Update: Wayne Rooney has switched to the latest paint job of the Nike Hypervenom, the Nike Hypervenom Phinish Floodlight Pack edition. His boots feature the same modifications as before (custom tongue construction + completely custom sole plate), while he has also adapted the new upper of the boots, the so-called Nike Hypervenom Phinish 2.5 upper. See the original article below.
Wayne Rooney's Switches to New Modified Nike Hypervenom Phinish Floodlight Pack Cleats
Close-up picture of Wayne Rooney's Floodlight Pack Nike Hypervenom Phinish.
With Adidas preparing a bid to sign Manchester United superstar Wayne Rooney, we decided to take a closer look at the one-of-a-kind boots worn by the 30-years old English national team striker. And while Nike Hypervenom face Neymar even wears a 'camouflaged' version of the Nike Hypervenom Phinish Boots, Wayne Rooney's Nike Hypervenom Cleats are much more similar to the standard edition than the boots worn by the Brazilian winger.
Wayne Rooney has been wearing Nike boots for more than ten years. Known as the global face of the Nike Total 90 Boots, Wayne Rooney had been lacing up in Nike's Power boot until Nike decided to discontinue their still-popular silo. To close the gap which emerged after the termination of the power boot, Nike introduced the all-new Nike Hypervenom Cleats in Summer 2013. Made for ultimate agility, Rooney made the switch to the cutting-edge silo. However, as Brazilian youngster Neymar became the face of the totally new silo, Wayne Rooney was now only one of the players in the second-row.
Wayne Rooney's Modified Nike Hypervenom Phinish Cleats
Close-up picture of Wayne Rooney's Hyper Grape Nike Hypervenom Phinish.
Wayne Rooney's Nike Hypervenom Phinish Soccer Boots feature an upper that seems to be identical to the standard edition of the Nike Hypervenom Phinish Boots at first glance. However, his boots appear to come with less stitching in the forefoot area whereas the upper material used looks identical. But what's most remarkable about the upper part of the boots is not the material, but the tongue.
The Nike Hypervenom Cleats worn by Rooney feature a completely different tongue than the regular edition of the agility boot. Whereas the standard Nike Hypervenom Phinish Cleat features a tongue that is directly connected to the upper to create a 'tongue-less' design, Wayne Rooney uses a tongue that looks similar to the one seen on the Nike Mercurial Vapor IX Boot.
It's not a surprise that Wayne Rooney uses a completely custom sole plate, similar to various high-profile players sponsored by the big brands. Wayne Rooney, who almost always laces up in SG boots, wears a boot that features six big bladed studs. Rooney's SG version is anything but similar to the Soft Ground version of the Nike Hypervenom Cleats. However, if Wayne Rooney wears the FG version (almost never in matches), he uses a non-modified outsole featuring the agility stud configuration of the Nike Hypervenom.
A different tongue and a completely custom sole plate, but not as extreme as the camouflaged version worn by Neymar. What do you think of the modifications Nike made for Rooney? Let us know in the comments below.