This time last year Nike began to release the first shoe in their line of top range boots designed and inspired by Cristiano Ronaldo. Since then, these shoes have set the standard in football fashion with their bright and daring designs and this latest pair are no different. After weeks of anticipation, Nike have finally released the first images of the new Nike CR7 Superfly III and its destined to be be the most talked about design this season. Here at soccerprose.com we are lucky enough to have an advanced releases which we have been testing and thought we’d give you the run down on them.
Look
The design of these shoes is one of the most unique to hit the market since Nike released their multi-color Gato back in 2008. The Superfly version of these Vapor soccer cleats features thick black stripes running along he side of the shoes towards the bottom, framed in voltage cherry, with the signature Nike Swoosh. The opposite side of these cleats features ultra thin black pinstripes with another voltage cherry swoosh that really pops against the grayed out background. The truly unique feature of these shoes is the mirrored coloring on both cleats. Essentially, the instep of one shoes has the thicker stripes, and the other shoe features them on the outside of the boot. Whether you love the look of these shoes or hate them, their is no other pair of soccer shoes on the market that feature anything that look even close to this, and they look pretty good on the pitch from what we’ve seen so far.
Technology
These soccer boots also feature the same cutting edge technology that has made the Superfly line so popular the world over. The upper of these shoes is made form Nike’s Teijin synthetic leather which provides excellent ball feel, reinforced with Flywire to allow for a greater reduction in weight. The Nike Flywire also serves provide a better fit for these shoes as you break them, helping the upper stay tight to your foot and preventing it from losing too much of its shape. They’re also superlight, tipping the scales at just 210 grams, which allows for explosive speed. Basically, these soccer shoes are built for the speed forward who wants to run down the line on a through ball and stick a shot in the lower corner of the goal.
Comfort
Once broken in, these shoes are about as comfortable as the leather seats in a Lamborghini, and you won’t be disappointed with the insoles. Made form PORON, they provide gel like comfort with the weight of a feather, and won’t wear out quickly. I found them to be more than adequate for any game, but you probably don’t want to wear these shoes in your 2 hour long practices.
Cleats
As we all know, all the technology you might find in a pair of soccer shoes doesn’t count for much without the cleats on the bottom. After all, its hard to explosive speed without rock solid stability and excellent traction. Fortunately, the cleats on the CR7 Superfly III won’t let you down here. Overall, the TPU injected cleats on these boots provide excellent stability and I didn’t feel my feet slipping when I tried to change direction, which can be a real problem with some other high end boots. One other feature on these shoes is the adaptive traction sense studs on the forefoot that extend up to 3mm on wet surfaces, and retract on harder ground to give you ideal grip on any surface.
Overall
The new Nike CR7 Superfly III is a great pair of soccer shoes for the speedy striker who likes to play like CR7, and the technology included in them is truly stunning. The upper provides good ball control and a snug fit, the insoles are comfortable, and the cleats provide great traction. They’re also stunning to look at and if you’re wearing them on the pitch you’ll definitely be noticed, but for some people the design may be a deal breaker. Like all synthetic soccer shoes, they also take a few games to really break in, but once they are, you’ll be happy with the fit and feel. The main issue with these shoes is the fact they’ll run you $400, but I honestly think that they are worth it for the pro-level player. Love them or hate them, they’re good enough for Cristiano Ronaldo’s feet to they’ll probably work just fine for you.
Written by: Matthew Wall, editor, soccerprose.com
