Nike Shine Through

            Recently, Nike came out with their “Shine Through” collection, or basically just a group of similar colorways for all of its different soccer cleats. The boots in this collection all have a white base, with logos and the outsole as bright, vibrant colors. Of course, with such an improvement as drastic as a color change, there is a price increase as well. For an already expensive shoe such as the Mercurial Superfly, this new price is up to $290, a price that would be considered extremely high for many, but obviously not for some. Nike, and other brands as well, continues to release new editions and collections of shoes at similarly high price points, yet is still able to do it over and over again. Obviously, the price is not an issue for some, and their support drives further releases.

            The release, and supposed success, of these cleats draws up the discussion of what soccer shoes are becoming today, and if we really like where they are going. First, and probably least important, is the idea of what these cleats should look like today, where many prefer the classic “plain black and white” feel that doesn’t really attract attention but the majority of large releases today consist of bright colors. Personally, I don’t mind bright colors, and the white with bits of color in the Shine Through collection are not as extremely colored as other releases, but I also like the simplicity that an all or mostly black shoe brings. Also, the increasing price and demand of premium soccer shoes is another change. Basically, all players want the same cleats as the professionals, but some are able to more or less ignore the price for them while other can’t afford them. While it’s unfortunate that many are excluded from these shoes, I appreciate the fact that those who want, or are able to pay for, premium boots are able to get them, and I think that opportunity is here to stay with the ever-growing demand for them.