A couple of months ago, pictures surfaced online showing the supposed second-generation Nike Phantom Vision II. Following up the first generation, released right at the start of last season, the Nike Phantom VSN 2 cleats are set for a debut in early 2020.
Early 2020 Release + Colorways: Next-Gen Nike Phantom VSN 2 Boots Info Leaked
This means that we will see the second-gen of Nike's control boot around 18 months after the launch of the previous - it's shorter than Nike's usual cycle and similar to what happened with the new-gen Mercurial this year.
Although the pictures were shared by an account that's known to spread fakes, we can confirm that the Nike Phantom VSN 2 boots shown are (fake) remakes of the original design.
Nike Phantom Vision 2
This is the supposed Nike Phantom VSN 2 boot.
It's a very new and unusual look at first. The fake Nike Phantom VSN boots don't feature the silo's trademark lace cover and leave the lacing system exposed. The lacing system itself, is not that different from what's used in the first-gen Phantom Vision, where it's hidden under the lace cover, however.
It's highly likely that the fakers made an error about this. Everything we know indicates that the lace-cover is here to stay on the next-gen Nike Phantom Vision II boots.
The sole plate is identical to what's used on the first generation and it's safe to assume that this is accurate as the same happened with the Mercurial. As for the rest of the boot, it's difficult to draw too many conclusions as we're looking at a fake remake of a takedown.
A few things stand out when comparing them with the Academy Phantom Vision first-gen, which retails at £80.00, however. First, there's addition of pull tabs at the front and back of the collar, which should make it easier to put the shoes on and off.
Second, there's a panel at the heel part of the boots which appears to be made out of a thinner, less sturdy material. This could be there to reduce stress on the heel, something which has lead many footballers to cut holes in their current-gen boots, Phantom or otherwise.
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Finally, a few words about the design, which might well be the most notable change of them all. Both the medial and lateral Swoosh have seen their placement massively changed. The PhantomVSN brand was also moved, from the outside of the toebox to the heel.
As mentioned above, the colorways shown here are likely just fictional. The account in question is known for showing fakes and these often feature colorways that were never actually released - like the Predator you can see below.
So, how do you feel about this first look at the next-gen Nike Phantom Vision boots? Drop us a line below, and check out the Boot Calendar for more.