Nike Tiempo Legend 9 Club – Do Nike’s R900 Boots Live up to the Name?

Nike’s somewhat iconic Tiempo range of football boots is still the darling of the brand, despite the Mercurial and Phantom lines delivering the latest and greatest tech to the industry and being touted by the world’s most famous players. There’s just something about the Tiempo design that makes it evergreen, with its all-conical stud design, soft upper, and fantastic fit. However, when you work your way down the takedown models, from the Elite to the Pro, then to the Academy and finally the Club, do you still get a decent Tiempo around that R900 – R1,000 mark?

Looking at the fourth-tier Club model of the Tiempo Legend 9, you’d be quite surprised at what you get for the money. Of course, the top-tier Elite Tiempo Legend 9 is a full leather boot, and getting that at the Club’s price-point would be impossible. But, what you do get is a very soft and pliable synthetic upper that mimics the feel and movement of leather pretty well. It’s not that super buttery smooth and plush feeling inside the boots, but the padded sensation is there and the boots do a good job at moulding to your feet within the first few wears — something quite hard to find in this range.

The outsole features the exact same shaped soleplate and stud configuration as the high-end boots, however, the soleplate itself is a little stiffer than its expensive counterpart. With that said, the firmer feeling underfoot might actually appease some players looking for a more stable feeling underfoot, rather than the softness of the Elites.

As for the studs themselves, they feel just like the top-end models. The all-conical design on the forefoot helps players twist and pivot in the ground with ease, and while they aren’t super aggressive to make you feel like you’re accelerating off a launch pad, they feel a lot more ‘comfortable’, which is something often more important than pure raw speed.

The Legend 9 does feature a slightly different stud update on the heel area as opposed to last season’s Legend 8. Instead of four conical studs under your heel (like on the Legend 8), the Legend 9 includes four bladed studs (similar to that of the Vapors) to help you get a little more traction on takeoffs and decelerating, and a little more stability when planting your foot, which is helpful.

As far as takedown models go, the Legend 9 Club is arguably the best takedown model on the market. It’s not going to give that high-end premium feel of the Elite version, but for a quarter of the price, you’re getting a taste of it, and a damn good one at that.

Nike Tiempo Legend 9 Club model is priced at R999.90.