For a defender, what’s more frightening than Neymar running towards you on the pitch with the ball seemingly glued to his feet? Neymar running towards you with the ball in a pair of Nike Hypervenom II football boots, that’s what. Fortunately, the humiliation is quick and painless, except you might probably be one of the hapless defenders on the ground featured on YouTube highlight reels.
Good thing I’m a striker then… or at least that’s where I enjoyed operating a decade ago.
Back then, I was a fan of Eric Cantona and later Thierry Henry. Besides sharing the same nationality and displaying enough arrogance to rival Justin Bieber, they did their talking on the pitch wearing Nike boots. So naturally, Nike has always been my choice when it comes to football boots as I tried to emulate them in void decks and bumpy, bald pitches. I did quite well by neighbourhood standards, averaging more than a goal a game for my Sunday football team, resulting in winning streaks that went beyond 20 games. But as time went by, with lesser football kakis to play with as well as increasing family responsibilities, those days are long gone.
So when Nike invited the media from South East Asia to try out the new Hypervenom II boots, my editor decided that it might be fun to see how I’ll fare in the shape I’m in at the moment. I gladly accepted. When I first saw and heard about the inspiration for the boots that we would be trying out at the presentation, I was impressed and couldn’t wait to try it on. I’ve had my fair share of high end boots in the past but I have to say that the new Hypervenom II boots are on a whole different level altogether.
I felt like a player reborn. The boots fit really well to the shape of your feet and felt really comfortable. And it sure looks boss. Memories of how I scored various goals came flooding back but this time with an orange hue and I was ready for the pitch. 15 minutes into the game, I had scored a goal and felt great. Then reality and age rapidly caught up with me after that burst. I had used up all my stamina and was reduced to being a peripheral character the rest of the game. I spent the rest of the game admiring my Hypervenom II boots while fitter media friends went up and down the pitch in a frenzy. I vowed to get fitter and play more regularly. These boots deserve it.
For more information on the Hypervenom II, visit https://www.nike.com/sg/en_gb/c/football/hypervenom
