Thursday , March 28 2024

Nike T90 Laser IV – Release Event

Nike T90 Laser IV

I just got back from the Nike T90 Laser IV release event in New York, with a pair of the new release in my bag ready for testing! The event itself turned out to be a very fun experience, starting on Thursday with a packed room of bloggers at Nike HQ in New York. We heard first hand from Nike designers on how the boot was pieced together and what the finished article is intended to provide players. From there, we headed to a field in Queens, where we tested the new boots as well as the Seitiro ball.

It turned out to be well worth the long 24hr trip to New York for several reasons, below is a summary of highlights from “The Perfect Strike” event.

Nike T90 Laser IV Testing

T90 Laser IV and Gear

Testing the T90’s Laser IV
Obviously, the highlight of the event was testing the new T90 Laser IV. When we arrived at the pitch, there were 22 brand new pairs lining the locker room, with each player also getting a full kit and bag. Having laced up, we took the field for some drills – starting with an Accuracy Challenge. The Accuracy Challenge involved knocking a ball of a wall, turning and shooting into one of the preset targets, with 4 balls for each player. Points were scored for timing and where you placed your shots. Considering my job is testing boots, I am glad to say I topped the leaderboard, as per the image below.

From there, we took some shots before taking to the field for a pretty competitive 11 vs 11, East vs West, game. As well as players from some of the top soccer sites in the US, there were guest appearances from some Nike designers! I am also glad to report that the West took the game 3-0 – although it was a lot closer than the score suggests!

Accuracy Skills Scoreboard

After the game, the first significant comment from players was based around comfort, not one player had any problems playing in them – something that is pretty amazing since they came right out of the box. There was a positive vibe going around and no one had any negative comments to offer. In terms of fit, these boots offer the most natural feel I have experienced, with the upper providing fantastic form right across the front of your foot. They also fit absolutely true to size. That is all I am saying for now until I get to test a little longer – stay tuned for a full review!

T90 Laser Design

Nike Desinger Doug Wilkens

Nike T90 Laser IV Designer, Doug Wilken
I was pretty pleased to have the opportunity to chat with the actual designer of the T90 Laser IV, Doug Wilken. Having covered a great great deal about the creation of the boots in his presentation, I took to discussing some of the questions you guys submitted and other topics that I felt might have been missed.

  • What was your thought process through the creation of the T90 Laser IV?
    We really wanted to capture and go back to the foot, and understand what is happening in the anatomy of the foot for the player. Range of motion and identifying the natural movements were very important. We went down to our concept shop, in Beaverton, Oregon, and created cast movements to understand how a players foot moves at different times.
  • For this release, you have gone with a Synthetic and Kanga-Lite release – we haven’t seen this before, why?
    Well, we are working on perfecting the Kanga-Lite as it offers very similar feel to actual leather without the issues that arise with water retention. We basically want to give players the option to experience our most advanced creation.
  • There has been plenty of talk about the weight, why are the boots not lighter?
    We took into consideration the actual requirements of the everyday striker and found that a more balanced boot, weight wise, was much more effective. It was a matter of finding the right weight and not just lightweight.
  • Can we expect an Elite version of the T90 Laser IV?
    The focus of this release is on the regular version and not the Elite.
  • Is this something we can expect of future Nike releases?
    No – this is simply a decision we made for the T90 Laser IV. We are still considering options for releases in the other ranges.
  • In terms of future releases, should we expect anything out of the norm from Nike?
    Already, we are starting to focus on the T90 Laser V, and will spend a lot of time trying to develop it over the next year. We are Nike – and innovation is always our focus, there is always a chance that we will pull a surprise here and there.

Other Notes
A big shout-out to Nike for the invite to the event – I think it was enjoyed by all! MVP of the East vs West game went to my teammate Ben of TheOriginalWinger, while definitely worth a shout-out was the shutout provided by Bruce from DuNord on his debut as a keeper – he was a beast! On the other side of the spectrum, I was glad that we didn’t allow Shane “Johnny” Evans of Goal.com an opportunity to score off one of the East set-pieces.

In terms of the boot itself, it is available to pre-order at the moment, with the actual release date set for October 1st. I will have a review posted on the 1st, but if you want to get ahead of the game and order a pair, they are available for $197.99 at WeGotSoccer.

For readers, I need to point out that my reviews will continue, as always, to be completely unbiased toward any company. SC101 will continue to be a site that provides the most in-depth and honest insight into what can be expected of a specific boot by the everyday player.

T90 Laser IV Event

About Bryan Byrne

The mastermind behind the revolution that is SoccerCleats101. Bryan started this website back in 2008 and has been testing boots on a daily basis ever since. Check out our About Page for more details on Bryan and the website.

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17 comments

  1. Great little event and nice write-up – looking forward to the review! Also, you got to play on the pitch (Met Oval) from my club soccer days while I was in high school, nice to see it in pictures. Great NYC skyline views from there.

  2. Was there are difference between the Tracer and the Seitiro?

  3. Did you test out the synthetic or the kanga lite version?

  4. I wonder whether these will be better than the Predators?

  5. 24hr trip to New York?

  6. Greatt stuff …what an awesome event to attend…goes to show how well you run your website here
    Good job Bryan!

  7. Hi, i was wondering if you could do me a favour and post a pic of the Lasers with Nike RED laces? Also, approximately when is the review coming? I am trying to decide between the Laser IV and adiPower Preds and need to decide quick as my voucher runs out soon, so hopefully you can give me an answer soon. Thanks in advance! 🙂

  8. I'm going to get the Laser IV but i'm unsure of what size to get. I tried on the laser III and i'm in between size 10.5 – 11 (US).10.5 is a much tighter fit, mainly width wise and i'm worried that it might be really uncomfortable if the boot does not expand and 11 is a more comfortable fit but a tiny bit too long but I don't think i will matter too much when i'm playing in them. I normally like a boot which has a tight and firm fit and the two sizes does not offer me both of this. Can you give me a recommendation how the the Laser IV feel and the fit. Which do size do u think I should get a a really tight fitting boot or a comfortable fitting boot?

  9. From first reactions…
    Should I get ctr elites or these..I play CB but depend on touch

  10. They look cool, but I wish Nike would offer stuff like this in real leather, not just tiempos. Also, it I don't know if it matters, but just wanted to point out that Rooney missed his PK on his debute with these.

  11. Bryan ive been wanting to know the difference between the T90 Laser IV and the T90 Strike IV, could you help me out?

  12. for most total 90s, they suck, but as far as these go they are pretty appealing to my eyebalss. i dont think that i would ever buy them so dont try to sell them to me

  13. And laser v never got to be released… 🙁

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