All-New Nike Air Zoom Mercurial Boot - To Be Never Launched?
Feb 8, 2021, by Pat
Update: Around one year after Nike revealed the boots, the Nike Air Zoom Mercurial have still not been released. In fact, they were intended to be launched in August 2020 for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, which were postponed to 2021.
It is not sure if the Nike Air Zoom Mercurial boots will be launched anytime - they have some elements in common with the next-gen Nike Mercurial 2021 cleats.
Update: Thanks to @sneakeronsight, we get a first look at the sole plate and studs of the all-new Nike Air Zoom Mercurial 2020 football boots. Especially the cleats of the football boots look very interesting.
Update: We can exclusively leak the launch date of the Nike Air Zoom Mercurial football boots. The first-ever Nike soccer cleat with Flyprint tech will be launched in August 2020. The boot will be not available to buy everywhere, and very likely also limited to not "too many pairs" worldwide. They will retail at around 300 Euro.
February 2021: Nike Reveals 2020 Tokyo Olympics Line-Up Incl. Air Zoom Mercurial Boots
Updated with more pictures. Besides three national team kit sets (Nigeria, South Korea and USA), Nike also launched an all-new (concept) football boot at its Innovation event in New York City, the Air Zoom Mercurial.
Nike Air Zoom Mercurial
This picture shows the all-new Nike Air Zoom Mercurial soccer cleat.
Nike showed off two colorways of the new boots - one picture of a black one was shared, while the white colorway could be seen on the release pictures for the new national team kits.
The Nike Air Zoom boots have a full-length Zoom Air bad, designed to provide a "unique underfoot sensation" and better energy return. To achieve this, the internal boot chassis was transitioned to the plate, leaving only the sockliner between the foot and the Zoom Air bag for maximum effect.
“We started with a full length Zoom Air bag and visualized what it would look like if the Air bag kept growing up the sides and enveloped the boot,” says Jeongwoo Lee, Senior Design Director, Nike Football. “This led to the creation of an upper so translucent, varying the hues of the internal sockliner drastically impacts the external appearance of the boot.”
Nike's Air Zoom cleat is the first in football to feature a Flyprint upper. Flyprint is Nike's first 3D-printed textile upper and debuted on the Nike Zoom Vaporfly Elite Flyprint, worn by marathoner Eliud Kipchoge.
Nike Flyprint uppers are produced through solid deposit modeling (SDM), a process whereby a TPU filament is unwound from a coil, melted and laid down in layers. The Flyprint method allows designers to translate athlete data into new textile structures.
One benefit of 3D textiles over traditional 2D fabrics is the increased dynamism made possible by adding an interconnection beyond a warp and weft; an advantage of Flyprint textiles comes in the fused nature of the material. For example, whereas in a knit or woven textile there is frictional resistance between the interlaced (warp and weft) yarns, in a printed textile, due to its fused intersections, there is greater potential for precision-tuned containment. The Air Zoom Mercurial’s Flyprint upper is lighter and more breathable than Nike's previously employed textiles, while still coated with All Conditions Control (ACC) to battle the elements.
Nike’s computational design ensures the upper is reinforced in the right areas with a fine-tuned Flyprint pattern unique to football. In addition to that, the Air Zoom Mercurial features Flywire cables for additional structure and support.
The most impressive part of the Air Zoom Mercurial, however, remains the 4.5mm thick Air Zoom bag. Inspired by Nike's recent advances in running shoe tech, it aims to improve responsiveness more than offer extra cushion.
“In the past, there was a lot of focus on cushioning the heel, but Mercurial players don’t play on their heels.” notes Lee. “The players we designed for are taking off from their forefoot at full speed, repeatedly. That’s why we focused on providing a thin, full-length Zoom bag that can best be defined as snappy. You don’t squish into it so much as propel off of it.”
The Zoom Air bag is visible – and in one area, exposed and touchable – underfoot. In honor of the 20th anniversary of Zoom Air, “20 Zoom” appears on the heel counter. In addition to being one of Nike’s signature innovations, Air is also among the most sustainable. All Nike Air sole innovations since 2008 contain at least 50% recycled manufacturing waste. Flyprint is also a sustainable method of make and as a nod to this, the instep of the boot reads, “Structure printed as a single strand = Zero Waste.”
“The Air Zoom Mercurial is a glimpse into the future and where we could take things,” concludes Lee. “With innovations like Air and Flyprint at our disposal, as well as those things still under development, there’s no limit to what football boots can become.”
It's still a concept at this point, but we don't think that Nike hasn't planned a rollout for the new tech already. Since there's no word on release info yet, stay tuned for more as it becomes available to us.
What do you think about Nike's latest innovation in football boots? Comment below, and check out the Boot Calendar for all the latest leaks and release dates.
Amiens SC Add Pink Details to 26-27 Home Kit for Pink October
French side Amiens SC have introduced a special update to their 26-27 Puma home kit in support of the annual Octobre Rose (Pink October) breast cancer awareness and screening campaign. Debuted during their 3-0 victory against FC Villefranche at the Stade Crédit Agricole de la Licorne, the club's traditional black-and-white halved home strip was revamped with vibrant pink details.
The customized kit features eye-catching pink names and squad numbers on the back, along with pink-tinted sponsor graphics, including Intersport and Igol. Completing the tribute is a small pink ribbon placed prominently on the right chest just above the Puma cat branding.
Amiens SC confirmed that the special pink printing is not a one-match appearance; the team will also wear the modified kit during their upcoming away match against Valenciennes FC later this month.
Alianza Universidad 2026 Special Kit Released
Peruvian club Alianza Universidad de Huánuco and local manufacturer Real Sport have officially unveiled a special commemorative kit for the 2026 season. Launched under the slogan "Vestimos nuestra fe" (We wear our faith), the release embraces Peru's deep-rooted October tradition of donning purple to pay homage to religious heritage, specifically honoring the Señor de Burgos, the patron saint of Huánuco.
The Real Sport Alianza Universidad 2026 special shirt swaps the team's customary red and blue palette for a striking purple and white striped look. It features bold purple vertical stripes across the front, complemented by a purple crew neck and matching sleeve trim on white sleeves. On the upper back sits an intricate graphic badge depicting the Señor de Burgos, accompanied by the inscription "Rey y Patrón de Huánuco", while squad numbers are rendered in gold with purple outlines.
The special edition kit is set to make its on-pitch debut during October Liga 2 action and is currently available via pre-order through the club's official channels.
Adidas Reuses Spain’s 2026 Training Kits
During recent UEFA Nations League training sessions, Spain was spotted using old training jerseys with one star removed and two additional stars printed above the logo. The imprint of the old star remains visible on the shirts.
This case is reminiscent of another interesting situation involving the Argentina futsal team at the 2021 Futsal World Cup. Despite being the defending champions, Argentina was not provided bespoke kits by Adidas and had to use standard jerseys, from which two stars were removed and replaced with one, as they had only won the Futsal World Cup once.
Big thanks to @whatthekit_x for the collages.
Chelsea 26-27 Home Kit Leaked
Based on leaked details from myach_lab, our partner @whatthekit_x have created a mockup of the Chelsea 2026-27 shirt. The design combines a blue base with yellow details and a distinctive checkered sleeve pattern, while the Nike and Chelsea logos are placed centrally. The simplified lion crest from this season is also retained.
Bayern München 27-28 Away Kit New Prediction
Based on the leaked information, the kit designer JMFK have created the another prediction of the Adidas FC Bayern München 2027-2028 away kit. Please note that this design remains highly speculative.
