Avoid

Every time a new generation of Mercurial is released, there’s a massive amount of hype that follows. This generation in particular feels even more so than usual. And that’s for a good reason, as the new Mercurial Superfly 11 is packed with a lot of new tech that makes it stand out from the crowd. Even more exciting is that because the Superfly and Vapor are separate models again, the Nike Mercurial Vapor 17 Elite should surely be a crowd pleaser as well.

While there will certainly be some fans, it feels like Nike has once again reverted to the Vapor becoming an afterthought. This was the case in the early days of the Superfly/Vapor split when the Vapor 5/6/7 all felt like they were slapped together with whatever parts were left over after making the Superfly.

In the case of the new Mercurial Vapor 17, Nike seems to have taken the approach of stripping all of the tech away from the Superfly and then selling whatever they are left with. And what we seem to have been left with is a Vapor with little thought or attention given to the design, outside of making it as light as possible. This, in turn, has led to a release that I find very frustrating.

Fit and Feel

The lightweight is immediately the most noticeable thing when taking the boots out of the box. In my size, they weigh in around 144 grams, slightly heavier than the adidas Hyperfast EVO (125 grams in my size).

Another thing that is instantly noticeable is how thin the upper is. It feels like it is just a few scrapes away from being see-through, and yet the upper still feels like it will be able to take a beating and be fine. The upper is also fairly plasticky to the touch and even sounds plasticky when flexing the boot.

An advantage of this thin upper is that there is not much to break in, so the Vapor 17 takes the shape of the foot pretty quickly. In around an hour, the upper felt ready to go, and while I wouldn’t recommend wearing the boots straight into a match, a good training session should help them feel match ready.

Unfortunately, the upper is also where the first problem pops up. While the Superfly 11 has got a new FlyWeave Ultra upper, the Vapor has an AtomKnit upper. This upper is primarily used for running shoes and has been slightly modified to use on the Vapor. For such an expensive boot, I would expect the Vapor to have its own original material, but it feels like Nike has used AtomKnit here as a cost-saving measure.

Additionally, another issue with using such a thin upper is that there is not as much lockdown as I expected. The lockdown is not poor; it just isn’t as good as many other speed boots on the market. To be fair, I do not mind this too much as that is a sacrifice that is sometimes made when you make such a lightweight boot. That being said, adidas has managed to still have good lockdown in the Evo, so Nike has some work to do here.

As per usual with reviews from this blog, we have to talk about the heel. It’s really bad. I have no idea why Nike continues to use such a flat and wide design for their heels. We have seen this issue with the Phantom 6 and the Maestro. The only reason it is not much of an issue with the Superfly and Ligera is that those both have nice stitch and turn heels.

However, in the Vapor 17, the heel shape is a glaring issue. Since there is not much cushioning, your heel has to fit the shape of the back of the boot well; otherwise, there will be issues. And while the heel comfort did get a bit better through testing, I was still experiencing some pain towards the end of my final session in the boots.

To me, it’s unacceptable that a boot this expensive has such glaring issues, especially as not only do other brands do it far better, but even in Nike’s own lineup, they have done it better.

This is especially frustrating because the rest of the boot fits nicely. The midfoot and forefoot have a nice wrap to them, and I really appreciate the more rounded toe box, as it fits my foot better.

I wouldn’t call the boot wide-foot accommodating, but both BootWizard and Jezusftbl have tested them and are seemingly ok with the fit. But definitely go watch their reviews/playtests for more info.

Something else I need to knock Nike for is that while we have the great ZoomX insoles in the Superfly, in the Vapor we have…uh, something. They feel fairly cheap and, even worse, do not seem to fit the inside of the boot properly. At least in my pair and some of the other pairs I have seen in stores.

When it comes to sizing, I went with my normal size in Nike. This means I got the Mercurial Vapor 17 in a US 8.5/UK 7.5/EU 42/26.5 cm, and the fit is spot on. So, go with your normal size if you are thinking of getting these. But you really shouldn’t buy them.

