Having had the Phantom GT last year and the next generation Mercurial at the beginning of this year, it’s the Tiempo’s turn for an upgrade, and we’re getting our first look at what will be the Legend 9 on the feet of players in England and Spain.
The Tiempo is Nike’s longest lasting silo, having been around for almost as long as the Swoosh has been in the game. And a big reason for its longevity is Nike’s ability to adapt and retool it, keeping it fresh and up to the pace of the modern game. Now, on the back of the latest Mercurial update and almost two years since the introduction of the Legend 8, we get our first look at the next generation Tiempo on the feet of several players across Europe, including Antonio Rudiger, Clément Lenglet, and Thibaut Courtois.
As always with the blackout prototypes, it’s hard to tell too much about these boots specifically – the stealthy silhouette doing its job of largely shrouding it in mystery. The first thing of note though regards the vamp, which on first impressions looks to have abandoned the diamond shape design. There’s also some hefty retooling to the heel by the looks of things, likely to improve the lockdown and to possibly alleviate pressure. Finally, the lacing system looks to have had an upgrade too, looking like a hybrid between the Legend 8 and the Legend 7, with the lacing area attached to the upper, but with a knitted structure.
You can still expect this to feature a classic and premium K-leather construction, although the changes do seem to be fairly hefty from there. Can’t see the soleplate in these early glimpses, but expect that to have been tweaked as well.
Shop Nike Tiempo boots at prodirectsoccer.com
