Nike Mercurial VaporEvery Generation
From Ronaldo at the 1998 World Cup to the Vapor 17. Every Vapor Nike made, the colourways and the pairs we still talk about.
By Boots Plug · Updated October 2026
The lineup, from our own pairs: the Match Mercurial R9, Vapor I to IV, the Mercurial SL, Vapor V to 17 and the 2025 Vapor I RGN remake.
The Lineup
Swipe ▸
- Upper
- KNG-100 Synthetic Leather
- Worn By
- Ronaldo
- Upper
- One-Piece NikeSKIN
- Worn By
- Ronaldo, Van Nistelrooy
- Change
- Bigger Heel Tab
- Worn By
- Henry, Zlatan
- Upper
- Teijin Microfibre
- Heel
- Carbon-Fibre Wrap
- Upper
- Teijin, Lace Cover
- Worn By
- Cristiano Ronaldo
- Upper
- Almost All Carbon
- Limited To
- 2,008 FG + 500 SG
- Features
- Flywire On The Instep
- Worn By
- Walcott, Robinho
- Plate
- See-Through Glass Fibre
- Price
- £180
- Change
- Lace Cover Gone
- Price
- £150
- Upper
- Suede-Like Teijin
- Plate
- Twin Heel Studs
- Upper
- Speed Control Dimples
- Worn By
- Zlatan, Neymar
- Upper
- Thin Teijin, No Tongue
- Worn By
- Hazard, Pedro
- Upper
- Teijin, Speed Ribs
- Plate
- Split Toe
- Upper
- Flyknit 360
- Worn By
- Neymar
- Plate
- Aerotrak
- Worn By
- Neymar
- Upper
- Vaporposite
- Worn By
- Kerr
- Plate
- Zoom Air
- Launched
- June 2022
- Upper
- Flyknit + Gripknit
- Worn By
- Vinícius Júnior
- Upper
- Atomknit
- Weight
- 155 g
- Remake Of
- The 2002 Vapor I
- Plate
- Vapor 16 (2025 Pairs)
The Mercurial Vapor is Nike's low-cut speed boot. It grew out of the 1998 Mercurial that Ronaldo wore at the France World Cup. The first Vapor dropped in 2002, and the line reached the Vapor 17 in June 2026. Henry, Cristiano Ronaldo and Zlatan all wore it. Some editions came in small, numbered runs.
The Original Mercurial
Every Vapor starts here. Ronaldo, 21 at the time, wore the first Mercurial at the 1998 World Cup in France. Silver, blue and yellow to match Brazil. His first goal of the tournament came in it, on 16 June.
Synthetic-leather upper with wavy grip panels, stainless-steel studs, four years before the first Vapor.
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Nike built it with its Advanced Product Engineering group and took cues from racing cars. The upper was KNG-100 synthetic leather, the first use of synthetic leather in a high-profile boot. It felt like leather but didn't soak up water. The plate was thinner than any boot before it, with stainless-steel studs. A Nike designer called the heavy boots it replaced "farm equipment".
It dropped in black first. The silver, blue and yellow pair was made for Ronaldo at the World Cup, and a black, white and blue pair followed at Inter in 1999/2000.
The name came from Nike's Tim Smith, after "Ultravelox" was considered. Early working names were Tiempo Ultra Light and Ronaldo Ultra Speed. The Mercurial 2 and the Match Mercurial came next, before the Vapor. Henry won the 2001/02 double in a black and red Mercurial 2. 32 goals.
The Ones We Still Chase- Silver/Blue/Yellow (World Cup 1998)
- The Black Original
- Black/White/Blue
- Mercurial 2 Black/Red
Mercurial Vapor I
The one that started it all. Ronaldo wore the Vapor I at the 2002 World Cup and scored eight.
One smooth upper with no stitched overlays, and a mini tongue.
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The first Vapor, and the third Mercurial. Nike took a track spike onto the pitch: close-to-the-foot last, one-piece NikeSKIN upper, near-barefoot feel. Dropped mid-2002, before the World Cup. Glass-filled nylon plate, inspired by sprint spikes. There was a K-leather version too.
Nike weighed everything, down to the glue and the stitching thread, and got it to about 190 g. Peter Hudson is the designer Nike credits.