On the ball

The thin upper has a great touch on the ball and feels very raw. I think this is one of the best parts of the boot and I love the touch here as it feels like a proper speed boot. It is one of the closest on-the-ball feels on the market.

I did have a lot of praise for the Vapor 16’s GripKnit upper, yet while I do have my issues with Nike recycling tech for a new generation, I might actually prefer the AtomKnit upper. Part of this preference is because the AtomKnit has some nice grip zones around the edge of the toebox. This should also help with durability, as this means that the toebox is reinforced.

But another thing I like about the upper is that the Swoosh on the outside of the foot has a texture to it, which helps add just that little bit extra to the touch when dribbling at speed. This is something that the Vapor 16 failed at, as bizarrely, the GripKnit in this area was covered by a smooth and slippery Swoosh, which was annoying in poor weather.

Interestingly, while the Mercurial Vapor 17 does have some of that pingy sensation when striking the ball with power, I don’t think it is as pingy as it could be. This is probably because the upper is still a knit rather than a more standard synthetic.

Grip

In general, the grip is fine, and actually better than I expected it to be. However, it is a step behind its rivals in the market.

There is this groove in the forefoot that is supposed to activate the metatarsal, similar to what the groove in the original Hypervenom was supposed to do. But, like those, it does absolutely nothing and is just a marketing talking point. What’s worse is that I find that I want an extra stud there to get more forefoot grip.

However, we need to talk about the single worst part of the boot: the overly flexible soleplate. The material Nike has used for the soleplate breaks down far too quickly, and without a midfoot shank for extra stability, the Vapor feels sloppy underfoot.

Nike says the Vapor 17 is “the most agile Vapor ever”, but it feels like they are burying the lede, and basically admitting that they didn’t bother strengthening the soleplate. It makes the entire boot feel cheap and like it was slapped together at the last moment with little regard to how it’d turn out, in my opinion.

It does need to be said that the AG soleplate and newer colourways seem to be more stable, though even in newer colourways I have seen the soleplate lose its stiffness far too quickly.

The soleplate makes this weird creaking noise when twisting, and I don’t feel comfortable going full blast in the boots as I worry about that lack of support. And I worry that somebody else might get hurt wearing the Vapor 17.

What I also find frustrating is that the back studs sit too close together and add to the overall unbalanced feel through the soleplate. The back studs also don’t sit flat enough on the ground and, again, make the boot feel unstable.

Nike Mercurial Superfly 11 versus Nike Mercurial Vapor 17 comparison

It’s no contest; get the Superfly.

Consider something else

I said in one of my playtest reels that the boots felt like a minimum viable product. Basically, making the boots as cheaply as possible and charging as much as possible while hoping to get away with it.

The Mercurial Vapor 17 is an extremely expensive boot, in most places more expensive than its competition, and feels like a ripoff. Instead of getting the Nike Mercurial Vapor 17, consider getting last year’s Vapor 16, or save up for the Superfly, or get the Vapor Pro 17.

Even better than those options, consider pretty much every other speed boot on the market and give your money to brands that seem to care about making boots (well, at the moment), and you’ll get a far better product. For me, there is zero reason to get the Vapor 17. It’s an unacceptably poor and expensive product that should be avoided.

What do you think of the Nike Mercurial Vapor 17 Elite? Please share this with your friends and make sure to follow me on Instagram!

Also, check out the Football Boot Hour Podcast I co-host with Boot Wizard!

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I split my time between wearing HAVO Grip Socks and PureGrip Socks for training and matches.

Use code LOCKHART15 to get 15% off your HAVO Grip Sock order or click the link here: https://havosports.com/LOCKHART.

Use code lockhart for 10% off your entire PureGrip Socks order here: https://puregripsocks.com. Along with the socks, I also recommend the Pure laces and Pure Carbon 2.0 shin guards.

じゃあね！