Nike Mercurial Vapor VI
Nike Mercurial Vapor VI come in men's and women's sizes and offer a number of customization options. We have seen them priced as low as $179 for the obsidian/ white version. The more popular colors schemes such as catus and white can still cost as much as $239. At 8 ounces the VIs weigh about half an ounce less than the Vs. Other differences include making the lace covers optional, as many players did not like them, claiming the covers make it difficult to get in or out of the cleats, especially in cold weather. In what appears to be a year-to-year downgrade, the Vapor VIs have no Flywire in the uppers , its not clear whether this is a cost cutting or performance measure. The Vapor Vs had some flywire in the middle of the uppers. The
outsoles
You can see the new outsoles in the on top in the picture to the left. For comparison, the bottom shoe shows the pattern on the Vapor Vs. The back cleats are hollow, which is also a change from year to year. From the style standpoint, there are more colors available for the Nike Mercurial Vapor VI, and also, the two toned uppers are more wavy in their color divisions. In the Vs the shoes were symmetrically colored in halves. Also, if you do opt for the lace covers, they do not go as far up the foot on the VIs. This makes it easier, again, to get in or out of the shoes. It also makes sense as the lace covers are there,in theory, to smooth the foot-ball contact surface. Rather than the controversial coating, the VIs have a brushed finish to assist with ball control. Otherwise, these shoes seem to be similar to the Vapor Vs. The uppers are made from micro-fiber synthetics allowing for enough rigidity and support with breathability. The toes borrow from track and incorporate "toe-off" technology to aid in acceleration. The outside plate come in three options: firm ground ( FG- short grass, no rain), soft ground (SG - lots of rain) or hard g round (HG- packed dirt etc). You can also order left and right shoes sized separately. Wide options are available too. One final option includes choosing either a 'hard/firm' or 'soft' sock liner.
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have been completely re-engineered, with the new versions using completely translucent glass fiber materials as a base, and employing a new cleat pattern: replacing the V cleat on the big toe (instep) with another multi-directional cleat.