Nike Bomba Finale II – The Review

After a long stint as the top turf boot on the market the Bomba Finale finally got a successor. The Nike Bomba Finale II is unrecognizable from the previous Bomba finale, it seems to more closely resemble the Hypervenom as they both utilize NikeSkin in the upper. There has been  a drastic transition from the Finale to the Finale II and it translates into every facet of the boot from performance to comfort. However given the Bomba’s reputation, the Finale II will soon take the title of top turf boot on the market. But how does it measure up to the Bomba Finale?

I got these bad boys in a size 9.5 in the original release colorway, Total Orange/Sequoia, have put them through their paces and have been able to compare them closely to their predecessor. I started out testing very curious to see which Finale would come up on top. By the end the answer was pretty obvious!

First impressions

When I first got them in the first thing I took note of other than the blinding  Color was the dual material in the upper. Composed of Nikeskin and ballistic mesh the Bomba finale is a recipe for blistering but the contrast between the green black mesh and neon orange nikeskin gives it an “I’m here to take care if business” vibe . They have carried over the aggressive look and feel that came with the first finale but once they are on the feet you can tell it is a completely different look. More on how they compare to the Finale later on. Weight wise the nike skin doesn’t do much to make a lighter boot as it still weights in at 9.4 oz, not bad for a turf boot but would be considered slightly heavier compared to current fg offerings. Basically the boot is like an aggressive version of the Hypervenom. However, I will never give up the position that the upper looks like a paper towel.

The Tech

Nike skin is the most noticeable piece of tech in the boot. Nikes newest synthetic is a far cry from what we are used to as far as synthetics go but some of the traits remain. It folds like a synthetic and doesn’t form to the foot as well as kangalite or leather.  After that it is its own material, the touch really is close to being natural and the material kinda grips the ball which is awesome. The nike grind rubber amplifies this and I could actually hear it creating friction against the ball. They also included ACC but I’m not sure if it is needed so much as even if wet I’m sure the nike skin combined with the nike grind would do a good job of controlling the ball in wet conditions, however the inclusion doesn’t hurt. The ballistic mesh doesn’t seem to do its job of creating a stable fit as it folds strangely in places but not to the point where it is throwing off the overall fit of the boot. As far as outsole tech goes Nike have tried to make it similar to the Hypervenom as in it moves more naturally with the foot but in truth it isn’t all that different from the original Finale outsole.

The fit

The fit seems to be almost a cross between the Bomba finale and the Leather f50 adizero. The fit width wise seems to be the average as it can fit narrow and probably the wider foot. The mesh does have a bit of give to it so it is more forgiving than a synthetic or even some leather. However if the fit is off ever so slightly the junction between the synthetic and mesh there will be slight blistering during break in. Safe to say they fit like most other nike cleats, so sticking with your usual size will work out. However you may want to consult the shoefitr app when ordering online, the sizing for the Finale is spot on.

Break in and comfort

Assuming there would be no break in time I wore them straight through the first game. This did end up giving me some minor blistering on the outside of my foot at the base of the pinky toe where the mesh and nike skin overlap slightly. After the first wear this problem did go away fortunately, but they didn’t quite feel broken in until the third game. The upper does crease in an almost awkward manner starting off but it does adapt to how the foot  moves after a few games so that it folds more naturally.

Comfort wise I do have complaints. The insole don’t quite cut it for me, they seemed to slide around the boot ever so slightly, and I ended up switching the insoles out for my Shock doctor insoles. Also the insoles and mid foot mesh  offer almost no arch support. An insole switch out cleared it up right away. After the initial break in time where the upper was folding poorly and I got that blister on the outside of my foot I ran into no other issues. After broken in they are pretty comfortable and over all it only took four wears.

Performance and Durability

The first major performance enhancement I took note of was the first touch, rather than absorbing or cushioning the ball the upper and nike grind creates friction against the ball which effectively cuts down on the rotation to aid in ball control, sorta like it is putting the breaks on. I won’t be surprised if nike uses grind in the next generation of CTR because it is effective when it comes to getting the ball to behave. Another control benefit was supplied by the touch that comes with the nike skin, I would say that though it doesn’t mold like kanga lite it does give equal, if not better, ball feel. Obviously the nikeskin is the highlight of the boot as it is the only thing that stands out about it. Even the outsole which is supposed to to give enhanced ball control and responsiveness doesn’t really do either better than other turf shoes on the market. Having said that I had no issues with traction but because of the mesh I didn’t always feel %100 secure when cutting as my feet would shift a bit inside the shoe.

Durability hasn’t been lost with the addition of nike skin. Nike have added in additional reinforcements to areas of high abrasion on the nike skin and ballistic mesh. My worries are very minimal, the only issues that have come up are purely cosmetic. They do scuff along the white NIKE branding along the outside of the boot. If anything does come up I will update but they should last a season or two easy.

How it compares to the Bomba Finale

First off the Bomba Finale II is nothing like the Bomba finale, the only thing they have in common is the name. While the Finale was built like a tank with a shot shield, KangaLite upper with Nike grind accents, the Finale II is built like a Ferrari with a thin Nike skin and ballistic mesh upper. These major differences make the boots almost impossible to measure against each other other than the fact that their stud configurations give pretty similar performance properties with the Bomba being the more favorite of the two as it has plastic studs mixed in. But using the two side by side is the tell all, the Bomba Finale II seems in no way to be a complete package when measured up to the Bomba Finale. I never felt fully confident in the Finale II as it lacked that critical x-factor that goes into making a solid boot.

The Bomba Finale on the other hand is a very solid and high performing boot that left very little to be desired, it performed better than quite a few pro level FG boots. Unfortunately the Finale is selling out pretty quick as it was replaced by the Finale II a few months ago so you better snatch up the remaining pairs quick if you are interested. Its a shame that Nike didn’t make a boot of equal quality to the predecessor but I’m sure some will prefer the Finale II to the first.

Critics Notes

As good as the upper is I’m afraid that is where most of the negatives lay. During the break in the Nike skin folds awkwardly and caused a blister where the mesh and skin overlap. Also there was very little arch support and a insole replacement was needed because of it. The mesh, while not a totally bad idea, didn’t quite hold the foot in place as well as Nike claims and there was shifting during cuts. Also if you are a fan of the Bomba Finale you might be a bit let down as the finale II doesn’t quite equal the boot in terms of performance or quality. It feels like Nike was too interested in putting out boots with NikeSkin and lost a lot of quality in the Bomba range of their 24/7 collection!

 Overall

While it may not measure up to its predecessor in terms of quality the Bomba Finale II is still at the top of the turf boot game on the market. There is no question about that. However it isn’t the smoothest ride in the world getting them to break in but the performance benefits of the Nike skin are noticeable. It failed to really wow me however, even when taking my experience with the Bomba Finale  out of the equation. But compared to the other offerings coming from other companies I’m going to be keeping it in my bag as back up to the Finale.

You can find the Bomba Finale II at WeGotSoccer right now.

Jim’s Ratings

Comfort: 68%
Performance: 80%
Technology Efficiency: 60%
Value: 71%

Total Score: 70%