Nike Air Zoom M9 1999 World Cup Black Red Women's FG
New with box and tags
The Upper:
- The Air Zoom M9 was the very first ever signature women's boot in history by Nike, it was sort of a combination between the original Mercurial and Air Zoom Total 90
- And, yes, this is the exact model and colorway as worn by Brandi Chastain in the 1999 World Cup Final - read til the end for some history and more info
- With many components to the 1998/1998 Mercurial, the upper used a KNG-100 material
- The boots famously features "wings" along the instep in red, and along the outsides in black
- The stitching pattern created 5 layers of "grooves" around the strike zone, providing a secure and tight fit
- The tongue was reminiscent of the AZT90, using a fold over tongue. The tongue featured AIR on the underside, and when folded the signature Mia Hamm "M" logo was used, making these a Mia Hamm, M9, signature boot, the very first even in Nike history!
The Sole Plate:
- Here's where it gets even more revolutionary, the sole plate used the exact same design as the 1999 Mercurial in terms of the stud configuration and materials
- However, on this boot, Nike added the Air Zoom technology in the sole plate, you can see the "ZM AIR" logo on the top, as well as a Mia Hamm signature in between the back studs
Notes and Comments:
- These are an absolute holy grail of all Nike boots in history, perhaps slightly forgotten about and not as wide known as the 98 Mercurial, but these have just as much historical significance as any Nike boot ever
- A turning point for women's soccer by Nike, the 1999 World Cup, hosted in the USA, and Nike released their most innovative boot for the world's best player, Mia Hamm
- These boots were only produced within the USA, and they were produced in super low quantities as Nike had a relatively small established women's market, these are perhaps one of the lowest produced Nike boots from the 90s, making them impossible to find
- Over the years, we have seen under 5 other pairs of these in existence. They weren't sold worldwide in 1999, and only given to select distributors, primarily mom and pop shops in the late 90s - we have 2 pairs, and they have a great story behind them as to where they came from that we will share with the buyer
- Not only is the back story an incredible piece of history and innovation, but the boots themselves became part of one of the most iconic pictures in history. Brandi Chastain iconically ripping off her shirt after the 1999 World Cup Finals, and these were the exact pair of boots and colorway she was wearing
- Another little piece of info - Mia Hamm actually had a custom 1/1 colorway designed for the women's World Cup, it was the same exact pair, but the "wings" were white instead of red. That pair was never released and only pairs were made for Mia Hamm
- So much history tied into one pair - the first women's signature boot by Nike, the 99 World Cup finals, Brandi Chastain ripping off her shirt, the Zoom Air and Mercurial tech combined. Like mentioned previously, perhaps a slightly forgotten pair in history, but these are one of the rarest and most historically significant finds ever
