More images of the boots can be seen here.

After an unfortunate few stints with many of Nike’s other football boots, I almost conceded that Nike and their subsequent direction/lasting just wasn’t the right fit for me. The majority of Nike’s top-end boots feature some sort of synthetic and its this relatively unforgiving material that turned me off. All except for one, the Tiempo Legend series. The launch of the Tiempo Legend IV Elite looked to set the record straight for traditionalists looking to further combine the benefits of leather (that is touch and fit) with the new technological benefits which have defined Nike over the years.

Many seem to get along just fine with Kanga-Lite and to a lesser degree the Teijin materials, however not this guy. Although I must concede that it seems that the boards are saying that soaking the boots in warm water might alleviate the lack of stretch I’ve experienced with Nike boots in the past. But regardless, the minute these boots were examined, I couldn’t help but feel excited to lace them up.

Construction & Materials
The initial feel of the leather exudes class and quality. Nothing to really hate about the boot here at all. Everything is pretty spot on and there isn’t really much in the form of questionable construction or missed stitches.

Fit
Given the softness of the leather, I was really expecting these to slip on and instantly conform to my feet within a session or two max. However, these did take longer than expected and I would say probably 4-5 sessions. This included sessions where I pre-soaked them. This involved simply removing the insoles, filling them with water, letting them stand upside for a few minutes and then removing the excess water. I would then wear them till they were dry. I think I did this twice, although I did have a particularly wet session that helped speed up the process. Any issues with fit were mostly on the big toe rather than actual width but I can say as of right now, they’re extremely comfortable.

However, in regards to getting a locked down fit, you REALLY have to lace them tight. That means pulling rather hard from the forefoot all the way up to the last eyelets. The holes on my boots are pretty stretched out, although I’m confident they won’t rip. The boot doesn’t have an external plastic heel counter, and I definitely feel that it would benefited to have one. There are times when you make hard cuts and you feel a bit of instability. This was probably the biggest detractor in offering a great overall fit which is a bit disappointing as the rest of the boot fits and works great.

Traction
Conical studs seem to alleviate any extra torque on your knees which is probably a good thing should you not want to go under the knife for ACL/MCL surgery. I found the traction adequate. The only times I might have lost my wheels was due to a soft pitch, where a subsequent cut would physically rip a piece of the pitch out.

Also, unlike any previous experiences with Nike Elite series boots and studs falling out, I don’t think it’ll happen with these. I have been playing more on natural pitches rather than Field Turf, so we’ll have to wait and see though.

Miscellaneous
The boot looks amazing and I have no faults there, except for maybe to have the tip of the Swoosh extend all the way to the heel rather than stop short of the orange lines. The minute gap just doesn’t seem right. Not sure to what extent the Flywire helps but an external plastic heel counter, even at the cost of a few more ounces is worth the sacrifice I feel. Although it seemed to never be in the plans as the step-down non-Elite version doesn’t benefit from additional heel support either.

The carbon fiber outsole which some feel is hard to break-in is no issue for me. The pop off your foot is tantalizing and makes you feel as though you can start dialing back an extra 5 yards further than usual (but with the same results, high and wide of the uprights ;)).

Some people have asked about the lack of fold-over tongue. As a new wearer of the Tiempo Legend series, I definitely didn’t find it an issue. I adopted rather quickly to the Predator X as well which lost the tongue.

Durability wise, the boots have held up decently. Some loose stitches by the outsole but I don’t foresee any huge problems down the line. I do tend to drag my back foot on some defensive occasions, so I chalk it up to that.

The Final Word
This has been my best experience with a Nike boot thus far. Price aside since it’s always the deciding factor when it’s Elite vs. Non-Elite, I would recommend these boots. The fit although not the best for me personally can be mitigated with a proper lace job. It feels great to get the old tin of polish out and shine up your boots before a session. It’s something I really miss from the past and the overall product sort of begs you to take care of them.

-Eugene

Shout out to Tim Yu for the hook-up.