Nike Phantom Tiempo Mercurial

I crafted a dedicated film for each of the three soccer shoes — each one emphasizing a unique attribute: precision, speed, and control. The challenge was to convey those qualities with a deeply minimalist approach: no elaborate backgrounds, just the shoe and a hint of atmosphere.

Nike wanted a subtle, foggy smoke element to add a sense of movement and texture. Achieving a natural smoke effect in CGI can be tricky, so we used a simple 2D smoke plate to create the realistic haze. That choice let each shoe's personality breathe and added an engaging atmospheric layer to the visual narrative.

For the technical side — just like with the Vomero — we started off by receiving only the CAD model of each shoe from Nike. These models came without any textures, so instead of doing a full 3D scan (too time-consuming) we projected high-resolution images of the actual shoe onto the CAD geometry to replicate fabrics and details accurately.

We spent a lot of time working back and forth between Substance Designer and Photoshop to ensure every piece of fabric was high-resolution and looked right. Sometimes we even had to create textures from scratch based on reference images, which let us land a super high-res, authentic look. In the end, the workflow ensured every detail was true to the original shoe and visually striking.

Working with the Nike team on both the Vomero and these soccer shoe projects was a beautiful experience. The team was incredibly open to experimenting and trying out different ideas, which made the entire process a genuine pleasure.

I have to admit — before this project, I wasn't particularly into soccer shoes. Diving into these three models, analyzing fabrics, understanding the intricacies of their design, really opened my mind to just how complex and thoughtfully crafted these shoes are. It gave me a whole new appreciation for the design process behind footwear, and I thoroughly enjoyed the journey.