France captain Kylian Mbappe shared a picture on Instagram sporting a new pair of boots from Paris Saint-Germain’s training centre.
Presently exiled from the first team, Mbappe is training with the likes of Leandro Paredes, Georginio Wijnaldum, Julian Draxler, and a bunch of others on the way out of Parc des Princes.
The 24-year-old forward was at the Campus PSG in Poissy when he pulled on a pair of new Nike Air Zoom Mercurial Superfly boots in white and bright red.
There is a large Nike swoosh on the outside and a slightly smaller one on the inside of the boot, both in black.
The ‘Air’ graphic is in white against a bright red background on both sides near the heel of the boot.
Aside from that, the studs are bright red at the toes and white at the heel.
There are plenty of performance benefits due to the design of the boots.
The boots come with the Vaporposite+ upper material which is very responsive and perfect for optimal ball control at high velocities.
Nike have managed to reduce the thickness of the material and simultaneously maintain durability, offering a natural touch on the ball thanks to its grippy texture.
There is a football-specific 3/4 length Zoom Air unit in the stud plate that provides an additional level of springy underfoot feel and aids in faster movements.
The Tri-star stud design provides multidirectional traction with every step that permits the player to change directions quickly and confidently.
Besides that, there is a contoured heel stud profile that provides traction and stability when braking, with a duo of toe-off centre studs that offer traction during explosive starts.
The Flyknit wraps the ankle in a soft and stretchy fabric that fits much better than earlier versions.
Clearly, the boots are tailor-made for the French speedster as they are best suited for a dynamic, agile, and attack-minded player who likes to take on defenders and score goals.
The boots are set to be released on August 3 as part of a new pack that remains unnamed and are priced at £230.
That is a little expensive for a brand-new pair of boots but the cost is seemingly outweighed by the benefits to performance.
There are a few additional disadvantages to the design.
For instance, a player who prefers a different conservative stud configuration will find himself in unfamiliar territory.
The boots allow for a clean touch with the thinness of the material permitting the wearer to get a natural feel on the ball.
Of course, that means the boots do not fall into the power category.
Many of the fans took the choice of color scheme to be a sign of an imminent transfer to Real Madrid, with just the timing yet to be decided.
Les Parisiens are on the verge of signing Barcelona’s Ousmane Dembele as the deadline has passed on triggering Mbappe’s contract extension until 2025.
It remains to be seen how the Mbappe saga resolves itself but the new boots are clearly a smash hit and sure to be on the wish lists of many players.
