Black Next-Gen Nike Mercurial Vapor XII Elite 2018 Boots Released

England international Marcus Rashford has posted a picture on Instagram that shows Nathaniel Chalobah wearing the unreleased black Nike Mercurial Vapor 360 cleat (the first pictures showing the upcoming black next-gen Nike Mercurial Vapor 12 football boots have been leaked as well). The Nike Mercurial Vapor 360 2018 cleats are set for a launch on March 1, 2018.

Nike Mercurial Vapor XII Elite - Black / Total Orange / White

This image shows the black next-gen Nike Mercurial Vapor 12 2018 launch colorway.

Nike has chosen a relatively understated, yet popping color combo for the alternative launch colorway of the next-gen Mercurial boots. Predominantly black, this paint job of the Nike Mercurial Vapor 12 cleats feature bold orange accents in the form of two Swooshes, one on the toebox and another on the inside, while a bit of white will be present as well.

takedown version

Following the Flyknit Ultra approach, the Nike Mercurial Vapor XII Elite football boots have a one-piece Flyknit upper with a new upper structure in the front, a feature that has been compared to Adidas' X model.

Although the stud alignment is virtually unchanged, the sole plate of the Nike Vapor 12 cleats introduces a brand new construction, which sees front and rear studs placed on two separate plates that are not connected in the middle. Likely aimed at reducing weight, it remains to be seen whether there will be performance implications - the bottom and rear of the Flyknit upper is reinforced to prevent anything of that sort.

The Nike Mercurial Vapor 12 in Black and Total Orange will be released on March 1 2018. The RRP is set at USD 250 (EUR 240, GBP 190), a bit more than the current Vapor XI and on par with the low-cut Hypervenom Phantom 3.

Do you like the understated overall design and the new Swoosh placement? Drop us a line below, and check out the Boot Calendar for more leaks from this collection.