nike Mercurial Superfly CR7 - Savage Beauty

I can’t think of more apt description of Cristiano Ronaldo’s play than “savage beauty”. The thundering runs, the towering athleticism, the violent stepovers — all of it is gorgeous to watch, but in a ferocious, brutal, and devastating manner. It’s similar to witnessing an avalanche or a tsunami or a volcanic eruption. Although these powerful forces of nature sweep through in destruction, there is a savage beauty to it. You could say the same about Ronaldo, the Portuguese force of nature.

Nike has bottled this feeling in the latest Mercurial CR7 collection. In a new seven-part series of Superfly CR7 boots, Nike is chronicling Mr. Ronaldo’s past. Today, we have Chapter 1, entitled Savage Beauty.

First, let’s survey the background behind the latest CR7 creation. It makes sense that the first entry for this Journey Into CR7 is inspired by his birthplace, Madeira, Portugal. A cluster of islands off the coast of mainland Portugal, Madeira has just 267,000 citizens. In the capital of Funchal, there is a CR7 Museum with a (very generous, if you know what I mean) gold statue of Cristiano himself. What are the chances one of history’s great football players hails from an island with a population that’s less than half the size of Washington D.C.?

Madeira, Portugal

Image: The Travel Library/Rex Features

Madeira has become a tourist attraction for its beautiful scenery, mild subtropical climate, and famous Madeira wine, but you may be wondering about the significance of the lava aesthetic on the boots. The island of Madeira sits on top of a massive shield volcano, although scientists estimate that the last known eruption was way back in 4500 BC.

This volcanic identity provides the concept for the excellent visuals of the latest CR7 collection. Last year, adidas created the Messi Rosar10 boots to honor Leo’s hometown of Rosario, Argentina. Now Messi’s great rival has his own hometown cleats.

Mercurial CR7 - Lava

Where to start with this fascinating creation? The lava-inspired graphics of red, orange, purple, and blue catch your eye immediately. It’s intricate, it’s fiery, and it’s mesmerizing. This may be the most impressive design we’ve seen on a CR7 boot, just due to the elegance of the details. Of course, it wouldn’t be as visible without the black base Nike uses around it, which gives off the look of lava flowing at night.

The iconic CR7 logo is on the heel, but smaller this time, staying clear of the volcano graphics. A large white Swoosh stretches across the upper, but in true Nike CR7 fashion, even that has a iridescent sheen to it. The oustole features that see-through, luxurious look you’ve become accustomed to on the Superfly.

Nike CR7 Superfly outsole

Savage Beauty Mercurial CR7

Nike’s Mercurial Vapor X CR7 gets in on the volcanic action with a similar visual design, just without the Dynamic Fit Collar or Flyknit. You can expect the Savage Beauty CR7 boots to hit the shelves later this week.

Nike Free Mercurial Flyknit CR7

For those of you looking to sport CR7 shoes on the daily, Nike F.C. have given us a treat in the Free Mercurial Superfly. This lifestyle shoe has a chill purple and black color combo with the lava print filling in the Swoosh. I know these are volcano-inspired but, in our opinion, they are cooler than the other side of the pillow (shouts to Stuart Scott). The Free Mercurial Flyknit goes on sale November 14th.

 

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