Nike designs new 'Hypervenom' boots for Neymar
Nike have designed their new 'Hypervenom' special edition boots after being inspired by Brazil's golden boy and World Cup star Neymar Jr.
As a 12-year-old football fan, Neymar used to display his skills on the dusty lanes of Santos, Brazil. Though financial problems were a major hindrance, he always dreamed of making it big in the game he loved. The lanky teenager dreamt of playing for his beloved Brazil and winning the Golden Boot at football's biggest stage - the World Cup. To provide solace to himself, Neymar used to spray paint his football boots gold.
But Nike seemed to have been inspired by Neymar's story, and have now come up with their new 'Hypervenom' boots, that are spray-painted in gold. "When we met with Neymar he told us that when he was 12 he used to spray paint his boots gold. He said that he always wanted a pair of gold boots but that he couldn't find them anywhere. So we took that insight and decided this summer would be the perfect moment to create this boot for him," said Denis Dekovic, Nike Football Design Director.
Dekovic though admits that getting the perfect golden look wasn't an easy task. "The biggest challenge was getting the gold tone perfect so it had the right spray-painted look," he said. "We worked closely with Neymar to get it as close to how he remembered the color when he would apply it as a kid. We're all delighted with the results and can't wait to see it on pitch."
Neymar is already the hot favourite to win the Golden Boot at the on-going 2014 FIFA World Cup. The 22-year-old has netted four goals in just three outings for the Selecao and leads the tournament's goal-scoring charts. And now the Barcelona star will don the new Hypervenom boots for Brazil's Round of 16 clash against Chile on Saturday, 28 June.
According to Nike, their new boots are designed kept in mind the tactics used by strikers. With a Hypervenom on their feet, strikers can more easily adapt to the situation, creating more chances for them to score. "The Nike Hypervenom is a response to the way the game is changing. Players want to be quicker, not just in a foot race, but quicker with the ball at their feet in small spaces. They need to create chances from nothing. The Hypervenom was designed to help combat today's faster defenders by allowing strikers that extra split-second in the box," said Dekovic. After working with the world's top podiatrists, Nike have developed their new boots with an outsole that allows a player to move away quickly from defenders marking them. Also a newly developed forefoot design improves the first touch.
Neymar had earlier launched Nike's Hypervenom Phantom boots in May 2013 and wore them while leading Brazil to glory at the FIFA Confederations Cup. Hosts Brazil decimated Spain 3-0 in the final at Rio de Janeiro, as Neymar went on to receive the Golden Ball for being the best player in the tournament.
The new Hypervenom boot will be available for sale on Nike's official website from 26 June.
He has already moved to the 6th spot in Brazil’s all time leading goal scorers list, so with age and skills on his side, he is expected to rise further.