Ronaldo wore Silver/Chilli Red in the early games of the 2002 World Cup and scored five. From the semi-final he switched to an exclusive Chrome/Silver R9 pair and scored three more, eight in all. That August, a 17-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo made his Sporting debut in the Vapor I. Van Nistelrooy won the 2002/03 Golden Boot in it, and Zlatan rocked a Black/Chilli Red pair at Ajax in 2003.
A women's version followed in 2003, built on feedback from Mia Hamm and Brandi Chastain.
The Ones We Still Chase- Silver/Chilli Red
- R9 Chrome/Silver
- Chrome/Lime
- Black/Chilli Red
- Shock Orange/White
Mercurial Vapor II
Dropped in January 2004 in Team Red and Photo Blue. Same plate as the Vapor I, bigger heel tab, softer and slightly thicker upper. Henry wore it through Arsenal's unbeaten 2003/04 season.
A bigger, higher heel tab, and a side pattern with deeper indents and a thin coloured stripe.
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Henry, Ronaldo, Zlatan and Cristiano Ronaldo all wore it.
Henry had the red pair before it even went on sale: Arsenal's 5-1 win at Inter on 25 November 2003, two goals. He went on to score 30 league goals in the unbeaten season for the Golden Boot, then 25 in 2004/05 for his third.
The weight stayed the same as the Vapor I. Padding around the ankle was added part-way through the run. Zlatan wore a red pair at Euro 2004, and Ronaldo had a gold and black R9 version.
The Ones We Still Chase- Team Red
- Photo Blue
- Photo Red
- R9 Gold/Black
Mercurial Vapor III
The 2006 World Cup boot, and the first Vapor in Teijin microfibre. Carbon-fibre heel wrap, two-piece plate, and 14 colourways at launch, a Nike record at the time.
An exposed carbon-fibre wrap around the heel cup, the first carbon on a Vapor, on a smoother Teijin upper.
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Padded heel cup. Carbon and glass-nylon inside the plate, with bladed studs. Cristiano Ronaldo wore it too.
Teijin took over from NikeSKIN, and Nike kept using it on the Vapor until the Flyknit Vapor 12 in 2018. The studs were injected straight into the plate.
Ronaldo wore blue and white, then a limited yellow and green R9 pair from the Japan game, and finished on 15 World Cup goals, the record at the time. Drogba won the 2006/07 Golden Boot in blue Vapor IIIs. Henry scored 27 goals in 2005/06 and played the Champions League final. Zlatan rocked it at Inter, Cactus pair included.
The Ones We Still Chase- White/Gold
- R9 Yellow/Green
- Cactus
- Charcoal/Gold
- Sport Red
Mercurial Vapor IV
Cristiano Ronaldo debuted it on 12 January 2008 in Orange Peel. Result: his first United hat-trick. The upper pulled over the laces as a lace cover, with a much bigger Swoosh.
The stitched lace cover, and a much bigger Swoosh moved forward on the side.
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Teijin upper. Plate: TPU on a glass-fibre chassis. Zlatan and Drogba wore it too.
The hat-trick came in United's 6-0 win over Newcastle, and Nike's launch film had Ronaldo racing a Bugatti Veyron. The colours were loud: Orange Peel, Citron and Vapor Rosa. Ronaldo wore Pine Green at Euro 2008, and a K-leather EC08 limited edition, made in Italy, went on sale on the first day of the tournament.
Vapor SL. A premium Vapor IV with a carbon-fibre chassis, outsole and heel counter, at about 210 g, in Sport Red/Gold, Marina/Volt/Metallic Silver and Citron. Zlatan scored both goals against Parma on the last day of 2007/08 in the Sport Red/Gold pair to win Inter the league. It isn't the same boot as the limited, numbered Mercurial SL below.
The Ones We Still Chase- Orange Peel
- Citron
- Vapor Rosa
- Pine Green
- EC08 K-Leather
- Vapor SL Sport Red/Gold
Mercurial SL
Almost all carbon fibre. Individually numbered. A proper grail. Only 2,008 FG and 500 SG pairs made, with the number on the tongue.
Carbon-fibre weave across the upper itself, and a pair number on the tongue.
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A Nike concept boot with no budget limit, about 185 g. Upper made in Italy, plate in Germany, outsole in South Korea.
