Ahead of this summer’s Women’s World Cup, Nike drop the ‘United Pack’, which sees the Air Zoom Mercurial, Phantom Luna, Phantom GX joined by the all-new Tiempo Legend 10, bringing all four together for the first time in a corresponding colourway that represents a new dawn in her game.
Ready for the World Cup, the Nike United Pack packs in so much story-wise: for starters, the "Guava Ice/Black/Total Orange" colourway is inspired by a “new dawn” in her game, represented in gradient sunrise tones, moving from warm to cool; then, as well as being the first inline appearance for the recently released Phantom Luna, it’s also the first four-silo pack in three years for Nike, and, perhaps the biggest point of note of them all, it’s the first appearance for the all-new Tiempo Legend 10.
While we’re all up to speed with the other boots in the roster, this is the first look at the Tiempo Legend 10, so naturally it gains pretty much all of our attention. As we were already aware, this is the first Tiempo to land since Nike announced its move away from leather, a huge marker for the franchise. It’s been replaced by one of Nike’s latest material innovations, FlyTouch Plus. A proprietary synthetic leather, FlyTouch Plus is soft, light, and strong, giving athletes extra ball control where they need it most.
FlyTouch Plus also helps make the Tiempo Legend 10 the lightest Tiempo to date, as well as 55 percent less water-retentive than previous versions, which allows the boot to mould to the athlete’s foot and retain its shape over time. FlyTouch Plus also has a grippy feel that gives players a consistent touch on the ball no matter if it’s a dry day on the pitch or the conditions are wet.
With all of this new innovation, it’d be understandable to think that the Tiempo 10 was moving away from what came before, but that’s very much not the case. It retains the classic, smooth traction pattern that is synonymous with the Tiempo franchise, ensuring it still offers the tried-and-true qualities synonymous with the silo.
“As we strive to redefine the future of athletes and sport, we are always pushing the limits to provide athletes with pinnacle innovations,” says Collin Eder, Sr. Director, Nike Football Footwear. "The introduction of the Tiempo Legend 10 will give athletes all over the world access to the Tiempo they know and love, but with better fit, comfort and touch on the ball, thanks to the new FlyTouch Plus material innovation."
And, with sustainability well and truly at the forefront of all that the Swoosh do, for the first time an entire Nike football boot silo — from the entry-level price point to the pinnacle product offering — is designed with at least 20 percent recycled content by weight.
While all the majority of the attention is rightly reserved for the Tiempo Legend 10, there's also scope to admire the other three silos. First up, we get a debut for the Phantom Luna, which itself only dropped a few days ago.
Designed with female athletes in mind, the Phantom Luna is anatomically designed with a lower cuff for to accommodate the ankle on a female, while the higher collar provides increased lockdown, but the real talking point here comes on the undersidewith the Cyclone 360 soleplate. It features a circular stud pattern near the toes to allow for rotational traction on any surface, but also the ability to plant, pivot or push off in one motion. The new design reduces rotational traction significantly, allowing a mix of grip without being overly grippy.
The Air Zoom Mercurial is available in both Superfly IX and Vapor XV models, boasting an articulated, three-quarter length Zoom airbag – Nike’s first-ever soccer-specific Zoom Air unit – which sits directly inside of the plate of the boot bringing the foot closer to the ground for an even greater sense of snappy, propulsive energy return.
And completing the 'United Pack' is the Phantom GX, which again, like the Mercurial, is available in two variations: lowcut, and dynamic fit. Brother to the Phantom Luna, the GX's main feature is Nike Gripknit technology, which provides the perfect interaction with the ball, offering just the right amount of stick – sticky enough to gain extra control while not being too sticky.
The Nike United Pack will be available from 7 July at prodirectsport.com/soccer
