Some of the world’s best players including Cristiano Ronaldo, Andres Iniesta, Wayne Rooney and Gerard Pique stepped out in this amazing collection of football boots, delivering phenomenal style and superlative execution for the 2012 Euros tournament.
Nike’s Mercurial Vapor VIII, CTR360 II, T90 Laser IV and Tiempo Legend IV boots featured a clash of colours incorporating primarily white with a bold second colour, translating each model's ability to stand out on the pitch! Each boot has the CMYK code of the corresponding Nike colour imprinted somewhere on the boot.
The football boots were first used by Nike sponsored players in Munich, Germany on 19 May 2012 by national team players of Poland and the Ukraine as a taster launch. They were then officially debuted in the summer as the Nike Pack for the Euros 2012.
Whats the hype?
They entered the Euro 2012s as Nike's 3rd tournament collection (after the EC08 and WC10 packs) leaving Poland / Ukraine as the undisputed stand-out performers of European Championships, having scored 60% of all 76 goals with a stunning total of 46.
From Mario Balotelli's stunner against Germany to Zlatan Ibrahimovic's uber creative solo goal, each of Nike's Clash models created their own moment of Euro 2012 history. The individual boots were sparked by specific colour finished with a white toe upper to create a distinctive yet common theme across the collection.
The themed colour of each boot in the Nike Clash Collection expresses the playing characteristics of each boot, with Mercurial Vapor VIII featuring a solar red for explosive speed, CTR360 II blue glow for the assured midfielder, T90 Laser IV electric green for the deadly striker and Tiempo Legend IV black for effortless and classic style.
This model dominated the tournament, as the representative players contributed 21 goals, thanks to goals from Cristiano Ronaldo, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Mesut Ozil and Juan Mata - making the Mercurial the crowning model of them all!
Spec:
– Combines innovation and style with a seamless fit, touch and traction to beat defenders and capitalize on key moments
– Teijin Microfiber upper offers a sleeker, closer feel to the foot with a suede-like finish increasing ball control and touch
– Anatomic Last takes the fit of the boot to a new level of support and stability
– Unique plate construction incorporates two different pieces of glass fiber to increase flexibility and responsiveness
The CTR360 was one of the most aesthetic models on show, as well as being the most controversial, thanks to one man - Mario Balotelli. One of the tournaments highlight performers, his brace against the Germans along with other CTR representatives, finding the back of the net 10 times and taking the CTR360 to second highest model in the Euros goal-scoring chart.
Specs:
– Cushioned zones on the lateral forefoot give great first touch ball control –
– Receive / Pass Pad for control and accurate passing
– Asymmetrical lacing design creates an expanded ball control area
– The plate offers energy return and strength, with bladed studs for optimal traction and stability
The T90's goal tally could have been higher, but Wayne Rooney missed selection in England's first two games which might have affected this. Yet the Nike T90 Laser IV still tallied 7 goals with Fernando Torres scoring in the final to complete his hat-trick of Euro 2012 goals. The model finished the tournament in fifth place on the boots scoring chart, just two goals behind the renowned adidas f50 adizero.
Specs:
– Cushioned zones on the lateral forefoot give great first touch ball control –
– Receive / Pass Pad for control and accurate passing
– Asymmetrical lacing design creates an expanded ball control area
– The plate offers energy return and strength, with bladed studs for optimal traction and stability
When you think of the Nike Tiempo Legend, one player should spring to mind, and it was his performances that brought this model more acclamation. Andrea Pirlo's wonderful playmaking throughout the tournament were pivotal in Italy's journey to the final, netting his only goal of Euro 2012 with a stunning free kick against Croatia.
Specs:
– Cushioned zones on the lateral forefoot give great first touch ball control –
– Receive / Pass Pad for control and accurate passing
– Asymmetrical lacing design creates an expanded ball control area
– The plate offers energy return and strength, with bladed studs for optimal traction and stability
Boot of the Tournament:
It was a record-breaking tournament for the Nike Clash Collection, with each of the four boots claiming the top five positions in the boot model goal scoring charts. On top of this, T90 Laser IV wearer and Spanish striker, Fernando Torres, won the Golden Boot with his combination of goals, assists and minutes on pitch. The Chelsea man beat Mario Gomez, Cristiano Ronaldo, Mario Balotelli, Mario Mandzukic and Alan Dzagoev to get the award.
Details
All four Nike Clash Collection football boots (Mercurial Vapor VIII FG – $220, CTR360 Maestri II FG – $180, T90 Laser IV FG – $220 and Tiempo Legend IV FG – $150) were available at retail stores on June 6th, 2012.
Bootsfinder Comments:
If ever there was a pair of boots to add to a Nike Collection, then it would be the Clash Collection. The iconic design will not cease to look great on the pitch, hold much nostalgia, and all of the models were built for comfort as well as longevity...they don't get much better!
Notes: These are now very hard to find in any sizes and collectors will pay a surplus if they come with boxes and bags. The standout boot for investment is the Vapor VIII (a model that is highly desired in all colours). Watch out for any use as the white / coloured materials can fade / suffer from sunlight damage…this pack's value will only go up in time due to the shear dominance of the collection's performance and the iconic players that used them.
Nike Clash Collection Advert: https://youtu.be/ts7-mCBfRyU
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