Mark Parker briefed it around 2006, with no limit on cost. Cristiano Ronaldo wore a black carbon pair with a pink Swoosh in the 2008 Champions League final in Moscow.
Some outlets call it the Mercurial Vapor SL, which mixes it up with the general-release Vapor SL in the Vapor IV section. Our pair is number 1322 of 2,008.
The Ones We Still Chase- Carbon With The Pink Swoosh
Mercurial Vapor V
In shops on 1 April 2009. A separate, cheaper boot from the first Superfly. The Superfly was wrapped in Nike's new Flywire cables; the Vapor V had them only on the inner instep, and kept the lace cover.
Flywire threads show in a panel on the inner instep, under the same kind of lace cover as the IV.
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Pre-order from 11 March. Thinner Teijin, a stretch lace cover and direct-injected TPU studs. Walcott and Robinho wore it.
From 2009 to 2011 Nike made two different boots each year: the Vapor, and the Superfly above it. The Vapor V cost £130; the Superfly was $349.99 in the US. Pato, Zlatan, Robinho and Drogba gave feedback on the design.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Zlatan debuted the Superfly on 11 March 2009, United v Inter. Then Nike pulled it before its April release because uppers were ripping. It came back around July, so the Vapor V got to shops first. Walcott scored in the Vapor V on FA Cup semi-final weekend in 2009.
The Ones We Still Chase- Max Orange/Abyss/Metallic Silver (launch)
- Abyss/White
- Platinum/Hot Red/White
- Black/Voltage Yellow
Mercurial Vapor VI
On sale 1 April 2010 at £180, separate from the Superfly II. No Flywire, a lower lace cover and a see-through glass-fibre plate. Cristiano Ronaldo fronted the launch.
A see-through plate showing the glass fibre, a bigger Swoosh running towards the toe, and no Flywire panel.
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Pre-order from 22 March. Teijin upper.
The launch colourway was Violet Pop/Total Orange/Dark Obsidian. The Vapor Traction II plate had eight hollowed-out studs. Drogba, Walcott and Pato gave design input. The Superfly II, launched that February, had the carbon plate and NikeSENSE studs that moved by a few millimetres.
Cristiano Ronaldo's first signature boot, the CR Safari of October 2010, was a Superfly II. A Vapor VI Safari in White/Total Orange/Black followed in November 2010. Mach Purple/Black/Total Orange was the 2010 World Cup colour.
The Ones We Still Chase- Violet Pop (launch)
- Mach Purple/Black/Total Orange
- Safari White/Total Orange/Black
- Voltage Cherry
- Dark Obsidian/Cool Mint
Mercurial Vapor VII
Released 17 March 2011, same day as the Superfly III. Lace cover gone, lower toe, price cut to £150. Cristiano Ronaldo got a black Safari version in April.
No lace cover, so the laces show again, and a volt lightning-bolt graphic on the heel.
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Teijin upper on a Tepex glass-fibre chassis, with hollow studs.
The launch colourway was Red Plum/Windchill/Volt, with Photo Blue alongside. The plate carried on the VI's Vapor Traction II layout. At £150 it was £125 less than the Superfly III.
The CR Vapor VII in Black/Volt/Dark Shadow put the Safari print from Nike's 1987 Air Safari over the whole boot and the laces, with a volt pattern on the heel. It was set to debut on Ronaldo in El Clásico on 16 April 2011 and went on sale on 1 May. Underneath, the same boot as the Vapor VII. The print did the talking. A CR7 Vapor VII in Metallic Mach Blue/Solar Red followed that November.
The Ones We Still Chase- Red Plum/Windchill/Volt
- Photo Blue
- Orange/Black/Volt/Silver
- CR Safari Black/Volt/Dark Shadow
Mercurial Vapor VIII
Launched in March 2012 in Bright Mango. No Superfly that year, so this was Nike's top Mercurial: thinner, suede-like Teijin on a new plate with twin heel studs. Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice on debut.
A second Swoosh on the inner side, a new heel graphic and two studs at the heel.
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Pre-order from 20 March, on Nike.com from 29 March. Glass-fibre plate, asymmetric stud layout. Özil, Ribéry and Drogba wore it too.
