The Nike Air Max Plus “Sunset” Lights The Way For The Next Vapor Elite 15

The classic gradient look gears up in field-ready fashion.

Matt Varga March 4, 2024

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While certainly celebrated for its performance on the pitch, Nike’s soccer line doesn’t spawn many hyped releases. Perhaps with eyes towards changing that, the newest edition of the Nike Vapor Elite 15 takes a page from the Air Max line, grabbing tooling and a “Sunset” colorway from the AM Plus.

While the light orange to deep red gradient is both the most full-throated and most obvious way that these run counter to the Plus, it isn’t the only nod. The webbed, structural ribbing that marks each Plus release makes its way to these cleats, giving the model a genuine formal makeover as a result. Though at first glance it’s a one-to-one reproduction, that wavy design appears a graphic overlay towards the toe, keeping their sleek, performance-mindedness intact.

In the finer details, the link between the AM and the Mercurial continue, with “Zoom Air” branding appearing on the outsole and on the heel. Finally, the ties are really driven home in the periphery, with a drawstring bag and special box marking this release, both clad in the “Sunset” design.

Importantly, this isn’t the only recent time where a coveted colorway has inspired the design of a field performance shoe. The LeBron 4 “Fruity Pebbles,” eyeing release in just a few days, were announced alongside a corresponding pair of the Nike Menace 3.

A release date for the “Sunset” Vapor Elite 15 has not yet been confirmed, but a retail price of $285 has. Expect these to drop via Nike.com in the coming weeks.

Elsewhere out of Oregon, the Nike Air Max 1 ’86 “Air Max Day” stand out as one of the principal drops for the upcoming brand holiday.

WHERE TO BUY

Nike Mercurial Vapor Elite 15

SKU: FJ2704-001

RETAIL PRICE: $285

RELEASE DATE: 2024

US 2024

Retailer	Release type	Status
Nikestore US	Standard	Check Site

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Written by

Matt Varga, Junior Editor

Matt Varga is an Editor at SneakerNews. Initially earning a degree in Video Arts and Technology, he got his start in the music world, video editing and writing coverage primarily on hip-hop and electronic. A long-standing interest in sneakers eventually led him to switching over to the footwear side of things. An avid collector, his time in the hobby stretches back more than a decade. Though always a contentious argument, his favorite sneaker of all time comes down to the Air Jordan 1 “Black Toe” and Air Jordan 5 “Laney,” his first ever pick-up. When he’s not writing, you can find Matt cooking, traveling, attending concerts and when weather permits, on the handball court.