Comes with original bag and box.
 
Nike dropped a special edition colorway of the Air Zoom Mercurial out of nowhere with a blast from the past. It is known as the Mercurial Match remake, and it is a throwback to the iconic Air Zoom Mercurial VT from 2001.
 
The current on-pitch Air Zoom Mercurial – the one on Ronaldo's feet at the World Cup as part of Nike's 'Generation Pack' – is a throwback to the look that made Ronaldo famous back in 2002. However, in addition to the Match Mercurial's predominantly metallic copper look, a number of other colorways were released, one of which was an inverted look of R9's signature boot that debuted on the Air Zoom Mercurial VT in 2001. Nike has released a special edition Air Zoom Mercurial Vapour XV that pays homage to that look from 20 years ago, which is a welcome dose of nostalgia.
 
The Air Zoom Mercurial VT was released as part of Nike's 'Alpha Project,' which had a straightforward goal on paper: to identify and solve product performance issues for (and with) athletes. The signature five-dot sign-off on products stood out, with each dot representing a letter from the word Alpha. This was a special boot in the Mercurial line's ongoing evolution, and its look is welcomed back on the 'Retro' Air Zoom Mercurial Vapor XV, which features those signature 'Alpha Project' five dots on both the heel and internally, on the sockliner.
 
The Nike Air Zoom Mercurial VT had a full synthetic upper, a TPU outsole, and Nike's first ever mixed soleplate (metal and rubber, screw-in and fixed), dubbed VT for Variable Turf. The studs were also distinct in their triangular shape and required a special stud tool to remove. It arrived on a full-length Zoom Air unit, of course.
 
The same "Zoom Air" wording appears on the toebox of the Air Zoom Mercurial Vapor XV as it did on the original, as does the smaller Swoosh on the heel. On the other hand, clear panels reveal the Zoom Air units, while an iridescent shimmer on the heel completes the look.