Cristiano Ronaldo Nike Football Boots

Nike Sponsorship, Mercurial Vapors, Ronaldo & Soccer Boot Technology

Sep 13, 2009

Nike sponsorship of Cristiano Ronaldo has made him synonymous with Mercurial Vapor football boots. Here is a rundown of the Cristiano Ronaldo Mercurial Vapor partnership.

Throughout his career, both at club and international level, World Player of the Year Cristiano Ronaldo has worn Nike Mercurial football boots. Nike sponsorship of Cristiano Ronaldo has seen the football star showcase many new models and the Mercurial boots are designed precisely for his style of play.

Cristiano Ronaldo Mercurial Boots

Lightweight but strong and designed with speed in mind, Nike Mercurial Vapors perfectly compliment Cristiano Ronaldo’s style of play. Perhaps for this reason Ronaldo has a bond with his boots which goes deeper than simply honoring his Nike sponsorship deal.

In an interview with SoccerBible.com, Cristiano Ronaldo explained his love for his Nike football boots: “Since I was 16 or 17, I’ve always played with the Mercurial. These boots are very different to others – they’re much lighter, but I think the boots are perfect to play in. It is something very special to play with these boots because they are known for being fast” (2nd March 2009).

Nike Sponsorship and Cristiano Ronaldo Mercurial Vapors

The original Nike Air Mercurial football boots made their appearance on the world stage in 1998. Ronaldo (the Brazilian striker, not Cristiano) launched the boots before the 1998 World Cup.

Since then the boots have technologically progresses while maintaining the key principle of lightweight design and speed. The lightweight nature of the boot is achieved by both the materials used and the design construction. Carbon composites give strength to the boot while keeping weight to a minimum. Nike ‘Flywire’ technology is used which is basically a construction process which uses high-strength threads in the body of the boot, again providing strength without excessive weight.

Cristiano Ronaldo has become synonymous with Nike Mercurial Vapors. Between August 2007 and October 2008, Ronaldo used seven different Nike Mercurial Vapor models. This period began with two Mercurial Vapor III’s followed by two Vapor IV’s. Ronaldo then debuted the new Mercurial Vapor SL model in the 2008 Champions League Final.

With the release of the Mercurial Vapor IV boots, Cristiano Ronaldo was given his own unique pine-green model before reverting to blue in October 2008. A television advertisement for the Vapor IV’s saw Ronaldo apparently outrunning a Bugatti Veyron.

New Cristiano Ronaldo Boots and Friction with Nike Sponsorship Deal

In 2009 Nike announced the forthcoming launch of a new model, the Mercurial Vapor Superfly. Cristiano Ronaldo was once again given the honor of showcasing the new boots, stepping out onto the pitch in the Champions League against Inter Milan in March. Weighing only 185g, the new Vapor Superfly still retails at a hefty £224.99.

Meanwhile, Cristiano Ronaldo’s Nike sponsorship deal has been put under pressure by his move to Real Madrid. Real Madrid is an Adidas sponsored club, a fact that is causing sponsorship havoc. The situation has yet to be resolved and, for now, Cristiano Ronaldo’s boots of choice continue to be Nike Mercurial Vapors.

The copyright of the article Cristiano Ronaldo Nike Football Boots in Soccer is owned by Tony Dunnell. Permission to republish Cristiano Ronaldo Nike Football Boots in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.