The launch colourway was Bright Mango/Metallic Dark Grey/Challenge Red, at £150. Ronaldo and Marcelo debuted it against Real Sociedad: Ronaldo scored twice and became the fastest to 100 La Liga goals. Walcott scored the first Premier League goal in it. The VIII came with three different uppers over its run.
Zlatan wore it in Mango and the Clash colours for Euro 2012. The Vapor VIII CR came in November 2012, black with blue and pink, "Love To Win, Hate To Lose". Neymar's 2012 Olympic boot was the Nike GS, not a Vapor VIII.
The Ones We Still Chase- Bright Mango
- Sail/Red
- Clash (Euro 2012)
- CR Love To Win, Hate To Lose
Mercurial Vapor IX
Dropped in January 2013 in Fireberry and Sunset. Golf-ball dimples (Nike's Speed Control texture), ACC for grip in the wet, on the Vapor VIII's plate. Zlatan won the league with PSG in it.
A dimpled, golf-ball texture across the upper.
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Released 17 January, pre-order from 18 January. Teijin upper, twin heel blades.
It cost £160. A third launch colourway came in a leather-like finish: Metallic Platinum/Black/Electric Green. Neymar, Hazard, Walcott and Götze all wore the Sunset pair.
Cristiano Ronaldo had a run of CR pairs on it: 100 pairs in January 2013, the Rainbow Jersey in March, the CR Galaxy in October and a white, black and gold pair in April 2014. The 2014 Fast Forward series also came on the Vapor IX.
The Ones We Still Chase- Fireberry
- Sunset
- CR Galaxy
- CR Rainbow Jersey
- Fast Forward
Mercurial Vapor X
On pre-order from 26 May 2014 in Hyper Punch/Gold/Black, ready for the World Cup. The low-cut partner to the Flyknit Superfly IV kept a thin Teijin upper, lost the tongue and moved to a nylon plate.
No tongue, fine stripes in place of dimples, and four round heel studs in place of the IX's two blades.
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Fine stripe texture on the upper. Compressed nylon plate, four round heel studs.
Cristiano Ronaldo showed off the Superfly IV in Madrid in April 2014. It went knitted, with Flyknit, a Dynamic Fit collar and a full carbon plate, and went on sale on the World Cup's opening day, 12 June. Hazard and Pedro chose the Vapor X over it at the World Cup. By then Zlatan had worn every Vapor from I to X. Every single one.
The CR Vapor X in Black/White/Hyper Turquoise came out on 24 October 2014.
The Ones We Still Chase- Hyper Punch/Gold/Black (World Cup 2014)
- CR Black/White/Hyper Turquoise
Mercurial Vapor XI
On sale 28 May 2016 in Nike's Euro 2016 Spark Brilliance colours. Thinnest Teijin upper yet, raised speed ribs, same split-toe plate as the Superfly V.
Raised speed ribs across the upper, and triangular studs on a split-toe plate.
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One-piece Teijin. Triangular studs with anti-clog.
The launch colourway was Total Crimson/Volt/Pink Blast. Nike said the plate was about 40% lighter than the carbon plate it replaced. Cristiano Ronaldo fronted the launch, but in the Superfly V.
Neymar moved from the Hypervenom into the Vapor XI Dark Lightning for the December 2016 Clásico. His first signature Mercurial, Written In The Stars, was a Vapor XI in July 2017.
Flyknit Ultra (2017). A limited low-cut Flyknit Mercurial, and a preview of the next Vapor.
The Ones We Still Chase- Spark Brilliance
- Dark Lightning
- Neymar's Written In The Stars
Mercurial Vapor 12
The first Flyknit Vapor. Shown on 7 February 2018, on sale a week later in Total Orange. From here the Vapor 12 and Superfly 6 shared the upper and plate. Only the collar was different.
A knitted upper instead of smooth Teijin, and an M logo on the heel.
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On sale 14 February 2018. Flyknit that wraps under the foot ("360"), on a split plate with an internal chassis.
It cost £190 at launch. Nike dropped the Teijin upper it had used since 2006, and the knit ran all the way under the foot. Black/Total Orange followed later that month.
The Off-White (Virgil Abloh) Vapor 360 dropped in a limited run in March 2018. Neymar had the Meu Jogo Vapor 360 in July 2018 and the NJR Silêncio in February 2019.
