Ranking the top 10 Nike boots of all time: Mercurial Vapor, Superfly, Tiempo…
From the Tiempo to Mercurial Vapor, Nike has produced some of the most iconic football boots of all time – but which is the best of them all?
Legendary footballers such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, Thierry Henry, Neymar and Kylian Mbappe have all sported some eye-catching Nike designs over the years.
We’ve put our heads together to come up with the top 10 Nike boots of all time, ranked in descending order, in what was an almost impossible task.
10. Nike Superfly 10
Mbappe is one of Nike’s biggest athletes and is currently sporting a pair of striking purple Superfly 10s.
We’re sure you agree that these are befitting of a World Cup winner, World Cup Golden Boot winner and current holder of the European Golden Shoe.
They are probably not quite as befitting as your clogging Sunday League efforts. But if you fancy yourself, you can get the Academy version for just £89.99.
9. Nike Tiempo Legend
A boot that was worn by some household names during the 2006 World Cup (Carles Puyol, Andrea Pirlo and Carlos Tevez)
But the Tiempo Legends were best associated with Ronaldinho, probably because he spent half his time flicking the ball over opponents heads or inventing physics-defying passes because he was bored.
They’d appear about 50 times a game, as La Liga defenders sought planning permission to enter within a 10-yard radius of the Brazilian superstar.
Ignore that Ronaldinho was useless at Germany 2006 and bask in the luxurious, almost regal vibe of his footwear.
8. Nike Tiempo
First released in 1994, the Tiempos were one of the first boots to prominently feature the Nike ‘Swoosh’ logo that even remote tribes in the Amazon can now recognise.
It’s thanks to Eric Cantona and others, who wore this iconic football boot and helped make the American manufacturer’s name in the sport.
The Tiempos are steeped in so much mystique. It still makes old cynics like us weak at the knees – and has us yearning for the good old days. Shop the full Tiempo range to choose your fit.
7. Nike CTR360 Maestri II
These boots were as symptomatic of the early 2010s as austerity, chinos and Wigan Athletic turning into prime Barcelona when the clocks went forward.
Simple, cool, durable and in a range of colours, the CTR360 Maestri II ticked all the boxes and were worn by the likes of Sami Khedria, Jack Wilshere and World Cup-winning legend Andres Iniesta.
6. Nike Hypervenom Phantom
These boots are best associated with Neymar inspiring Brazil to glory in the 2013 Confederations Cup, a dry run for the inevitable World Cup success on home soil a year later. Oh.
The primary feature was the ultra-grippy ‘NikeSkin’ overlay for improved comfort and a barefoot feel.
A gorgeous Honeycomb panelling didn’t hurt either and the original orange and black colourway is now highly sought after.
5. Nike Total 90 Laser
The Nike Total 90 Laser was a boot every footballer in Britain had a pair of at some point in 2007.
While the yellow and black version are the most famous and closely associated with Wayne Rooney pulverising opponents at Manchester United, we slightly prefer the classy black and white ones instead.
With that Total 90 concentric circles badge covering the laces, these were built for turning heads and hitting a ball with the heat of a thousand suns. Inject it.
4. Nike Mercurial Superfly 4
“The 2014 Superfly makes a quantum leap forward in what high-performance boots can be” said Nike President and CEO, Mark Parker, at the Superfly IV launch event in 2014. He wasn’t lying, either.
Thanks to the introduction of Flyknit to football boots, these Mercurials are widely seen as game-changing within the industry and were sported by the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Franck Ribery.
More recently, Nike have released the Mercurial Superfly 10 Elite Kylian Mbappe special edition, which cost £265, but you can get the Academy version for £89.99
3. Nike Mercurial
This wasn’t just a shoe. This was a mythical creature. The original Ronaldo spent the summer of 1998 skipping, galloping, blasting and slaloming his way around World Cup defences in these beauties.
Thierry Henry and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang also wore the original Mercurials, but it was Ronaldo who elevated them to greatness.
2. Nike Total 90 III
Ooof.
Worn by the likes of Luis Figo (pictured below at Euro 2004), Roberto Carlos, Rooney and Ronaldinho, pictures of the Total 90 III are the closest thing to a time machine ever invented.
One glimpse and we’re transported back to reading Match Magazine and watching Match of the Day on sun-kissed Sunday mornings.
The whole Total 90 scene was cooler than an Andre 3000 lyric back in the mid-00s.
1. Nike Total 90 II
No notes. Just look at Francesco Totti rocking the Total 90 II’s at the 2002 World Cup and let your eyes do the talking.
While these are sadly no longer stocked, Nike do still have some outstanding boots available to buy today.
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