Released date - September 2013
After kicking off the summer in the 2013 / 2014 season in with the renowned Stealth Pack of football boots, Nike went in a completely different direction for the fall months with their highly-anticipated, aptly named, Hi-Vis Collection.
With winter rolling in and the Champions League evenings on the way, Nike rolled out their new pack of boots with dark nights and floodlights in mind by creating their entire range with a stand-out unified colour scheme.
With no reason to fear getting lost in the dark, even when the later months weather greying your vision, players were still able to stand out in the crowd and demand attention on the pitch. Based on comprehensive consideration, Nike chose to go wild with some bright, sharp and very contrasting colours for their latest technologically advanced boot models - no more hiding on the pitch!
What does ‘Hi-Vis’ mean? It was all about being the centre of attention and pushing all the boundaries. Players such as Neymar, Eden Hazard, Wayne Rooney and Iniesta did that every week. This time around, they were doing it all with boots that commanded attention in all conditions.
Once the reserve of major tournaments, Nike ‘collections’ started to become a regular thing in the normal season, making Nike’s on-pitch presence even greater – something other brands took notice off and followed in their footsteps.
Whats the hype?
"When creating this Hi-Vis Collection we looked at our work in South Africa during the summer of 2010," says Phil McCartney, Vice President, Nike Football Footwear. "The Metallic Purple and Total Orange colour combination we used on-pitch really stood out both on the field for players and for the crowds in the stadium and at home."
Nike Hypervenom Phantom - Electro Purple / Volt
With a trilogy of black based colourways under it’s belt, Nike changed things up with the all bright Electro Purple / Volt / Black colourway for the OG Hypervenom Phantom. Nike wanted their new range of boots to command attention, and the clash of electro purple and volt made the Hypervenom an aggressive look to the Mercurial. This was the first major colourway update for the Hypervenom Phantom, which featured the new Nikeskin, enabling a more natural feel for the ball.
Boasting a synthetic NikeSkin upper imbued with All Conditions Control technology, the Hypervenom Phantom offered truly next-generation technologies, whilst the unique stud layout and split-toe design offered increased freedom of movement for players feet, to create Nike’s most responsive boot ever.
Nike Mercurial Vapor IX - Electro Purple / Volt
The words ‘flashy’ and ‘Vapor’ are two words that were found together on a pretty regular basis now a decade ago, so it was no surprise that out of the 4 new colourways Nike released as part of the Hi-Vis collection, the Vapor IX was arguably the colourway that stood out the most.
The all-purple upper fades to a midnight purple towards the heel, offering an exceptional contrast to the all-volt detailing.
Kitted out for explosive speed, the Speed Control Texture upper offers grip and total control on the ball when moving at speed on the top of the foot, and the unique traction plate gives total toe-off acceleration underneath.
This new Nike Mercurial Vapor IX Boot will not be worn by Cristiano Ronaldo, who could also switch from his current signature boot to the Nike Mercurial Vapor IX CR7 The Galaxy Boot.
Nike CTR360 III Maestri - Volt / Black / Green Glow
The Nike CTR360 Maestri III generally came out in colours that were more conservative and reserved, but the Hi Vis pack thew changed this when it came to the new CTR360 Maestri version in the new Volt / Black / Green Glow colourway. Nike were definitely thinking outside the box with this new look CTR by finally bringing an eye opening variant to the mix.
The Maestri’s Hi-Vis Collection colourway was another success from Nike, with a tried-and-tested volt upper along with black detailing through to an extra shock of block green heel panelling and studs.
Built around the pass-master in the heart of midfield, Nike’s CTR360 III brought the ball under your spell with a Kangalite 2.0 upper and 3D instep passing zone.
Tiempo Legend IV - Volt / Black / Green Glow
Finally, the Nike Tiempo Legend IV changed the heritage look boot with a bold Volt / Black / Green Glow version. The Tiempo was usually home to classic colour combinations, but Nike wanted to change the mould with a new thinking when it came to the Tiempo! Nike’s volt colour had never been used as a primary colour on the Tiempo before, making this arguably the brightest Tiempo to date.
The all-volt upper was punctuated by black Nike branding and tongue, whilst the laces and soleplate were picked out in a striking green.
Designed to offer the perfect touch, time after time, the Tiempo Legend IV used a K-Leather forefoot with a unique stitching layout for reduced stretching and faster break-in.
High Visibility football boots
The new Nike High-Visibility collection was born to stand out and created to light up the pitch. The inspiration for the colours come from the 2010 world cup in South Africa, where football joy, passion and the desire was a shining light to the tournament. With the days becoming shorter, the Nike High-Visibility collection came in to play to help light up the low lighting winter pitches.
The Nike Hi-Vis Collection football boots were summed up by Nike’s Phil McCartney:
"This collection of boots is not for the faint hearted. Our athletes don't play to be conventional – They play to be remembered."
Bootsfinder Comments:
Nike’s most eye-catching colour has always been Volt – a luminous yellow that historically only the bravest, most flamboyant players would wear. The Hi Vis pack broke the rules by bringing in luminous detailing (and a couple of models in near total Volt) and they were an instant hit. High visibility boots shone on the TV / highlight reels as well as drawing the eye by those viewing pitchside…an amazing pack that lead the way for more colour options in the future.
The boots are so bright and Nike have gone on to use the Purple / Volt many more times…these were extremely popular and so are very much desired in a reseller market.
Notes:
As always, the Hypervenom’s are extremely hard to find with the other 3 models now also in short supply. There were no issues with peeling on the inner lining anymore although we would not recommend using the Hypervenom for play anymore – the model wasn’t known for it’s durability and the fact that their price is rising so much, these are a great investor / collectors boot. Having said that, don’t be surprised to see them turn up on the pitch for special occasions. The other models are excellent, durable and comfortable boots that are also on the rise so buy them when you can.
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