The Ones We Still Chase- Total Orange
- Black/Total Orange
- Off-White
- Meu Jogo
- Silêncio
Mercurial Vapor 13
On sale 7 July 2019 in New Lights and the black Under The Radar. Microtextured Flyknit with a NikeSkin overlay, on Nike's new Aerotrak plate. Neymar and Cristiano Ronaldo wore it at launch.
A crisscross texture on the knit under a thin NikeSkin film, and grooves in the forefoot of the plate.
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ACC on the upper. Grooves in the forefoot of the plate.
New Lights was Blue Hero, at £210. The boot came in under 200 g, and the Aerotrak plate took ideas from cycling shoes.
The Dream Speed series started on the Vapor 13 in autumn 2019. Neymar had the NJR Speed Freak in 2019 and Jogo Prismático in April 2020.
The Ones We Still Chase- New Lights
- Under The Radar
- Dream Speed 001
- Speed Freak
- Jogo Prismático
Mercurial Vapor 14
Revealed on 19 January 2021 in Dragonfly. Flyknit out, Vaporposite in: a layered grid mesh over a microfibre lining, on a next-gen Aerotrak plate.
A smooth, shiny grid-mesh skin instead of a visible knit.
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Worldwide from 1 February 2021. Cristiano Ronaldo, Kerr and Hegerberg wore it.
Dragonfly was White/Metallic Silver/Dark Raisin, with a motherboard-style print. The Spectrum pack followed on 8 February 2021, with Black x Prism the same week, then Dream Speed 4 in March.
Blueprint (Chlorine Blue/Laser Orange/Marina) landed on 17 January 2022, a new look on the same tech, with Ronaldo and Kerr switching in.
The Ones We Still Chase- Dragonfly
- Spectrum
- Black x Prism
- Dream Speed 4
- Blueprint
Mercurial Vapor 15
Launched in June 2022 with Nike's first Zoom Air unit made for football, inside the plate. The launch pair swapped the side Swoosh for big AIR lettering.
A window under the forefoot shows the Zoom Air unit, and the launch pair has AIR on the side instead of a Swoosh.
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Vaporposite+ upper with a Speed Cage. The Zoom Air unit is 3/4 length.
The launch colourway was White/Off Noir/Coconut Milk/Bright Crimson. SoccerBible had it on sale at Pro:Direct on 22 June; Soccer Cleats 101 gives 1 July. Tri-Star studs were made for side-to-side moves.
The Bonded and Shadow packs followed. The 25th anniversary XXV pack dropped in April 2023, in Metallic Silver and Volt.
The Ones We Still Chase- White/Off Noir Launch Pair
- Bonded
- Shadow
- XXV
Mercurial Vapor 16
Landed on 3 July 2024 in the Blueprint pack, a nod to Bill Bowerman. Flyknit cut from five layers to three, Gripknit added, and the Air Zoom unit shows in orange on the plate.
AIR wraps around the heel, and the labels look handwritten.
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Staggered studs down the centre of the plate.
The Mad Ambition pack (Glacier Blue/Blue Orbit) followed on 18 July 2024. Vinícius Júnior wore it at the 2024 Copa América and has had two signature pairs since, in May 2025 and February 2026.
The Mad Voltage pack in October 2024 nodded to the 2002 Vapor with silver tones.
The Ones We Still Chase- Blueprint
- Mad Ambition
- Mad Voltage
- Vinícius Júnior Signatures
Mercurial Vapor 17
On sale 1 June 2026. Nike's lightest Mercurial yet, 155 g. Atomknit upper, ultrathin FlyLite plate, rounded chevron studs, shaped around what Vinícius Júnior wanted.
A see-through knit upper, and no Air Zoom window on the plate.
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Worn by Vinícius Júnior, Kerr and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Nike gives 155 g for an Elite in men's US 9, up to 20% lighter than the Vapor 16 Elite (Pro:Direct lists 150 g). It launched in Breakout (Multi-Color/Black) at $280.
For the first time in years, the Vapor and Superfly are different boots: the Superfly 11 has its own upper and an exposed Air Zoom plate.
The Ones We Still Chase- Breakout
If you know, you know. The 2002 Vapor I.
