Nike Tiempo Legend IV- REVIEW

Nike Tiempo Legend IV- Review:

The Good: The Tiempo IV is a simple heritage boot that offers a K-Leather upper at a very affordable price of $150

The Bad: The straight lacing makes it hard for consumers with wider feet and I would like to see Nike make an off center lacing for this boot to increase comfort and to allow consumers with wider feet a chance to wear them.

The Bottom Line: Affordable boot made for the modern game listed at a very realistic price point. Based on comfort, performance, and overall value I believe this is one of the best Tiempo’s Nike has ever released.

Background:

Re-engineered from the classic 1984 Tiempo, the Nike Tiempo Legend IV has come a long way. This boot which started out very bulky and boxy is fine tuned in this forth version. With full-grain kangaroo leather, the boot offers comfort and extra ball feel. Marketed towards the all around elite player the Legend is classic and simple, which attracts the eyes of both old and young players who choose to let their play do the talking. In the end, if you are looking for a classic decent priced boot that offers class, comfort and performance the Legend is the way to go.

Comfort/fit: (7/10)

Nike has reinvented simplicity with this edition of the Legend line, creating a boot that is quite easily the best version of the Legends ever released. The first and most important thing to note in getting a pair of these boots is the sizing issue. Nike has really done a great job with the sizing because they made the boot fit very tightly right out of the box. The toe box comes very small and the boot fits really tight all around your foot, tight enough to where many people would go up half a size for a more comfortable fit. Don’t go up a size. The kangaroo leather on this boot is very soft and will stretch and the boot is made to form to your foot through a break in period rather than fitting right out of the box. A kangaroo leather boot is supposed to fit tightly because, unlike synthetics, it will stretch and form to your foot. After wearing the boots for two training sessions, you will notice how the boot changes shape to form to your foot, making for a perfect fit.

Once you break in the boot and it has molded to your foot, these boots quickly go from feeling very tight to very comfortable. In addition, to improve the fit of the boot Nike added kanga-lite on the sides of the boot as opposed to all kangaroo leather. What this means is the fit of the boot will be more supportive and fit tighter in the long run because kanga-lite, a synthetic, will not stretch like kangaroo leather will. I wore my usual size 8.5 US for review and I would recommend you get your normal size. Even if you feel like they feel too tight at first, stick with them and they will fit properly after a couple hours of use. I gave these boots a 7/10 because the boots were tight in the forefoot when i first put them on.

Performance: (7/10)

A kangaroo leather boot is always supposed to be based around the quality of the touch, and the Legend IV delivers one of the nicest touches in the game. Just touching the leather with the boot in your hand, you will notice instantly how soft the leather really is. What is also really nice about the leather is that it isn’t overly thick. The leather isn’t super thick, but it’s not super thin either, it is in my opinion the perfect thickness. The kanga-lite material blends in quite nicely with the natural leather and is also really soft, giving the entire boot a very soft touch. The tongue is even a very quality leather material and it almost blends in to the rest of the boot, as it is the same thickness as the upper, and you can hardly feel any joints on the tongue. I would describe the touch of this boot as perfect. It provides just enough padding, a nice feel on the ball and is the same thickness anywhere on the boot. In the end, Nike has created one of the best heritage boots ever made for the modern game and delivering a product that offers one of the best touches on the market. Touch is everything and with these boots you will feel every inch of the ball.

Value: (8/10)

The boot is a blend of new and old school technology and comes in at a very realistic price point. With leather boots durability is maximized and in my opinion I believe they hold up better on artificial fields. If you are in the market looking for a new pair of boots then you should give the Legend a try based on price, performance, and value it is one of the best boots on the market. Nike has answered their critics with this boot by making it sleeker, removing the tongue and combining k leather and kanga lite which has never been done before which makes this boot very unique.

Footy Guru Rating:

Comfort/fit: 7/10

Performance: 7/10

Value: 8/10

Overall Score: 7.3 (Average)

(Boots supplied for review by Nike Soccer)

Adidas adiPOWER Predator - REVIEW

adiPower Predator Review:

The Good: adidas has created a concept/hybrid power boot used for the modern game. The boot is redesigned from top to bottom and weighs an astonishing 7.8 oz.

