The Product:
Nike Mercurial Victory II FG Men’s Soccer Cleat
Do the Nike Mercurial Victory II FG Men’s Soccer Cleat benefits exist and perform as Nike describes they should?
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| Mercurial Victory II FG |
1) Soft, supple synthetic leather for stability, ideal fit and better ball control
2) Contoured last mirrors the foot shape for a premium fit
3) Contoured sockliner for a premium, low-profile fit
4) Innovative cleat configuration for better acceleration especially on firm-grounds
5) Firm-ground (FG) cleats for use on short-grass fields that may be slightly wet but rarely muddy
Soft, supple synthetic leather for stability, ideal fit and better ball control:
At Tempo- On a scale of 1-10 on supple, I give this synthetic leather a 5. You do get good ball control.
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| See the Satin grain look? |
The appearance of the synthetic leather looks like satin. It is as though tiny interlocking fibers are the structure of the material providing it the ability to tug and tighten with every movement of your foot. This satin finish makes the cleat soft but ready to connect with the soccer ball. Like satin, this synthetic leather traps dirt in the fibers of the toes and side of the foot. Also, the material does get creases which are not uncommon for any cleat to develop. However, these creases are stiffer than a kangaroo leather shoe would develop, which means that the way your foot first dictates to the Mercurial to form and bend to your foot the first outing will be the way the shoe will force it to occur for the rest of the cleats life (Picture of these creases is at the end of this review). The fit of the cleat around the foot is snug but not uncomfortable. It hugs your foot which allows your foot to feel everything that your foot touches. You know where the ball is touching your foot which allows for the player to know the next type of touch that needs to be taken for ball control. It is a tight/snug fit so it is important that when you are sizing this cleat that you know exactly what size cleat you are in Nike products. Also be sure to consider if you wear one or two pairs of socks, if you have ankle protectors and anything else that might cause your foot size to be bigger.
Contoured last mirrors the foot shape for a premium fit.
At Tempo- FYI the “last” is the toe area, contoured is the style of a rounded toe to mimic the foot shape.
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| Toe: AKA Contoured Last |
I had to Google what a “Contoured last” is and how it applies to a shoe. I have learned that the “last” area is the toe and the look or style of the toe is defined by the word contoured or other descriptions like Olympic, Laser, Stanford and more. This cleats toe is round and provides just enough room for toes and two pairs of socks to fit into. It does provide a snug fit so be sure your toe nails are well trimmed before playing your match. The contoured last does provide for a glove like fit for the toes which in turn allows the player to have a great feel on the soccer ball.
Soft, supple Contoured sockliner for a premium, low-profile fit.
At Tempo- Helps your feet slip in the cleat easier but the rest is just spin to make this benefit seem more impactful.
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| Inside shoe liner. Top is inside the tongue the right is inside the cleat. |
I picked this Mercurial Victory II FG cleat because it listed this benefit while the other Nike Mercurial cleat I was looking at did not have this feature. Since it was only $5 more I decided to splurge and it appears this benefit is exactly worth $5 and not any more. The liner is contoured because it lines the cleat and the cleat is contoured. The liner does not enhance this feature. I also do not understand how this liner provided for a low-profile fit. The supple synthetic leather that makes the shape of the cleat is what creates the low-profile fit. The liner is soft and not thick which helps your foot fit the cleat size accurately. Supple seems to be a theme with this cleat but I would argue that it does not apply with this liner. The liner is more like a thin felt sheet that is to help your foot slip in and out. There did not seem to be any thick seams that would irritate your foot or places from the liner that would cause an annoying point of pressure.
Innovative cleat configuration for better acceleration especially on firm-grounds.
At Tempo- Keeps you on your feet during quick adjustments and provides a quick first step.
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| Toe Spikes |
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| Bottom showing Cleats |
The first aspect of the cleat, or spike, side of this shoe I noticed was the rigid front toe area. Tiny spikes that help provide a quick first step in any direction. They appear to be no longer that 1/8” and cover about 2 square inches of the toe area. The main cleats located underneath the ball of your foot follow the new norm of a soccer cleat pattern. These are not your old standard of just round spikes to grip the ground. These are long and thin. Each cleat is rounded slightly facing the inside of the shoe. This is to help with quicker turns without losing your footing. There are eight cleats for the front two thirds of the cleat. There are 4 cleats on the heel area. The cleats in the heel are bit longer than the ones in the front. They appear ready to dig into the ground and help you hold your ground. Each cleat is about ½” in height and 1” in length and is made of a hard plastic. On a firm soccer pitch you do not feel the cleats when you play but if you are on a hard field like straight dirt then you will feel awkward running in these as the shoe feels uneven in these conditions.
Firm-ground (FG) cleats for use on short-grass fields that may be slightly wet but rarely muddy.
At Tempo- Will perform in most field conditions but the cleats are not long enough for mud.
These are a great all purpose cleat. If you are just playing in a recreational league or are not able to have multiple cleat styles then this cleat would be a great all purpose tool. This cleat will perform in short to long grass and will function in the rain. No shoe really “performs” in mud and do not expect this one to. You probably could expect the game to be cancelled if the conditions are in the muddy category. In bad conditions, the heel of the cleat will keep you on your feet but you will lose the quick turn and acceleration benefits of the front cleats. In any field condition besides mud these cleats will be able to provide their benefits to some capacity but the ideal is short-grass.
NPR Plus's:
1) Light weight. Only 8 oz
2) The synthetic material appears durable and the cleat well constructed
3) The color choices for this cleat are bright and noticeable for teammates.
NPR Suggested Adjustment:
1) Make the contoured sock liner something worth mentioning.
2) Have the cleat come in a matching shoe bag.
3) Fix the tongue more to the cleat as it likes to drift to one side.
Please email comments to srmath10@nikeproductreviews.com on what you liked about this review and what you did not like. Your suggestions will be read and responded to and taken into consideration. We want you to enjoy the review and get value from it. The more you tell us the more we adapt our techniques to meet your satisfaction.
"At Tempo" points are Nike Product Reviews term for our short summary of our opinion on the product. It’s to provide the reader with a quick overview of the overall message for that section.
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| Inside foot view and heel. |
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| Creases on synthetic leather |
Disclaimer: These cleats were worn for 1 hour of practice and 1 hour of game play. The pictures were taken without the cleats be clean so you can see actual dirt areas and wear.