Seventeen Vapors by name. Mercurials and Hypervenoms are still what people DM us about most, and the early Vapors carry the stories: Ronaldo in 2002, Henry's unbeaten season, Cristiano's first games. Nike remaking the Vapor I in 2024 and 2025 says the same. The numbered pairs, the SL and the 15th anniversary, have a real count behind them. From 2018 the Vapor and Superfly were the same boot bar the collar, so the older pairs, each its own boot, are where the heat is.
The OG Keeps Coming Back
Some boots are too good to leave in the past. The Vapor I came back as the RGN: Chrome/Lime in December 2024, then the CR7 Origins pair and Shock Orange in 2025.
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A 10th anniversary edition in 2007 mixed the tech of the day with the 1998 look. The 15th, in 2013, recreated the 1998 boot in a seamless one-piece upper, with volt in place of yellow, limited to 1,998 pairs. A 20th followed in 2018, then the XXV in 2023, including a limited Disruption pair with a chrome plate.
The Vapor I came back as the RGN with Chrome/Lime, on sale on 9 December 2024 in 4,500 numbered pairs. The CR7 Origins pair in Black/Cinder/Maize was announced on 28 February 2025, limited to 7,777 pairs, and Shock Orange went on sale on 19 May 2025. The CR7 Origins and Shock Orange pairs sit on the Vapor 16 plate.
Original Or Remake
Original or remake? Here's what to look for.
The Plate
The 2025 CR7 Origins and Shock Orange RGNs use the Vapor 16 plate, not the 2002 one.
The Insole
The CR7 Origins RGN has Cristiano Ronaldo's debut date stamped on the insole.
The Colour
The 2013 15th anniversary R9 uses volt where the 1998 boot had yellow.
The Upper
The 15th anniversary has a seamless one-piece upper.
The Number
The 2008 Mercurial SL was limited to 2,008 FG and 500 SG pairs. Ours is numbered 1322/2008.
At A Glance
Swipe ▸| Boot | Year | Upper / Tech | Worn By |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mercurial R9 | 1998 | KNG-100 synthetic leather, steel studs | Ronaldo |
| Mercurial 2, Match Mercurial | Before 2002 | Follow-ups to the R9 | Henry (Mercurial 2) |
| Vapor I | 2002 | One-piece NikeSKIN, glass-filled plate | Ronaldo, Cristiano Ronaldo, Van Nistelrooy |
| Vapor II | 2004 | Bigger heel tab, same plate | Henry, Ronaldo, Zlatan |
| Vapor III | 2006 | Teijin microfibre, carbon heel wrap | Ronaldo, Drogba, Henry |
| Vapor IV | 2008 | Lace cover, bigger Swoosh; carbon on the Vapor SL | Cristiano Ronaldo, Zlatan |
| Mercurial SL | 2008 | Almost all carbon, 2,008 FG + 500 SG numbered pairs | Cristiano Ronaldo |
| Vapor V | 2009 | Lace cover, Flywire on the inner instep (Superfly: full Flywire) | Walcott, Robinho |
| Vapor VI | 2010 | Lower lace cover, see-through glass-fibre plate | Cristiano Ronaldo (launch) |
| Vapor VII | 2011 | Lace cover removed | Cristiano Ronaldo (CR Safari) |
| Vapor VIII | 2012 | Suede-like Teijin, twin heel studs | Cristiano Ronaldo, Zlatan |
| Vapor IX | 2013 | Speed Control dimples, ACC | Zlatan, Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar |
| Vapor X / Superfly IV | 2014 | No tongue, nylon plate (Superfly: Flyknit) | Hazard, Pedro, Zlatan |
| Vapor XI / Superfly V | 2016 | Speed ribs, split-toe plate | Neymar |
| Vapor 12 / Superfly 6 | 2018 | First Flyknit Vapor | Neymar |
| Vapor 13 / Superfly 7 | 2019 | Flyknit with NikeSkin, Aerotrak plate | Neymar, Cristiano Ronaldo |
| Vapor 14 / Superfly 8 | 2021 | Vaporposite | Cristiano Ronaldo, Kerr |
| Vapor 15 / Superfly 9 | 2022 | Vaporposite+, Zoom Air in the plate | – |
| Vapor 16 / Superfly 10 | 2024 | Three-layer Flyknit, Gripknit, Air Zoom | Vinícius Júnior |
| Vapor 17 | 2026 | Atomknit, FlyLite plate, 155 g | Vinícius Júnior, Kerr |
| Vapor I RGN (remake) | 2024–25 | Vapor I look; Vapor 16 plate on the 2025 pairs | – |
Questions
How does the Mercurial Vapor fit?
