Matt Varga Update: Official Nike press confirms that Nike Cryoshot is, indeed, a new franchise that’ll induct new members in the coming months. Photos of a second shoe, the Nike Tiempo Cryoshot, are now included below. Scroll beyond those shots for our original coverage.
#bootsonlysummer and soccer’s influence in footwear is only rising. Be it adidas’ “Walkable Cleat” or the Jack Harlow New Balance 442 that brings the Boston brand’s earnest performance wear to the street, seemingly every brand has an answer to the prompt. In typical Beaverton fashion, Nike is leveraging its esteemed archives to fire back, announcing that the Nike Cryoshot set will drop in the coming months.
Futbol fans will instantly register the vaunted silhouette that this shoe builds off of, but for those outside of that wheelhouse, the wavy upper at the heart of this new product is the original Nike Air Mercurial. Crafted with the help of and for Brazil’s R9, the cleat was a breakout star at the 1998 World Cup, breaking from the neutral conventions of on-pitch wear at the time with a silver/blue/yellow nod to Ronaldo’s home country. In this revival, some slight changes distinguish this version, including a rounded Swoosh and a more conventional tongue.
In a similar fashion to the Three Stripes’ formulation, the iconic model shifts to lifestyle wear with a translucent cage underfoot that protects its spiked traction yet allows it to remain a focus all the same. While it’s unclear whether this is a detachable feature that allows hybrid use on concrete and grass, it’s evident that this icy detail inspires the “Nike Cryoshot” moniker.
Though teasers only includes the reimagined Air Mercurial and Tiempo, Nike has tipped off that Cryoshot is a franchise rather than just a few silhouettes. Expect more of the brand’s beloved cleat styles to enter the canon as Nike’s efforts leading up to the 2026 World Cup continue. Keep our Sneaker Release Dates page within reach for more info, or enjoy the reveal video embedded below.
