Brendan Dunne 
The Nike Flyknit technology has once again jumped categories – this time landing on a football design in the form of the new Nike Vapor Ultimate Cleat. Of course the cleats across the bottom mean that they’re not all that suitable for wear beyond the gridiron, but perhaps the Swoosh will eventually bless us with a takedown/trainer version like they did for certain soccer boots that showed up this season. Continue reading for a complete breakdown on the brand new, NFL-ready Nike Vapor Ultimate Cleat in all its Flyknit glory and find them on pre-sale right now directly from Nike.
Source: Nike INC
Nike Flyknit has redefined basketball, running, soccer, and training footwear and now defines the next generation of footwear on the gridiron with the new Nike Vapor Ultimate football cleat. Designed for dynamic athletic strength and force, this new cleat combines Nike’s most innovative plate and traction technology with advanced upper technology – Nike Flyknit. As football gets faster and more physical, so do the athletes. Stronger and more agile, football athletes at every position are continuing to push the game to new limits just as Nike continues to push the limits of innovation.
Nike Flyknit creates a “second skin” feel around the foot, providing a more responsive fit while dialing up the sensation of movement and interaction with the ground. Combined with Nike’s latest game-changing cleat plate, the Nike Vapor Ultimate becomes a true extension of the foot, designed to allow the athlete to make faster split-second movements on the field without compromise.
This new cleat delivers lightweight durability, lock-down fit, and increased awareness of the body’s movements to meet the pressures of the game and create Nike’s fastest game cleat yet.
Lightweight Strength Engineered for the Forces of Football
Nike Flyknit debuted with the Nike Flyknit Racer in 2012 and more recently in the KOBE 9 Elite basketball shoe, Nike Magista soccer boot and Nike Mercurial Superfly.
This revolutionary technology defies conventional shoe manufacturing processes by creating an engineered one-piece upper that knits lightweight strength and durability directly into the cleat. For football, a new Nike Skin overlay material works in concert with the Flyknit, providing additional durability, strength, and protection in high-impact areas. Flywire cables, wrapping the arch of the foot, are also woven directly into the knit fabric to create a full one-piece upper engineered for strength and durability. The dynamic fit augments the natural motion of the Carbon V-plate.
“We’ve created a cleat that can withstand the forces generated by today’s athletes on the football field,” said Ken Link, Nike Football Cleated Design Director. “Flywire and Nike Flyknit combine to create a second-skin, sock-like fit that adapts to each individual player’s foot as well as to his style of play. Our most innovative upper combines with our most revolutionary, proven football plate technology to help athletes perform at the highest level.”
Designed for Multidirectional Speed
While the 40-yard dash is championed as football’s defining speed metric, the game itself is all about multidirectional acceleration. The Nike Vapor Ultimate incorporates the Carbon V-Plate that debuted on the Nike Vapor Carbon 2014 Elite. The Carbon V-plate is the culmination of intense athlete-driven research into football-specific speed, and the first plate inspired by, and developed from, Nike’s 3-D printing and testing facilities—accelerating development and testing timelines, pushing faster innovation and supporting faster athletes.
“3-D printing (SLS) revolutionized the way we design cleat plates – even beyond football,” said Link. “The process gives Nike the ability to accelerate innovation and create solutions that were not possible within the constraints of traditional manufacturing processes.”
The groundbreaking studs on the Nike Vapor Ultimate are designed for zero-slip traction in both acceleration and breaking. The pattern allows for optimal ignition off the back foot, hitting the precision cuts to avoid a tackle, and the explosive propulsion required to make a critical catch. At the forefoot of the plate, an aggressive tri-star traction system allows for more confident movement overall.
The Nike Vapor Ultimate achieves the perfect balance of durability, power and speed. It is a cleat born from precision engineering, incorporating innovative technologies designed to match the forces generated by football’s new breed of athletes.
The Nike Vapor Ultimate is available for pre-sale on July 8 at Nike.com.
