Whilst we see innovations in football boot and kit designs season on season, it's rare that 'keeper gloves get the same annual attention to detail.

Nike has sought to buck this trend by producing the Mercurial Touch Elite, which they have dubbed "the most advanced goalkeeper gloves ever."

That's a pretty big statement - and not one that can be made without having the specifications to back it up. But the often-overlooked item has been given a complete redesign by Nike.

Throwing away the traditional elements attached to 'keeper gloves such as bulky design and strapping, the Mercurial Touch Elite integrates a high-grip palm, flexible wrist cuff (instead of strapping) and a reduction of stiffness of traditional mitts to suit the needs of the modern goalkeeper.

You can see in the model's new design that Nike have applied their expertise from other gloves they have developed across a wide spectrum of sports, including surfing, baseball, American football and golf.

All the bulk from a traditional glove is trimmed, with a 66-percent reduction in the number of components throughout the model, as well as being 33-percent lighter and 47-percent thinner and moulded into a one-piece gusset.

Nike Goalkeeper Jack Butland is already approving of the new gloves, “The initial reaction is always, ‘Whoa!’ because they just look so different and cool... But it’s when you play in them that the performance benefits come through. I feel like I have a lot more control in these gloves and they can help take me to the next level.”

The Nike Mercurial Touch Elite gloves will be available in May on nike.com.