This is anything but expected. Nike Hypervenom cover athlete Neymar laced up in the new Nike Mercurial Vapor X Electro Flare Pack Boots in today's FC Barcelona training session. What does that mean for Nike?
In May 2013, Neymar launched the all-new Nike Hypervenom Phantom Football Boots ahead of the 2013 Copa America in Brazil. Made for ultimate agility, the Nike Hypervenom Phantom Cleats replaced the famous Nike Total 90 and became an instant hit among professionals and amateur players.
Neymar Trains in Squadron Blue / Volt Nike Mercurial Boots
Close-up picture of the Nike Mercurial Vapor 10 Neymar Cleats.
Neymar laced up in the Squadron Blue Nike Mercurial Vapor 10 Boots for the first time in today's training session after he previously had worn a modified version of the Green Strike Nike Hypervenom Phantom II Football Boots. Neymar uses a non-modified version of the Nike Mercurial Vapor Cleats.
Neymar had been training in various different blackout versions of modified Nike Hypervenom Phantom II Boots, while he even laced up in completely modified Nike Hybrid Boots in late August 2015. However, Neymar has never worn his Nike Hybrid Boots in an actual match.
It's obvious that Neymar has been facing problems with his Nike Hypervenom Phantom II Boots since the launch of the all-new boots in May 2015. Introducing the trademark Dynamic Fit collar and a totally new upper, the Nike Hypervenom Phantom II Cleats have almost nothing in common with his beloved first generation of the Nike Hypervenom.
If you payed close attention to Neymar's Boots in the past games, you may spotted three signals that Neymar got serious problems with his boots. Firstly, Neymar looked down often on his boots. Secondly, Neymar had problems with slipping in Barcelona's last matches. But most importantly, he regularly switched his boots during a match.
However, it was intended that Neymar would switch to the Nike Hypervenom Phantom II Electro Flare Pack Boots, which were launched yesterday. Nike now faces a serious problem as their second most important player is not wearing the boots he should wear.
This isn't good news for Nike. We'll watch out for Neymar's Boots in tomorrow's La Liga clash against Celta Vigo. Let us know what you think about the unexpected switch in the comments section below.