tungsten powder, which shifts weight toward the point of impact, enables players to put more power behind every shot. The hi-tech foam in the Predator® element ensures added power, more swerve and better ball control.

The new Predator® PowerSwerve will be available at retail in black/white and white/black from December. Further models will be brought to market in the course of 2008, the year of the European Championships.

Predator® PowerSwerve — Tech

Dynamic PowerPulse™

Dynamic PowerPulse™ utilizes a Tungsten powder-filled PowerPulse™ element that shifts weight toward the point of impact as you kick, allowing more powerful shots and increased flexibilty. With Dynamic PowerPulse™, players can experience the most powerful Predator® ever. Add an adiPrene® insert in the sockliner and you have unprecedented comfort, power and flexibility.

Engineered Predator® Technology

Low-profile Engineered Predator® elements have been integrated into the Power Zone on top of the forefoot for even more power behind every shot, while enhanced Predator® technology in the Swerve Zone at the side continues to give shots and passes the swerve and control that have made this the world’s most elite Football boot for over a decade.

Hi-tech Foam

Hi-tech foam, used in the Predator® element, allows for more rebound power, more swerve and improved control through longer contact with the ball.

X-Traxion®

Quick-change stud system for maximum pitch penetration and minimal stud pressure.

Split Outsole

Provides lightweight stability for solid foot placement on any pitch.

Xternal Heel Counter

Smaller but extremely strong, the dual-compound heel counter reduces pressure on the Achilles tendon and provides comfort and stability.

Asymmetrical Loop Lacing

Offset lacing provides a larger, cleaner kicking surface to eliminate missed shots and passes.

Adidas Predator History

Adidas Predator had been known as the world's best selling football boot. The common feature of the Predator range is the presence of rubber patches or strips on the top of the shoe that, according to Adidas, increase power, swerve, and accuracy when kicking the ball. In early 1990's Craig Johnston, former Liverpool winger from Australia, came up with the idea of attaching rubber patches with teeth-like dimples to the outside of the kicking area of the boot in order to apply extra spin to the ball when passing and shooting, this prototype design then become the first Adidas Predator series.

The Series

Predator (1994)

The First Adidas Predator introduced on the occasion of World Cup '94 in USA. This shoes makes the player had more power, more control and more swerve when kicking a ball with more accuracy. Adidas Predator proving to be a revolution in football footwear with the technology innovation considered as the greatest since the screw-in stud had been introduced.

Predator Rapier (1995)

Adidas Rapier also known as Adidas Predator II, is an update from the former model. The rubber-fins get a re-design to offered a greater ball control and increased power. Another improvement was it offered a more natural fit to the foot. Predator Rapier was the first who had a fold-over tounge design.

Predator Touch (1996)

The Predator Touch meant a change in many ways. It featured the Traxion (trx) studs which enabling increased grip. Traxion studs where rectangular and anatomically placed in sole. Before, studs had always been round. The Predator Touch first seen on EURO 1996.

Predator Accelerator (1998)

To coincide with the 1998 FIFA World Cup in France, Adidas launched the Predator Accelerator. With a more anatomically sound and professional fit, the football boot included asymmetrical loop lacing providing a larger, cleaner kicking surface to eliminate missed shots and passes.

Predator Precision (2000)

The Adidas Predator Precision was launched during the EURO 2000, with exchangeable TRAXION studs: XTRAXION. A merge between some of the leading football boot innovations ever: the idea of exchangeable studs from 1954 and the Predator and TRAXION technologies of the mid ‘90s. The exchangeable Traxion studs that were fitted by the tightening of a minute screw. These studs were available in various lengths that made the boot adjustable to ground conditions as is possible with the classic screw-in soft-ground studs. There were however some reliability problems, as the studs would come loose quite often, thus needing more constant maintenance than the classic screw-ins.

Predator Mania (2002)

The 2002 FIFA World Cup in Korea-Japan was the launch pad for the Predator Mania. As a much lighter Predator football boot, the Mania featured a split outsole construction. The renewed configuration of the Predator compound allowed players to give the ball even more swerve than before.

Predator Pulse (2004)

The Predator Pulse presented in 2004 featured the new PowerPulse technology for the first time. The PowerPulse unit, relocates only 40 grams of weight to the front of the shoe, achieving an increased power transfer of 3% in every kick. This means increased ball speed and ultimately less reaction time for a goalkeeper when the ball is shot on goal. The Predator once again confirmed its status as the world’s premier football boot, selling well over two million pairs in 2004 and 2005.

Predator Absolute (2006)

Adidas unleashed its most accurate, lightest and most powerful football boot at the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany: the Predator Absolute. The 8th generation of Predator features the revolutionary Exchangeable PowerPulse technology, allowing players to add power to taste!

Predator PowerSwerve (2007)

Adidas' newest version of the Predator, the PowerSwerve, achieves eight percent more swerve and increases the power behind every shot by around three percent, compared to its predecessor. The dynamic Powerpulse and engineered Predator technology elements shifts weight toward the point of impact as you kick, whilst adding forefoot power (Power Zone), allowing more powerful shots and increased flexibilty. Increased shot and pass swerve is achieved by enhanced Predator technology in the Swerve Zone at the side of the football boot.
More about Predator PowerSwerve.