The Bad: Stiff forefoot due to the power spine technology in the outsole. In addition, the heel cup is narrow which causes a pressure point on the interior of the heel.

The Bottom Line: adidas has done a tremendous job with this boot. The style, technology, and value all speak for themselves when you see the boot in person. It is a mixture of Power and Speed with a realistic price point of $200 for a concept boot that anyone on the pitch can wear.

Background:

In recent weeks, we have seen many of the world’s top footballers showcase the boot. Recently, the latest Predator (11^th generation) was released and the boot has been redesigned from top to bottom. With this boot, adidas had drastically decreased the weight and created a whole new Predator element to increase the force/trajectory of a player’s strike. With the lack of innovation from the Predator X adidas needed to create a very unique boot in order to once again capture consumer’s interests/hearts. Furthermore, with this boot adidas did just that. Weighing in at an astonishing 7.8 oz adidas created a hybrid/concept power boot by using the beloved F50 Sprintframe outsole while combining the Predator element which has many consumers intrigued. The boot is a mixture of speed and power which applies to today’s football game.

Comfort/Fit: (7/10)

With the upper on the new adiPower Predator adidas decided to stick with the Taurus upper which is a good call by the three stripe company because unlike K-Leather, Taurus leather is more durable especially on turf fields which aids in the longevity/life of the boot. Now days, consumers want their boots to last the whole season and with the rising prices of football boots consumers now see their purchase as an investment rather than an impulse buy because of the big price tag.

Furthermore, another attribute you will notice that is similar to the Predator X is the off center lacing system used on the new adiPower Predator. With this lacing system that I like to call as the “athletic fit” is one of the most positive/revolutionary ideas that football boots has ever seen. By using the off center lacing it allows the boot to mirror the natural image/shape of your foot, which feels like a sock when you put it on. In addition, with the off center lacing it takes pressure off of the top of your foot and provides a larger striking surface which increases your ability to put the ball where you want.  Furthermore, by going with the off center lacing this boot is made for consumers who either have a medium to wider sized foot. However, when fitting and throughout testing I experienced pain on the interior of the heel cup almost similar to the pain of wearing a boot that is too narrow in the heel.

Performance: (9/10)

The soleplate used in these new boots is the sprint frame, which unlike past predators it has the benefit of being light weight and takes a little time to break in. so plan on wearing these boots in several training sessions before you debut them in a match. In addition, you may have noticed “the predator element “on this historical remade/engineered boot. The principal of this boot has not changed. This boot is without a doubt a power boot. After testing these boots, I was wrong when I said adidas was killing the predator with the debut of this boot. It is obvious that this boot is made for the modern game and is still a power boot.  There are raised silicon/rubber ridges in the adipower element that act like a rebounding spring when the ball struck giving you just a little bit more power and swerve/swag on your shot.

Value: (9/10)

In the end, I am amazed to what adidas has done with this predator. The mix of lightweight and power is a lethal combination. I believe in soccer specialty stores that this product will be a point of difference. For a while now, the power category has been stagnant but with this release adidas have brought something fresh/new to the table. I have seen in the professional ranks defenders, midfielders, and forwards wear this boot which says a lot about the innovation/time put into the production of this boot. Another difference to point out is the price point which is at a comfortable $200. Unlike the underachieving predator X which was somehow at $220, adidas has learned from that mistake and kept the price at $200.  

