Where do you go when you're already at the top? This must be the question constantly nagging Nike Footwear designers whenever they are tasked with redesigning their greatest creations. The first Magista was an unprecedented boot for the football world when it was released in 2014. The Flyknit upper and Dynamic Fit Collar were innovations that spurred an ongoing trend of knitted uppers across the entire industry. Once again we wonder, how do you top that?

In order to answer that question and evolve the Magista, Nike football designer Phil Woodman turned to the Nike Sports Research Lab for help. Using data gleaned from slow motion film studies of ball control, the team was able to determine which areas of the feet are the most touch-sensitive and receive the most ball touches. These areas were heat-mapped onto all of the Magista 2 prototypes, and also served as inspiration for the colorful pattern featured throughout the upper of the finished product.

The major difference between the first generation and second generation Magista Obra is the upper texture. The first generation featured a uniform texture that was laid over the Flyknit upper. To improve upon this design, Woodman focused on those heat-mapped areas to begin 3D printing Flyknit uppers infused with a variety of textures (as opposed to layering them on top). The many iterations came together in a final version of the texture that features a mixture of peaks and troughs for optimal ball control and touch.

Additional design details include a new Dynamic Fit Collar that contours lower on the ankle in order to free up space around the tendon, and a new stud configuration that mixes conical and bladed studs in strategically mapped areas around the lightweight soleplate.

The Nike Magista Opus 2 and Onda 2 will be available in the Soccer Shop and online here.