Soccer Cleats 101 Soccer Cleats News and Reviews
What a few weeks it has been, with Nike and adidas dropping some spectacular remakes for fans to adore. All three releases – Nike Phantom VSN 2 “Future DNA Hypervenom”, adidas Predator Mania “Tormentor” and Nike Mercurial Vapor “Future DNA Mercurial” – provide their own unique set of attributes while celebrating a previous market release. We are talking next level nostalgia, evoking what for some will be memories of glory days past.
Side note here, Nike still has 2 more “Future DNA” releases to come, but we wanted to take a look at the three pairs that have been recently released while providing some feedback on each version. Picking a pair depends on what you need from a re-release, with each offering their own performance characteristics.
Nike Mercurial Vapor “Future DNA Mercurial”
Retail: $249.99
Category: Speed
Weight: 6.8oz
Nike has taken the iconic Max Orange/Silver colorway found on the 2009 Mercurial Vapor Superfly and placed it on the current Mercurial Vapor 13 Elite silo. The end result is a visual appearance that evokes lightning fast vibes, ready to shred any defenders that stands in your way while wearing them. It might not be that easy, but at least you will be wearing one of the best looking boots on the market right now!
Paying tribute to its predecessor’s Max Orange and Metallic Silver colorway — debuting only on the pitch by the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo — the Nike Mercurial Vapor “Future DNA Mercurial” sees modern upgrades on a classically fast boot with the addition of high-tenacity yarns on the upper (an elevated version of the Nike Flywire technology used on the original), which keeps the boot from stretching. The 2020 iteration, which uses the Mercurial Vapor 13 Elite silhouette, also has All Conditions Control to prevent the boot from being porous.
Nostalgia Effect: 3/5
Remake Value: 4/5
Original Performance: 3/5
adidas Predator Mania “Tormentor”
Retail: $349.99
Category: Power
Weight: 7.8oz
Of the three releases, this is the one that mimics the original release closest. This one will bring back a lot of fond World Cup 2002 memories for those that watched the tournament in Japan/South Korea, with adidas looking to replicate that version using modern innovation. Like the original you get a kangaroo leather upper, a central lacing system with a fold over tongue that covers the laces, and the most aggressive Predator elements ever put on a boot. But this version is trimmed down to be lighter and a lot more modern.
The one unfortunate aspect to this release is the astronomical price. If you have the money and want to relive glory days, absolutely go for it. But, there are far better options out there to spend $350 on.
Nostalgia Effect: 5/5
Remake Value: 1/5
Original Performance: 5/5
Nike Phantom VSN 2 “Future DNA Hypervenom”
Retail: $274.99
Category: Control/Agility
Weight: 7.6oz
In order to create the iconic look found on the Phantom VSN 2 “Future DNA Hypervenom”, Nike took the original visual design found on the Hypervenom Phantom (released in 2013) and dropped it on the current Phantom Vision 2 silo. This is a look that channels the spirit of its predecessor with throwback colorways and is updated with texture placed exactly where control is needed — on the instep for trapping, and along the outside of the foot for creative dribbling and flicking passes.
This is a classy look that will become a conversation starter on and off the pitch, when other players see the look and reminisce on the former release. This is the first in a series of four releases that Nike will drop over the next few weeks, each of their current silos will be dressed up in a throwback design just like this one.
Nostalgia Effect: 4/5
Remake Value: 3/5
Original Performance: 4/5
