Cleatology – Nike Air Zoom T90 Supremacy

With the recent retirement of the Nike T90 series, there has been a lot of reminiscing by fans toward some releases in the series that were really under-appreciated when they were released. Case in point, the Nike Air Zoom T90 Supremacy. Looking back in time, this was a classic for it’s time and the market is left craving a boot like this right now. That is an ironic statement considering the market seems to have shifted completely away from Power boots and more toward Hybrids and Lightweight.

These were released back in 2006, right before the World Cup in Germany, as the 4th boot in the Total 90 series. It was Nike’s key boot release leading up to the big tournament and Wayne Rooney was the player they looked to promote them. Unfortunately, Rooney broke a metatarsal bone in his foot shortly after breaking his pair into games. It was a bad start for the range, but realistically it was just a matter of bad timing. It didn’t take long for things to take an upswing and they were one of the more prominent boots on display in Germany.

We managed to pick up this pair via listings on the Aggressive Soccer eBay page. They have a ton of boots like this for sale right now and there are actually pairs just like this one still up for grabs (if you get there in time).

It is pretty funny how getting a boot in hand can produce reminders that you just don’t get from looking at images. That was the case with these boots and it is all primarily related to design. For example, there is a ton of hieroglyphic designs right through the upper. It runs along several areas and is prominently displayed on the forefoot, it really shows up well under certain lighting.

Along with that, each boot features an individual design, with a cross section of colors used, In this case, there is a blast of white along the strike zone of the left boot, while a contrasted Red is placed on the strikezone of the right. It is a super unusual design, something you can see quite clearly in the image below.

As for the performance of the boot, Nike really did get it right. The upper was a soft, supple PVC-free synthetic leather that offered players plenty of protection along with a decently natural feel on the ball. It was very different to the current day Synthetic Leather uppers as there was a lot more padding and thickness to it. This probably improved durability, although I’ll leave the consensus on that one to players who wore them over longer periods.

The one key memory I have about these boots was the comfort they offered, and that was primarily related to the Zoom Air cushioning in the heel, which added an extra level of shock absorption. It is a pretty prominent piece of the boot and it was the reason many players flocked to wear them.

If you are interested in a pair, you can also search eBay for Nike T90 Supremacy.