Footy Guru Rating:

Comfort/fit: 7/10
Performance: 9/10
Value: 9/10

Overall Score: 8.3

(Excellent) This boot gets a 4 star rating from Footy Guru

(Boots supplied for review by adidas)

Umbro releases yellow Umbro GT PRO

In my opinion, the Umbro GT Pro is one of the most underated speed boots in the market. Partly due to the lack of marketing and on field presense many consumers do not know much about the the speed boot. The boots weighs in at 8.3 oz but feels much lighter on the pitch. I tested these boots for about three months in games and training and they are awesome in terms of fit, performance, and overall value. At the moment, you can pick these boots up at soccer.com for under $80. On this boot which is infused with old and new technology Umbro created the ideal offordable speed boot made for the modern game. This yellow/black/silver color way was recently released and i must say it is an awesome looking boot. For my review on the boot check it out here; Umbro GT Pro Review



Adidas adiPower Predator Review: PART 1/INTRO

Adidas adiPower Predator Review: PART 1/INTRO

The Good: adidas has created a concept/hybrid power boot used for the modern game. The boot is redesigned from top to bottom and weighs an astonishing 7.8 oz.
The Bad: Stiff forefoot due to the power spine technology in the outsole. In addition, the heel cup is narrow which causes a pressure point on the interior of the heel.
The Bottom Line: adidas has done a tremendous job with this boot. The style, technology, and value all speak for themselves when you see the boot in person. It is a mixture of Power and Speed with a realistic price point of $200 for a concept boot that anyone on the pitch can wear.

Background:
In recent weeks, we have seen many of the world’s top footballers showcase the boot. Recently, the latest Predator (11th generation) was released and the boot has been redesigned from top to bottom. With this boot, adidas had drastically decreased the weight and created a whole new Predator element to increase the force/trajectory of a player’s strike. With the lack of innovation from the Predator X adidas needed to create a very unique boot in order to once again capture consumer’s interests/hearts. Furthermore, with this boot adidas did just that. Weighing in at an astonishing 7.8 oz adidas created a hybrid/concept power boot by using the beloved F50 Sprintframe outsole while combining the Predator element which has many consumers intrigued. The boot is a mixture of speed and power which applies to today’s football game.

Part two coming later this week...

adiPURE IV SL Review

Adidas have truly revolutionised the boot market with one of their latest releases, the Adipure SL. Being able to fuse together, arguably the two greatest components of the modern game; speed and touch is not as easy as it sounds. Boots have their own identities and finding a balance between two which is appealing to the consumer and still able to perform takes time and careful thought.

The AdiPure SL is an outstanding 200g suggesting it to be a speed boot like the Adizero before it, though it still maintains the look and feel of the classic AdiPure we all know and have come to love. When i first saw this boot i thought that my prayers had been answered - finally, a boot with a full K leather upper that is not hindered by weight.

The marketing of the boot is indeed reflected in its performance. When dribbling, striking or controlling the ball the soft leather provided me with a comforting and confident touch. In my opinion a leather boot is truly unbeatable when it comes to being able to feel the ball at your feet. Why else do we see so many top professionals shy away from the significantly lighter Adizero Prime for the leather option? Because leather offers control and a better feel of the ball.

Moreover, at 200g you can barely feel the boots on your feet. Weight in this instance is not an issue and the sole and studs of the boot are like that again of the Adizero, an already proven model. Showing that adidas are really doing the experiments needed to provide not only quality football boots, but a boot for every type of player. They are willing is seems to listen to the consumer.

The heel counter however, is perhaps a problem. When taking sharp turns the heel of the boot can dig into the heel of the player which makes for an uncomfortable feel. The leather bends with the foot but the heel counter does not and thus rubbing may occur. Ultimately though, i found this of little worry or notice when playing, only in drills and agility tests did such a problem become apparent.

The boot then is obviously a hybrid of the new tech from the Adizero and the classic feel of the Adipure. So then why buy this boot at a staggering £174 when the Adizero leather is cheaper, lighter and can provide the same leather feel where it matters - the toes? Because of two reasons. The first is merely the look of the boot is supremely classy and for those who really appreciate where adidas has come from with the copa's and the world cup's, this can be described as nothing less than a beautiful boot. Secondly though and more importantly, the leather is thicker that the Adizero and the shape of the toe different. As a result when kicking the ball the more rounded shape of the SL toe grants a greater surface area for the strike zone and in my experience allows greater accuracy when attempting a 70 yard 'di-ag' or a shot with the laces. The Adizero comes to more of a point at the toe to allow greater ability to cut the ball and dribble past players, though this can as said make it harder to strike a ball cleanly and true.

