Nike Mercurial Vapor III
Is there any improvement?

What are the new features in Nike Mercurial Vapor III?
Which of them make the new version different than MV II?
Can we consider these changes as an improvement?

I'll answer these questions and share my opinion with you, but…let's first take a look at the general description:

Description

Nike Mercurial Vapor III

UPPER:

  • Teijin - Top Super-Microfiber material; soft, ultra-lightweight, very durable and with capability of adjusting to the foot's shape.
  • Carbon Heel Wrap - wraps the bottom part of the heel, stabilizing and protecting it.
MIDSOLE:
  • Vapor Heel Lock - exposed heel cup that locks the heel securely in the boot for maximum fit, balance and protection.
  • EVA material, however I couldn't find any information to confirm, if it is the same Peeva foam with Poron inserts used in Nike Mercurial Vapor II or something else.
OUTSOLE:
  • Two-piece TPU plate.
  • Internal Chassis made from a dual compound of carbon fiber and glass-reinforced nylon to transfer energy directly to the cleats.
  • Vapor Traction - direct inject bladed studs with optimal orientation for multidirectional traction and instant acceleration.

Available for these types of surfaces:
FG-Firm and SG-Soft (replaceable studs)
For very hard grounds, I would recommend Nike Steam TF.

List price: $195

Various colors of Nike Mercurial Vapor III

Nike Mercurial Vapor III - Click to see larger view Nike Mercurial Vapor III - Click to see larger view Nike Mercurial Vapor III - Click to see larger view Nike Mercurial Vapor III - Click to see larger view

Review

Many changes have been made to the new version of Nike Mercurial Vapor. Every part of the shoe, upper, midsole and outsole contains something new.

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Upper:

  1. Teijin, another type of Super-Microfiber material, replaces The NikeSkin. As I mention in my review of Air Zoom Total 90 Supremacy, Teijin is consider the best of microfiber materials. It's believed to be thinner, more reliable, providing better touch and comfort. At least by many…companies using Teijin to manufacture their product.


  2. There is no External Heel Counter. At least in the form used in the previous version.
    The Carbon Heel Wrap of Nike Mercurial Vapor III combine with the Vapor Heel Lock (heel cup) creates solid protection and comfortable fit. It could benefit the players as much as "regular" external heel counter.
    But, does it really? Let's just hope it does.

Midsole:

  1. Assuming that the midsole material is the same (Peeva foam with Poron inserts), there is one addition to Nike Mercurial Vapor III - Vapor Heel Lock.
    It definitely provides great comfort by holding the heel in one place. It seems like Vapor Heel Lock (heel cup) also have an additional "role", as I've mentioned above.

Outsole:

  1. Two-piece plate exchanges one-piece.
    Outsoles composed of two-piece plate makes maneuvering much easier and faster and give the players much greater comfort.
  2. Internal Chassis replaces the NikeFrame plate.
    I don't think I should question accuracy of the Nike Sports Research Laboratory's search results. In other words I have to believe that a dual compound of carbon fiber and glass-reinforced (or filled) nylon provides better stability, comfort and acceleration in soccer cleats than just glass-filled nylon, which is used in NikeFrame. It kind of makes sense…dual compound versus single one. The dual should be better, right?


  3. Vapor Traction fills in for Speedtrack plate.
    Although the technology is different (direct injection), I am not convinced that there is a much of an improvement here. The bladed studs are placed in identical configuration, so I wouldn't consider Vapor Traction a completely new feature other than the same attribute with the new name.

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Summary

Can we consider all these innovations as an overall improvement in comfort and performance?

Although some of these changes and additions, in my opinion, don't make too much difference, some of them definitely do.

  • The biggest innovation to me is the outsole's two-piece TPU plate. It's probably the most valuable modification. Soccer cleats with split outsoles are the most comfortable, especially on soft and semi-soft grounds.
  • Teijin microfiber, increases (slightly?) comfort as well as feel, touch and control of the ball.
  • Vapor Heel Lock (heel cup) is also a noticeable change. Besides protecting the heel from outside strikes, it locks the heel comfortably in the boot.

The other three features:

Carbon Heel Wrap, Internal Chassis and Vapor Traction...

...are simply the replacements of the same performance value as their prior versions, only with different labels.
Well, maybe the Internal Chassis bring a little bit of an improvement (dual compound versus single one, remember?).

Tip ! Even thought, appearance of Nike Mercurial Vapor III didn't change much, they are better and improved soccer cleats. Little bit an opposite to Nike Zoom Total 90 Supremacy, where the biggest change was the "look".

Nike Mercurial Vapor III on Ebay

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