Nike and EA made a Mercurial boot to commemorate 23 years of FIFA, and it's beautiful
We're only a few days away from the highly anticipated launch of FIFA 17. The game's been around long enough to have been drinking legally for a couple years, and to commemorate the release, Nike and EA Sports teamed up to release a limited edition Mercurial Superfly that "highlights the progression from the 16-bit graphics of ‘94 to today’s high definition output." And oh my Lord, is it beautiful.
The outer high definition gradient of the boot is striking, with a kind of 'Dutch Oranje' feel to it, but it's the lateral 16-bit pixelation design that really strikes the perfect mix of nostalgia and modernity. It's like wearing a tangible piece of my childhood. If Marty McFly played soccer, he'd probably rock these.
It almost surprising it took so long to make a collab like this, but Nathan Van Hook, Senior Design Director for Nike Football says: “this collaboration came together rather organically. Our design team spends a lot of our free time playing football – both on the pitch and via video game – we’re pretty obsessed with both. We wanted to create something memorable that brings together the physical and virtual worlds.”
Nike retooled their Mercurial logo just for this boot and the logo also comes on the accompanying shoebox and bag. Like the upper, the logo also shows the progression from from 16-bit to high def. As finishing touches, the design features golden thread through the laces and an iridescent sole plate. Limited to a run of 1,500 pairs, each is individually numbered on the heel. They release September 26th.
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