World Cup releases continue to stack up, with every footwear brand under the sun tapping in with something special. This week, a new leak says that Nike will combine their Air Max 95 and Mercurial M9 boot for a special “Joga Bonita” release, coming soon.
NIKE’S NEW FOCUS ON RETRO FOOTBALL BOOTS
The Swoosh has leaned hard into their history of soccer cleats for their upcoming world cup projects. The flagship release for this Summer’s World Cup tournament is the CryoShot X2 collection. This wild new approach to repurposing older boots is simple: slap a clear rubber sole over the spikes to give enough support for standard wear, without sacrificing the look of what makes a cleat a cleat. Teaming up with seven of their collaborative partners from around the globe, each designer, brand, or artist has picked a Nike boot from the archives to take on a new treatment in their national team’s colors. In addition to these collab releases, Nike has two in-line pairs of CryoShots on the way, one of which features the fan-favorite Mercurial R9 in blue, silver, and yellow with the crystal clear casing underneath.
MERCURIAL R9 DOMINANCE
The Mercurial R9 seems to be Nike’s favorite in their upcoming releases for the FIFA World Cup. In addition to being featured in their in-house CryoShot releases, Patta will also take on the swooping silhouette for their Netherlands‘ themed footwear & apparel collection, casting the shoe in silver, black, and orange. If neither of those pairs are to your liking, fear not, as Nike has a more street-ready pair of sneakers coming this Summer, featuring the Mercurial R9’s upper. The leak comes from noted sneaker information guy @brandon1an, who shared his mockup of the upcoming release in the expected R9 colorway; silver, yellow, blue. The model is said to get a wide release in the Fall, but this initial style is currently expected in early July. Rather than encase the underfoot cleats in a mysterious clear substance, this model will be a member of the Air Max family, borrowing the tooling from the Air Max 95 for a more comfortable and classic look.
SO, WHY THE JOGA BONITA NAME?
Great question. Before any direct translation, we have to back it up tot he R9 name. If you’re not aware by now, the single letter & digit are not just a designation; they refer Ronaldo Nazário’s name and jersey number worn throughout his career. The Mercurial boot we’ve been talking about here was his signature model, famously worn during the 1998 World Cup in which Brazil lost to the tourney’s host country, France. The phrase joga bonita is Portuguese and comes from another Brazilian football legend, Pelé. Meaning ‘play beautifully’, the phrase is a pillar of Brazilian football philosophy, one that Nike borrowed for their own football campaign in the 2000s. The project highlighted the country’s national team along with other major stars, through short YouTube videos highlighting skills, tricks, and the Brazilian style of play. You can check out a supercut of Nike’s JogaTV content here.
NIKE AIR MAX JOGA BONITA R9 RELEASE INFORMATION
Nike’s latest riff on one of their classic football boots has not been officially announced, or even seen yet. Nonetheless, this special-edition World Cup sneaker is expected to release in early July 2026. The model combines the the upper from the ’90s Mercurial R9 boots with iconic Air Mad 95 sole units, with the first color expected in a silver, yellow, and blue palette. Pairs will likely be limited, releasing from Nike and select retailer partners for $180.
Nike Air Max Joga Bonito R9
Color: Metallic Silver/Varsity Maize/Varsity Royal/Black
Style Code: IX8646-001
Release Date: July 2nd, 2026
Price: $180
Check out the mockup images below, and stay tuned to JustFreshKicks on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook for more of the latest sneaker news, release dates, and restock alerts.
