Nike: The 10 Greatest Nike Boots in History
Nike have been a dominant force in the football world for decades. Although its more than just their stunning jerseys that catch the eye. The American brand first began their journey into the football world back in 1979 when they became the jersey manufacturer for the iconic MLS side Portland Timbers. Nike then jumped overseas to Europe, becoming the manufacturer for English side Sunderland AFC. The American brand saw a huge surge in popularity in the football world in the 1990’s, with many teams wearing the brand. As we moved closer to the 2000’s, Nike began to make a name for themselves in the football boot world. Astounding success saw the brand become one of the main faces of football shirts and boots, with legends of the game wearing their brand.
In this article, we will look at the 10 best Nike football boots of all time, remembering the legends that wore them and some iconic sporting moments involving the American giants football boots.
Nike Mercurial Vapor II (2004)
Main colourway: Gold
Worn by: Zlatan Ibrahimović, Cristiano Ronaldo, Thierry Henry
After the success of the Mercurial Vapor from the 2002 World Cup, Nike came back with a new edition for Euro 2004.
Nike went bold with the colours, offering gold, crimson blue/red and cloud white versions of the boot.
Nike Total 90 Laser (2007)
Main colourway: Yellow/black
Worn by: Wayne Rooney, Fernando Torres
This boot screams Barclays Premier League. An incredibly popular boot in the UK when released, the Nike Total 90 Laser was worn by the likes of Wayne Rooney and Fernando Torres.
The yellow and black boot combination could be seen from a mile away, but that didn’t stop some bangers being scored by Premier League legends while wearing them.
Nike Mercurial Vapor X (2014)
Main colourway: Coral/yellow
Worn by: Cristiano Ronaldo, Eden Hazard, Neymar
These boots made an appearance at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. Nike had an interesting colourway which definitely made these boots stand out from the crowd.
Unfortunately for Ronaldo and Neymar, the Mercurial could not help them in their mission to win the World Cup for their respective countries as Germany dominated the tournament and lifted the trophy for a fourth time.
Nike Total 90 III (2004)
Main colourway: White/gold
Worn by: Ronaldinho, Wayne Rooney, Roberto Carlos
Another boot that burst onto the scene at Euro 2004. An 18 year old Wayne Rooney ran rampage against his opponents while sporting these iconic Total 90 boots.
Unfortunately for the Manchester United legend, he was forced off injured in England’s quarter-final loss to Portugal.
Nike Tiempo Legend (2006)
Main colourway: White/red, Black/white
Worn by: Ronaldinho, Andrea Pirlo, Carlos Tevez
Nike Tiempo Legends were a must have for youngsters after seeing Ronaldinho wearing the black/white colourway of the boot.
Seeing the Brazilian work his magic at the 2006 World Cup while repping this iconic boot meant they were quickly sold out in sports shops all over the world.
Nike Mercurial Vapor Superfly II (2010)
Main colourway: Silver/orange
Worn by: Cristiano Ronaldo, Didier Drogba, Siphiwe Tshabalala
When you think of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, this boot is one of the first things that come to mind.
This iconic boot was worn by Siphiwe Tshabalala when he scored South Africa’s famous opening goal of the tournament against Mexico.
From then on, amazing goal after amazing goal was scored with these pairs of boots at the tournament.
Nike Tiempo (1994)
Main colourway: Black/white/yellow
Worn by: Cantona, Paolo Maldini, Ronaldo
This boot was one of the first that included Nike’s famous “swoosh” logo, which has grown to be a mainstay on their modern day boots.
The original Tiempo led the way for the modern Nike boot style. Mostly remembered for being used on the pitch, but Eric Cantona was wearing a pair when he famously kicked a Crystal Palace fan in 1995. Cantona was banned from football for nine months after the incident, making it one of the longest bans in Premier League history.
Nike Total 90 II (2002)
Main colourway: White/red/black
Worn by: Luís Figo, Francesco Totti, Roberto Carlos
The Nike Total 90 II boot was iconic due to its variety. With multiple colourways available, players were spoiled for choice.
Many remember seeing these boots during the 2002 World Cup. Weather it was Luís Figo toying with his opponents or Roberto Carlos bombing down the wing, these boots were a must have after watching the tournament.
Nike Mercurial (1998)
Main colourway: Silver/blue/yellow
Worn by: Ronaldo, Thierry Henry
This boot was special. Seeing Ronaldo running the show at the 1998 World Cup while wearing this unique boot was a sight to behold. The Brazilian had an outrageous tournament as he scored seven goals and got two assists as he helped his country reach the World Cup Final. Unfortunately for Ronaldo, he had a medical emergency the night before the final and despite playing the match, couldn’t help Brazil as the tournaments hosts France won the game 3-0.
The silver/blue/yellow colourway gave this boot a futuristic type of look. Nike made sure the original Mercurial stood out for all the right reasons.
Nike Mercurial Vapor (2002)
Main colourway: Chrome/volt
Worn by: Ronaldo, Thierry Henry
As good as the 1998 Mercurial’s were, the 2002 Mercurial Vapors were revolutionary. Known for their simplistic style and lightweight design, these boots were beautiful and brought out the best in performance.
Ronaldo finally won the 2002 World Cup while sporting these bad boys, scoring an iconic brace against Germany in the final.
These boots really pathed the pathway for the future of football boots.
