Ronaldo Nazario R9 Match Worn 2002 World Cup Mercurial Vapor Boots vs. England
Match worn 2002 World Cup Mercurial Vapors by Ronaldo Nazário de Lima "Fenomeno" of Brazil. Ronaldo wore this colorway only in the 2002 World Cup campaign. A custom edition made to his exact specs, and this colorway was only worn up until the Semifinals. For the Semis/Finals, Nike made R9 a different colorway that he would wear.
COA from Sports Investors Authentication, one of the leading sports memorabilia certification companies in the world, trusted by Sothebys, Goldin, ESPN and more.
- The boots are incredibly custom, made to the exact specifications of Ronaldo for the 2002 World Cup
- If you look closely at the indented lines that run along the exterior and interior, every other line is stitched, along with the Nike logos stitched along the outline. This was a common spec found in R9 boots.
- A custom tongue with the R9 logo in red was used on these. The tongue was folded over, not stitched down. Many of Ronaldo's earlier models feature the folded tongue, the next model (Vapor II) typically has a stitched down tongue
- An elevated heel and sock liner was created on these boots. Refer to pic 6, the heel is raised significantly compared to retail models. Likely to help with fit and slip prevention.
- Custom orthotic insoles made in the Montebelluna factory for R9, a common feature in many of his boots from 2002-2006. This insole is exceptionally unique as they feature a padded foam material underneath the big toe area. Look very closely at picture 9, they are stamped with "RONALDO" - you can faintly see the "RON"
- Custom sizing, no size tags, made to the exact mould of R9's foot
- This colorway was produced by Nike, but did not feature any of those specs above. The retail versions feature a Nike logo on the tongue as well, not the R9 logo.
COA - AND PHOTOMATCH INFO:
- These are photomatched by Sports Investors Authentication as an apparent match to the Round of 16 match against Belgium and Quarter Final match against England in the 2002 World Cup
- The COA has been provided, refer to image 10, with pictures of the photo matches in the description
- If you refer to picture 12 of the listing, it shows the clearest possible match of the lot. See the white paint markings along the outside of the studs on the back of the left boot, and the black line along the heel cup slightly above the paint mark. Refer to the first picture of the listing to see the consistency.
- The specs of the boots are 100% accurate and aligned with the specs that Ronaldo wore for matches in each of the group stage, round of 16, and quarter final matches.
- It is unsure whether Ronaldo wore multiple pairs in this colorway in the earlier matches, or only this pair.
- The photo matches are made to the Belgium Round of 16 and the England Quarter Final matches, but it is possible these were worn in the group stage matches as well
- Due to the lack of image quality from 2002, it is extremely difficult to find exact photo matches, but based on the quality there are a few very specific markings that are highly likely
- Boots also come with a certification for both signatures along the outside of both boots, refer to picture 11.
CONDITION OF THE BOOTS:
- As you can see, the boots show evident signs of wear, but also signs of aging
- The info referenced above refers to signs of photo matches based off markings from use
- However, the boots have also suffered some aging and cosmetic imperfections over the years, not due to wear, simply due to the test of time and storage conditions
- The exact origin of these is unknown but they did spend several years in Thailand, likely in a humid environment
- The upper features some blotchiness throughout, which is actually incredibly common in this specific colorway
- The sole plate is very fragile with some cracking throughout
- The sock liner has peeling in the inside, not from use, but from exceptionally light materials breaking down over the past 22+ years
- The boots are well kept in a dry, cool, and light free environment, but the pictures are accurate and depict the condition fully.
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