The latest in footballing innovation from Nike Football - Phantom VSN (Vision) takes the idea of a control boot, built for the playmaking maestros of todays game, and revolutionizing it entirely. Built from the ground up (literally), the Phantom VSN was inspired by how the most technically brilliant footballers are brought up on the streets - and more so concrete, allowing them to develop a knack for getting out of tight spaces and opening up the play.
We take a look at what makes the Phantom VSN the boot it is, with our resident boot nerd Sam, B-License Senior Coaching Staff for Dandenong Thunder in Victoria's NPL, and life-long boot collector and enthusiast. Have a watch, and follow down below for a more in-depth text analysis of it all.
QUADFIT - Nike's 'big thing' on this boot is it's new QuadFit system. It's innovative 4 way stretch material conforms to the shape of your foot, providing a one-to-one fit and supposedly cuts out any need for a break-in period. The result of this is instant comfort, and a support system in which your foot can rest in. The fibres are built to last, evident by the toughness of the white interlocking fibres seen under the FlyKnit hood.
GHOST LACES - As Sam said in the video, Nike player feedback proved that laces are still the way to go. When asked, players opted for the idea of having laces on their boots, recognizing the importance of being able to adjust laces for the sake of having the best possible lock-down and fit in a football boot. Nike kept laces in their Phantom Vision - but made them ghost like. Under the FlyKnit bonnet, lays 3 lace loops which require just one pull to get them tight. Once laced up, you can simply tuck the laces back underneath the FlyKnit bonnet and set fly. The idea of the FlyKnit over the laces is to provide the most perfect strike and control zone, playing into what the entirety of the boot is about.
NIKESKIN / Upper Design - Before we begin, here's a simple fact. Talking physics - the more you friction you are able to put between two things, the more grip there will be - allowing for Thing 1 to stick to Thing 2 better, and for longer. So thinking here, Nike have added a ton of elements to add more friction between the boot and ball - allowing for ball grip to be insanely good. On the NikeSkin upper, Nike have implemented a couple of major things - that big red triangle, and a pattern on the rest of the upper. The big red triangle covers the three major bones in your feet that the ball comes in contact with when you pass and shoot. It creates an element of the ball to bounce off these bones, giving you an idea of where to strike and hit the ball - the lower you hit it on the triangle, and more grip you'll get. The rest of the upper features the same grip pattern, but much more finer and abrasive. The abrasiveness of the boot will definitely stick out to anyone holding or wearing it as one of the key features, and most definitely separates it from every other boot on the market.
SOLEPLATE - The party continues downstairs with the aggressive and impressive soleplate. Looking past the chrome shine, the stud pattern features a mix between bladed studs in the heel, and 'oddly shaped but most similar to being conical' studs in the forefoot. The oddly shaped studs start off round, but are cut out to form a point with two concaving edges. These studs are highly aggressive, built to penetrate the ground underneath and offer optimum traction and stability. On the big toe is a Pivot Zone, built up by three studs shaped in a bend to offer the most responsive and quick turns you'll every achieve. As footballers, we push off on this very spot when making quick cuts and changes of direction, so it's going to play a big hand in how we move about on the pitch with the Nike Phantom Visions on our feet.
The new Nike Phantom Vision footy boot is a strong contender for boot of the year already - it truly encompasses what a newly revamped and innovative boot should be like. Stay tuned for more on these football boots, which will be available on the 30th of July at Australia's True Football Destination - SPTFootball