In terms of value then, is the SL worth the money? In one word, yes. If you are serious about your football and its more than just a hobby or a way to keep fit the SL provides you with the two greatest assets one can have in the modern game, remember them? Speed and touch. But also not to mention the look of a classic. Moreover, it does manage to distinguish itself from its parent boots enough to stand on its own and be recognised as a boot in itself as opposed to an experimental hybrid. But the deciding factor really for me is that it is, still, remarkably cheaper than anything Nike can offer for the same quality. I'm sure we'll be seeing plenty more of these worn by professionals worldwide in the upcoming season.

Footy Guru Rating:
Comfort/fit: 9/10
Performance: 9/10
Value: 8/10
Total: 8.7 (Excellent)


Blogger Note: This review was done by Jacob a footy fan who also shares my passion for football reviews. Let me know what you think about this review and the adiPURE IV SL in terms of fit, performance and overall value.

Umbro GT Pro Review

The Good: With this boot Umbro release their first ever speed boot to the market, infused with current Nike technology while keeping the boot under $200 makes this boot one of the most underrated on the market based on comfort, performance, and value.

The Bad: Hard to break in, narrow last, & pressure points on the A Frame Cradle technology.

The Bottom Line: If you are looking for a speed boot that offers great value, comfort, and performance without breaking the bank then the Umbro GT Pro is the boot for you.

Footy Guru Rating:
Comfort/fit: 8/10
Performance: 9/10
Value: 8/10
Total: 8.3 (Excellent)

Since being taken over by Nike, Umbro have made a splash in the soccer boot market in recent months with boots such as the reinvented Umbro Speciali and the Stealth Pro after being left in the dark for what seemed like decades. However, Umbro have come out with their newest boot, the GT Pro that I have been testing the past four months. In addition, these boots are the lightest that Umbro have ever made at 8.3 oz. and some of the features that they boast are a Teijin Microfiber upper which reduces the overall weight of the boot. Along with the ‘A Frame Cradle’ technology that acts as a support system, similar to Flywire connecting the soleplate up along either side of the boot to the laces, so that you have more support and it brings the boot closer to your foot.

Breaking In:
When I first bought these boots I was a little skeptical, but after testing them I admit I am now a huge fan. At first the synthetic upper was firm and I felt moderate stiffness but as the training session went on the upper started to give more and more. I recommend that before you wear these in a match to break them in with a couple of training sessions. Most of the time with synthetic boots it takes time to break them in so be patient. With these boots for example, the more hours I put in the boots the more comfortable these boots felt. Throughout my games and matches which totaled up to more than forty hours of testing the boots kept their shape and did not fall apart which is rare for a speed boot. In addition, with these boots I noticed they ran a little long in length, so in my case I purchased a size US 8.5 instead of a US 9.

Comfort/fit:
Like most speed boots the GT Pro has a narrow last and weighs a staggering 8.3 oz. It may not be the lightest boot on the market, but in terms of price, style and comfort I believe Umbro have produced/introduced a banger of a boot to the market. One component that really liked about the boot was the cradle technology which helped keep my foot from sliding from side to side which you sometimes get from a vapor depending on your foot shape. With the cradle technology, the boots felt as if they were slippers due to the support, narrow shape of the boot, and the way the upper wrapped around your foot once it was broken in.

Performance:
The boots were stylish, easy to break in and extremely effective on the field. With this boot, Umbro have done all of the little things right. The technology, style, comfort and price of this boot make it one of the most under rated speed boots on the market in my opinion. All around, the combination of the light Teijin Microfiber upper, cradle technology, along with the narrow last makes the Umbro GT Pro the ideal lightweight performance product built for speed.

Value:
The GT Pro is a blend of the classic Umbro look injected with Nike’s bold color ways and newest footwear technology. In the end, if you are looking for a speed boot that will not break the bank, the GT Pro based on comfort/fit, performance, and overall value is one of the best boots you can get. As of now, you can get these boots for under $80 which is an unbelievable low price.