Following the dramatic conclusions to Europe's top leagues, there is little time for football's top brands to sit back and reflect. With EC12 on the horizon, it's time for Nike, adidas and Puma to raise their game. There's an expectancy from Nike to do something different, and once again they've stepped up to the challenge with the launch of the Nike Clash Collection.
The CTR360 has a strong player uptake across some of Europe’s strongest nations. Tournament favourites Spain will have midfield duo Andres Iniesta and Sergio Busquets representing the CTR range, while Dutch player maker Rafael van der Vaart will be hoping to bring international success to the 2010 World Cup runners-up.
For the last few major tournaments we've seen Nike's World Cup Elite pack and their black leather EC08 boots, to unify their players on pitch. Now, to celebrate what promises to be an exciting summer of football, the ‘Nike Clash Collection’ will be worn by some of the world’s best players including Ronaldo, Iniesta & Rooney.
The individual boots are sparked by specific colour, finished with a white toe upper to create a distinctive yet common theme across the collection. Each chosen colour reflects the expression and playing style of each boot, with the ever-popular CTR360 line being brought to life in a fresh White/Blue colour combo.
“The clash of traditional white with very modern and youthful colours will make a really powerful and disruptive statement on pitch,” said Andrew Caine, Nike Global Creative Director for Football Footwear. “The Nike Clash Collection delivers highly engineered boots with sharp colour contrast reflecting the clash of rivalries and competition we will see this summer. We’re celebrating that with distinctive and stand out colour.”
Once again, it will be Spain's World Cup winning midfielder Andres Iniesta who headlines the range, with French midfielder Yann M'Vila also set to increase his profile as one of Nike's lead players. They'll certainly be a strong colour match for the France home strip. Other CTR players set for Euro action include Sergio Busquets, Rafael Van der Vaart and of course, everyone’s favourite Italian Mario Balotelli!
Unlike the T90 Laser IV, the new CTR360 won't receive a SG Pro-Plate release from Nike – only the standard FG and AG editions will be made available at retail. We're putting this down to the expected post-Euro release of the redesigned CTR360 Maestri III – a boot that will feature an updated sole-plate with newly designed stud configurations.
The Nike CTR360 Maestri soccer cleats have gained quite a reputation for being one of the most comfortable boots on the market. In such a short space of time the CTR has become one of the most popular football boots on the market. The CTR360 range has seen a strong uptake from players all over the park whether their position is defence, midfield or attack.
The Nike Clash Collection will make their on-field debuts in the Champions League final, with Chelsea and Bayern Munich Nike players given exclusive access ahead of the headline summer tournament. You will be available to pre-order the boots from May 14 with the CTR360 retailing for around £135 GBP / $180 USD / €160 EURO.
Now you've had your SoccerBible first-look at the new 'Clash Collection' Nike CTR360 Maestri II football boots, let us know what you think! Share your thoughts with the SoccerBible community online, on Twitter and on Facebook.
