Nike’s Cryoshot series is reaching back to one of the boots that helped shape modern Nike Football. The upcoming Nike Cryoshot Mercurial Vapor R9 is expected to release during the 2026 FIFA World Cup for $200 USD, pulling its story from Ronaldo Nazário’s Mercurial R9 boot from 1998.
Ronaldo wore the original Mercurial R9 during the 1998 FIFA World Cup in France, giving Nike a signature soccer moment before the Mercurial line became what it is today. The boot had speed written all over it, both in design and in the way it matched Ronaldo’s game. For Nike, it became more than a cleat. It helped put the Mercurial name on the map.
Cryoshot takes that history out of match-day use and into a lifestyle space. Nike has been using soccer references more often across casual footwear, and this one carries more weight than most. The R9 link gives the pair a real archive story, not just a borrowed colorway or loose football theme.
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Nike Cryoshot Mercurial Vapor R9
Color: Varsity Royal/Metallic Silver-Black-Varsity Maize
Style Code: IQ8160-400
Release Date: 2026
Price: $200
