How Kylian Mbappe's deep connection with the Paris streets inspired Real Madrid star's new signature Nike Mercurial boots

Mbappe's likeness now looms large over his hometown as his outfitter, Nike, celebrates the realisation of his childhood dream with a towering 20-metre tall mural on the side of a block of flats. It depicts a young Mbappe using a ball for a pillow, dreaming of himself in France's national team colours with the No.10 on his back. A message alongside it reads: "Love your dream and it will love you back."

Now a bona fide superstar, Mbappe has never shied away from where he comes from, regularly returning to Bondy, collaborating on a new pitch for the neighbourhood and championing life in the banlieues in the face of negative press and stereotypes that stigmatise the outskirts of France's major cities that are often steeped in prejudice.

He has had plenty of signature boots in the past, of course, with his 2019 pair - dubbed 'Bondy Dreams' by Nike - paying homage to the streets he grew up on.

Back in 2020, Mbappe penned an emotional open letter to both the "kids in Bondy" and the "kids in the banlieue" of France for The Players' Tribune, demonstrating just how much he cares about his roots and his determination to change the image of the kind of area he hails from.

"Our neighbourhood is an incredible melting pot of different cultures - French, African, Asian, Arab, every part of the world," he wrote. "People from outside of France always talk about the banlieues in a bad light, but if you’re not from here, you can’t really understand what it's like.

"People talk about ‘thugs’ like they were invented here. But there are thugs everywhere in the world. There are people who are struggling everywhere in the world…When I was a kid I used to watch some of the toughest guys in the neighbourhood carry groceries for my grandmother. You never see those parts of our culture on the news. You only hear about the bad, never the good."

Mbappe's latest signature Mercurials return to his roots once again, this time taking inspiration from a pair of trainers that captured the imagination of the French capital when the superstar was taking the first steps in his glittering career.

The new design draws from the Air Max Plus 7 trainer, AKA the TN7 - a cult classic that was introduced in 2004 and became iconic in western Europe, and particularly in Paris. The unique look of the original footwear was based on water droplets distorting on a windscreen, and that’s been replicated on Mbappe's new boots.

Arriving in a striking plum, silver and lime green colourway, his new signature Mercurials feature what Nike describe as "reworked TN iconography", including Mbappe's 'KM' logo, bringing streetwear aesthetics to the pitch.

In terms of the technical stuff, the forefoot features 'Zoom Air' for "energy return", while a knitted upper provides precise touch and control - attributes synonymous with Mbappe.

Speaking on the latest release, Mbappe insisted he wanted people to see their own stories in his experience, perhaps taking inspiration from his dream coming true.

"Culture is something that talks to everybody," he said. "This story is going to allow people to recognise themselves beyond my football boots."

The Kylian Mbappe Player Edition Mercurial, Mercurial Zoom Superfly 10 and Zoom Vapor 16 are available to buy now from nike.com.

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