Nike's Hypervenom debuts in Southeast Asia with FC Barcelona

The Nike Hypervenom boot was launched in Bangkok, Thailand yesterday with star striker Neymar, fresh from Brazil’s FIFA Confederations Cup victory and enjoying his first pre-season with FC Barcelona. The new boot is Nike’s latest football performance innovation to enhance agility and quickness, two attributes especially necessary in today’s game.

Following Neymar’s appearance, FC Barcelona players Alexis Sánchez and Adriano joined him to take part in the ‘League of Deadly’ football competition and skills session with young Thai footballers. The winners from the competition were then granted an exclusive opportunity to train with FC Barcelona’s coaching staff during the team’s evening training session at Ratchamankala Stadium.

Nike Hypervenom was created based on the feedback of players such as Neymar, Wayne Rooney and Zlatan Ibrahimovic. They all specified the need for a boot that could help them create space quickly in and around the penalty area, and get their shot off from any angle.

Neymar said, “Help me make space more often and more quickly. I want a boot that helps enhance my agility and gives me the space to get my shot off before I’m closed down.”

At the Bangkok launch, Nike’s football product team also shared insights about the development of the Hypervenom. In the concepting stage, the design team knew they had to re-examine the way boots are created. While boot development typically has focused on a particular area such as fit, upper material or sole plate, the Hypervenom delivers new solutions for all aspects of the boot, providing a groundbreaking innovation for today’s strikers.

“We worked closely with the athletes to find out what they are looking for in a boot. Today’s game is faster, more technical and physical – when you combine that with the very specific demands of a deadly striker, there’s a profound shift in how you think about boot development,” said Aik Leong Lim, Nike Football Product Director. “It used to be about speed, but besides the need to be quick, the player needs to be more agile in tight spaces, creating space and putting that ball in the net.”