The 25 Best Soccer Cleats of All Time

posted by Bryan Byrne |

, , ,

Previous / Next 23 of 26

nike mercurial vapor III fg soccer The 25 Best Soccer Cleats of All Time

No. 4 – Nike Mercurial Vapor III

Weight: 7.1oz
Released: 2006
Highlight: A lightweight boot that propelled the Vapor series to a whole new level.

Created using a new revolutionary teijin synthetic upper, the Vapor III proved to be the stepping stone for the Vapor series, allowing Nike to produce a boot with superior ball feel, control and strike in a lightweight package. Nike also introduced their new ‘Speed Last’, which was designed to contour the anatomic curves of the foot for added comfort and maximum speed advantage. Pretty ideal characteristics for the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, a player who was centerpiece of the release and played some sensational soccer while wearing them. Had it not been for some durability issues with the upper, this boot could surely have ranked even higher, yet they still sit as one of the best Vapor releases to date and a top choice at SoccerCleats101 HQ!

  • michael

    u missed the adidas predator manias

  • dub

    this is a cool as list. nice work!

  • dub

    no. 11, the Vapors, those last for about a month before they blow out. i’m sure it’s different for the custom ones that the pros wear, but not for plumber Joe paying $1-200 for them

  • Riley

    A decent list but the Vapor 8 should be higher. And having worn the LZs, I’m not sure they should be in the top 10. The zones seemed gimmicky to me

  • Huff eja

    This should have been number 1

  • Jason Chua

    Can’t quite believe there wasn’t space for the Mizuno Morelias (Japan Versions) one of the best leather boots around comparable with the Copas.

  • Chris

    The vapor IV should definitely be on this list somewhere. Best pair of boots I’ve ever worn

  • Paul

    Even though I have always been an adidas guy(nike never fit my feet well), the NIke Vapor III was, and still is my favorite boot. It looks better than any other boot, it was light and the stud pattern was incredible for its time. NIke also had it on the market for a long time, releasing so many colours – Thierry Henry wore the white/gold, C. Ronaldo the Red/White, Drogba the blue/white, Ronaldo the yellow/green. Forget the technology – these boots were sleek, light and had classy swag

  • Sung

    Is the new F50 and the new CTR 360 not good enough compared to the older versions?
    I’m considering getting the two pairs but it seems that the only new one available in this list was the Preds.

  • Ccjshs

    I disagree with the first choice. I believe it is a great cleat but it definitely isn’t the best around.

  • Pingback: Things We Love ... Shoes Glorious Shoes - NYTimes.com

  • Peter

    i think there are many boots missed out… i know everyone has different taste and its hard to compress to top 25 but dont really agree with top10 you have there.. but generally all the boots you’ve chosen are great! :)

  • burgie

    I have always worn puma king. In HS days I could get 3+ years out of them playing hard on them 4 to 5x a week. These “new and improved” kings lasted less then one season of medium intensity play. They are not as good as the older Kings and should not be in this list. Put the Puma King Classic up instead.