3 best Nike Premier football boots

One of the biggest brands in the football industry, Nike, has made significant strides with boot innovation and technology. Dynamic Flyknit, All Conditions Control, and Flywire cables are just a few of the many cutting edge advancements that the brand has come up with over the years, making them one of football’s most recognizable organizations.  

Striking again with an ingenious idea, Nike decided to create a boot that pays homage to the company’s football heritage while staying modern. The brand’s answer to this is the Nike Premier football boot.

Released in 2013, the shoe brought with it the air of a classic Nike cleat with a modern twist. This is no coincidence as the pair is inspired by the 1971 ‘The Nike’ boot release and the Tiempos in 1994. While sporting a traditional look, the cleat’s construction is far from dated.

Nike Premier football boot releases

First Release

The Nike Premier football boots’ first release received a warm welcome from the market. The Swoosh aimed to create a soccer boot that embodies a timeless classic with a modern twist - all of this without breaking the bank. The brand has outdone themselves with the creation of the Nike Premier football boot. The black football boot has a straightforward style featuring a white soleplate with black studs reminiscent of old-timey cleats.

Upper

Delving into specifics, Nike opted to use a kangaroo leather upper to provide comfort, durability and, an excellent ball touch. This material also ensures a uniform feel to the boot. Opting for a low top design, what Nike made sure about this shoe is to minimize distractions by sticking to a no-frills construction. Additionally, the brand opted to have a simple upper incorporating a short tongue which only extends to the ankle area.

Soleplate

The soleplate is where most of the Nike Premier football boots’ technology went. With a TPU-base, it offers flexibility while providing enough support to the foot. The material creates a uniform flex in the entire foot without compromising support. Consequently, the stud configuration includes twelve low-profile, conical studs. This setup can accommodate quicker releases as the player sprints, while an oval stud placed in the forefoot acts as a brake and reinforces traction.  

Price

It’s hard to find fault in the Nike Premier football boot especially when it brings it’s A-game regarding performance, comfort, and durability. The question is, how about the price? The good news does not stop here.

While this model is considered a premium Nike shoe, it’s been a selling point for this model to have a budget-friendly rate. There has been speculation why the brand can afford to offer the Nike Premier at such a low price. A critic pointed out that Nike heavily relied on word-of-mouth in marketing the shoe which, perhaps, is the reason why the shoe is relatively inexpensive.

Nike Premier 2.0

The follow-up to the Nike Premier football boot came out in 2017. The new release didn’t make a lot of changes to the original but mainly improved upon it. The second generation Premiers included updates mainly in the tongue, upper and, heel areas.

Notable Nike Premier Football Boot Features

Nike kept things simple in designing and constructing the Premier. Staying true to their classic boot concept, the brand incorporated modern materials and a straightforward construction to the shoe while going for a traditional look.

• Kangaroo Leather - The Nike Premier football boot wears a kangaroo leather upper. Considered as a premium material, this natural leather is highly prized for its fit, durability and lightweight feel. It is well-suited to the brand’s effort to create a traditional look and feel for this model. Although, there is a catch with this natural leather as it is not waterproof.
• TPU Soleplate - Lightweight, durable and offers great stability, a full TPU upper is used in the soleplate. A common feature among soccer cleats, this material is known for its abrasion and impact-resistant abilities. It also retains flexibility even under cold temperatures.
• Stud configuration - The shoe has a combination of conical and bladed studs. For maximum traction, four studs are placed on both sides of the front and an additional four at the back. For added stability, a single bladed stud is set in the middle of the soleplate.

The differences between the first and second release of the Nike Premier boots

There are small but significant changes made in the second release of the Nike Premier shoe. The updates in the boot were mainly implemented in the boot’s upper.

