Nike Thread [17] - All Nike, pictures, info, questions here!

Per the blackout boot.......I think it is one of a few things, and I have not had the benefit of seeing the upcoming lines I usually have due to being unable to drive for two months post ACL/meniscal surgery. This is all pure speculation from me, mind you.

It could either be the new Vapor/SuperFly that goes beyond the upcoming update launching in 2013. The 2013 Vapor feels like a knee jerk reaction to get a little more life out of a design that hasn't lived up to expectations in terms of performance because of durability issues and the pretty awful stud system in FG. Releasing a totally new model 9 months after release as hyped as the Vapor VIII would be an admission of defeat, so the upper gets "improved" while the boot isn't drastically altered until this new model drops in late 2013 or early 2014. This prevents a total admission of failure, while giving the boot new life though a major update in design and fixes the studs to a more conical shape as the blade fad seems to be on its way out. The shoe keeps some of the GS concept influence and stays a Vapor.

It could be the new Laser or Laser-ish boot. If anyone recalls, Nike said that everything from them would be going lightweight in the next few years. The Laser has been a pretty abject failure in terms of popularity from a retail standpoint since the Laser III more or less killed the line and the CTR took the role of the midfield boot or the "all around" best bet if you aren't fooled by position specific boot marketing. Pretty much every player in the new generation cares more about weight than anything else, and it is almost universally held that the Laser is "heavy" (I disagree, but....). Also the Laser/Total 90 has had an identity crisis for a while. The Total 90 was originally Nike's wider fitting and more comfortable alternative to the Vapor and much like a CTR in feel/fit. It was marketed for the "90 minute player, going from box to box" aka, midfielders. It then became the Laser which was Nike's answer to the Predator, and then was overhauled as a "strikers" boot for shooting power and then accuracy. Because of this manic existence, the boot has had some poor designs especially the Total 90 III, and the Laser III. This could be a new injection of life into the Laser line, with more focus on lightweight design, and a shocking overhaul to get people interested.

Or it could be the GS II in retail form, which could mean a silo is going by the wayside to make room for it. Nike cannot realistically have five silos out on the market in full swing. The GS killed it in terms of sales and hype/interest, so that could have pushed the launch button for Nike. With that, I would expect the GS or GS influenced line to replace something. The smart money would be on the Laser line dying due to it being the stepchild of Nike silos at the moment.

 

In my experience it is too one demesional. It is questionable for 3G use because of instability for some, too much grip for others, and durability issues with the studs snapping. There is also the question of blade sharpness, which was rasied months ago by Bryan at SC101 and others and possibly backed by Rooney gash (it was one of the plastic blades that made the gash, unless the stud was sharpened). When using on firm ground it better be soft firm found or it will be like playing on ice skates. I tried to use them to warm up a keeper when coaching on firm ground that wasn't perfect and they didn't break the ground because the distribution of weight was not even enough. This made them dangerous from a joint injury standpoint.

I think it was a nice try by Nike. But, it says something poor about the design when the SG-pro with old school hard ground screw in studs is better on firm and harder ground than the actual firm ground option (which oddly enought is pretty good on muddy ground).

The lack of a true alternative in an AG model (even on NikeID) is appalling given the amount of 3G use in America, where Nike makes their home. Japan got a decent HG option, but it is still bladed; blades are falling out of fashion fast and the Super Ligera HG outsole would have been a great option of the Japanese market (and in the West).

The Vapor was the best "almost" shoe from Nike in a while. I was pretty close to correctly done for what it was supposed to be, but it still fails when you get past the simplistic beauty of the upper design and the hype of the swoosh.