True to size on length, made for narrow to medium feet. The older ones were built close to the foot: the Vapor I hugged it, the III got a little roomier, and from the IV each Vapor got wider. Of the new ones, the 14 and 15 are the roomiest, the 13 and 16 suit slimmer feet, and the 17 has a bit more toe room than the Superfly 11.
Should I go half a size up in Vapors if I have wide feet?
No. Take your normal size: going up doesn't fix a narrow fit. With wide feet, the Vapor 14, 15 or the 17 Pro are the ones to try.
When did the first Nike Mercurial come out?
1998. Ronaldo wore the first Mercurial at the World Cup in France, in silver, blue and yellow.
When did the first Mercurial Vapor come out?
2002. The Vapor I had a one-piece NikeSKIN upper and a track-spike idea behind it, and Ronaldo wore it at the 2002 World Cup.
How many Mercurial Vapor generations are there?
Seventeen by name, from the Vapor I (2002) to the Vapor 17 (2026). The 1998 Mercurial, Mercurial 2 and Match Mercurial came before.
What's the difference between the Vapor I, II and III?
The Vapor I (2002) had a one-piece NikeSKIN upper, a mini tongue and a glass-filled nylon plate. The Vapor II (2004) kept the same plate, with a bigger, higher heel tab and a slightly thicker, softer upper. The Vapor III (2006) moved to Teijin microfibre, with a carbon-fibre heel wrap and a two-piece plate.
What's the difference between the Vapor and the Superfly?
The Vapor is the low-cut; the Superfly is the high-cut with the Dynamic Fit collar. From 2009 to 2011 the Superfly was a separate, pricier boot, wrapped in Flywire on a carbon plate. From 2018 to 2024 the two were the same boot bar the collar. In 2026 they got different uppers and plates again (Vapor 17).
What boots did Thierry Henry wear in the Invincibles season?
The Mercurial Vapor II, in red. He had it before it went on sale: two goals in Arsenal's 5-1 win at Inter on 25 November 2003. He scored 30 league goals in the unbeaten 2003/04 season and won the Golden Boot.
What Mercurials did Ronaldo (R9) wear at the World Cups?
The Mercurial R9 in 1998, the Vapor I in 2002 (Silver/Chilli Red, then a Chrome/Silver R9 pair) and the Vapor III in 2006.
What boots did Cristiano Ronaldo wear in 2002?
The Mercurial Vapor I. He made his Sporting debut in it on 14 August 2002, aged 17. The 2025 CR7 Origins RGN remake has that debut date stamped on the insole.
Was the CR7 Safari a Mercurial Vapor?
The first one wasn't: Cristiano Ronaldo's first signature boot, the CR Safari of October 2010, was a Superfly II. A Vapor VI Safari followed in November 2010, and a black CR Vapor VII Safari in April 2011.
Which Mercurial Vapor had the lace cover?
The Vapor IV (2008) brought it in. The Vapor V kept it, the Vapor VI set it lower, and the Vapor VII (2011) dropped it.
When did Nike stop using Teijin on the Vapor?
In 2018. The Vapor III brought Teijin microfibre in 2006, and the Vapor 12 swapped it for Flyknit.
Which Mercurial Vapor has Zoom Air?
The Vapor 15 (2022) and Vapor 16 (2024). Nike doesn't list Zoom Air on the Vapor 17; the Superfly 11 has an exposed Air Zoom plate.
What is the lightest Mercurial?
Nike says the Vapor 17, released in June 2026, at 155 g.
What's the rarest Mercurial Vapor?
Nobody has counted every pair, so there's no single answer. The smallest documented runs: Cristiano Ronaldo's CR Vapor IX of January 2013 (100 pairs), the 2013 15th anniversary R9 (1,998 pairs), the Mercurial SL (2,008 FG and 500 SG, numbered on the tongue) and the Chrome/Lime Vapor I RGN of 2024 (4,500 numbered pairs).
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Nike Mercurial Vapor IX HGSome boots you never forget. We're still finding them.
Every pair checked by us before it ships.
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