• Tongue - The most apparent change for the Nike Premier football boot version two is the tongue. While the first generation’s tongue is short, Nike opted to go for a fold-over tongue for the boot’s second release. To make sure that this new feature does not distract from the player’s performance on the pitch, Velcro has been added to keep the tongue in place.  
• Stitching Pattern on the Upper - In addition to this, the stitching pattern in the upper is different. This feature is comparable to those of older Nike Tiempo
• Heel Area - Another element added to the second version of the Nike Premier football boot is the brand’s name placed in the heel area which is presented in bold white letters.
• Price - There was a change in the price, as well. While the original Nike Premier football boot retailed for less than a $100 when it was released, the Premier II belongs to a price range of just over a $100. Although there is a price increase, the shoe is still worth considering with what it offers.
• New Colorways - While the colorways for the Nike Premier football boot stayed true to the classic black and white colorway for quite a while, it was just recently that the brand ventured to more vivid colors. In 2017, Nike released a blue football boot with white accents for the Premier’s second-generation release.

A follow-up release showcasing the new color scheme also happened in early 2018. While still making use of the white and blue colorway, the placement of colors has been inverted using a white base with racer blue accents. And despite the new color scheme, the boot still holds a similar construction to the second generation Nike Premier football boot.

Other than these, the Nike Premier 2.0 has more or less a similar construction with the first generation Premiers.

Nike Premier VS Adidas Copa Mundial  

There has long been speculation by football enthusiasts that the Nike Premier football boot was set to become the direct competitor to the poster child of classic boots - Adidas Copa Mundial. One can’t argue with the uncanny resemblance these two models have. But, what are their similarities? And what sets them apart from each other?

Similarities

• Aesthetics

When it comes to the aesthetics, both boots more or less have the same look. Featuring a black and white colorway, both use natural leather for the upper to create a comfortable fit. Although, the Swoosh chose to expand their color choices with the Nike Premier football boots’ more recent releases.

• Cut

Both are low-top football boots with the Premier sporting a slightly lower cut than the Adidas Copa Mundial.

Differences

• Tongue

The Adidas Copa Mundial has a fold-over tongue which has been a source of a dilemma for Copa users. There has been feedback for the Copa’s tongue coming from players saying that it’s too big or can be distracting during the game. This leads to some users ultimately doing away with the tongue by cutting it off while some heritage boot lovers prefer to keep the feature to maintain the classic look. Nike, on the other hand, avoided this issue by keeping the design of the Nike Premier football boot simple.  Nike made the tongue shorter and cut it off at the ankle area for the first Premier model. For the Premier 2.0, while integrating a fold-over tongue, the brand made sure to include velcro to keep the tongue in place.

• Upper Material

With a slight difference in the upper’s thickness, the Mundial brings a slightly bulkier feel than the Nike Premier.

• Soleplate

The Copa Mundial still retains its original soleplate construction hence, the shape brings a more traditional feel to the boot. The Nike Premier football boot, however, brings a more modern twist with a broader soleplate and better flexibility considering that it uses TPU for the soleplate.  

• Weight  

There is also a difference in weight with the Premier weighing a shade lighter than Adidas’ Copa.

• Insole

The Nike Premier football boot has a removable insole while the Copas don’t.

• Price

The first generation Premiers costs less than a $100. The second generation models, although priced for more than $100, is significantly less expensive than the Adidas Copa Mundial.

While both models have similarities, each has something unique to offer. The Nike Premier football boot brings with it a retro vibe but is more technologically advanced (an unsurprising fact considering Nike’s penchant for innovation) compared to the Mundial which is a true classic boot (a boot which is virtually unchanged since its first release). Both shoes are great but upon choosing one’s ideal cleat, what it mainly boils down to is personal preference.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Nike Premier shoe available in other colorways?

The second generation release of the Nike Premier football boot has been a colorful one with a  Racer Blue/ White boot and a Black/ Total Orange colorway.

The brand has also experimented with a total whiteout and blackout versions in 2017 on a limited edition release.

What are the benefits of using kangaroo leather football boots?

Kangaroo leather is held in high regard when it comes to leather soccer boots - and for a good reason. It’s not only comfortable, but it also conforms to the shape of the wearer’s foot creating a better fit. The material is thin and lightweight.

While there are heaps of benefits in using Kangaroo leather, one downside is that the material is not water-resistant.

What is the ideal weight for a football boot?

The lightweight football boot can aid a player’s performance by making the player move faster. The average football boot right now weighs close to 8 ounces which is considered lightweight. This is also the recommended weight as it keeps things relatively balanced.