The Nike Phantom Venom has been dubbed as the return of the power-boot. The return of the Total 90 type boot that we absolutely loved to wear as a kid. They definitely gave you an extra bit of power in long-range shots! Unfortunately, the line came to an end in 2012. And although we are HUGE fans of the Hypervenom Phantom it wasn’t a real power-boot. With the new Phantom Venoms that has changed.
So in this review we’re going to be looking at the good, the bad, and the ugly. We’re going to tell you everything you need to know about the Phantom Venoms and how they compare to the Total 90s. We swear to give you the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.
Are Nike’s Phantom Venom football boots worth buying?
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Appearance – 8/10
Nike Goddess – inspiration for the Nike Phantom Venom Elite football boots
Today we’re looking at the Nike Victory Pack colourway. This particular set was designed specifically for the Woman’s World Cup 2019 in France. The design is actually based around the winged Goddess of Victory ‘Nike’ who in Greek mythology flew around above battlefields giving glory to the victors. That’s right, that’s where the name comes from. So it’s pronounced Nikey rather than Nike like bike. They drill that into you when you work there (along with Walmart-like chants). Now go impress your mates with your new-found knowledge.
Nike Phantom Venom Elite football boots – side view
Back to the boots and rating their appearance. The light grey and darker grey/blue combined with orange and black accents make for a really smart looking colourway. We’ve also got a wing design running round most of the outside and to the heel area on the inside. The wings are silver and have a bit of shine to them which we think looks amazing.
Our Nike swoosh (another thing they teach you – swoosh not tick) is on the outside of the boot. It’s in black with an orange outline to make it really stand out from the winged section. The power-boot persona we mentioned before makes its debut as the raised ‘Precision Power’ area. It sits attractively on the soft grey upper. The sole is in the same light grey as the upper and if we had one complaint about this boot it would be that while we really like the colourway it’s a bit too bland grey in some areas.
Design – 9/10
Nike Phantom Venom Elite football boots – side view
The Nike Phantom Venom is a world away from its Hypervenom predecessor. It’s an almost complete redesign, but it keeps its roots as a great football boot for strikers.
The boot is Flyknit which gives you the comfortable soft sock-like feeling we’re accustomed to in top-of-the-range boots. But, unlike the Vapor 13, it isn’t a full one-piece Flyknit. The Phantom Venom also has a slightly thicker knitted upper than the Vapors which adds some extra stability to the boot.
The toe area feels much bigger than on the Hypervenom Phantom 3s. This can be a good or bad thing depending on the size of your feet and what kind of feel you like from a boot. If you have wide feet then the Phantom Venoms should be perfect for you, whereas the Vapors might be a tighter fit. If you’re looking to check out the Vapor Elites, check out the current low price on Amazon.
The toe area also has some micro texturing in the Flyknit, which combined with the synthetic rubbery coating helps to give traction on the ball. Whilst I am sceptical about ACC, I can speak from personal experience. Football boots with some texturing and a rubbery coating do give a less slippery touch than a shiny plastic synthetic like the slightly old Under Armour Speedform for example.
Alongside this we have the Flywire cables that are knitted down the sides of the boot. This gives you a real locked down sensation all around your foot rather than just where the laces are. We like that laces are off-centre, giving you a bigger striking zone and alongside the Flywire you can tighten the top few laces perfectly. The only real issue is the lace cover that makes it almost impossible to tighten your laces lower down as you might be able to on some other boots.
When it comes to the fit, there is nothing to shout about with the Phantom Venom. This is a good thing in one sense as no complaints must mean they’re comfy! But also a bad thing as it may show that they are nothing special! There are a couple of things we’d change but they are still a wonderful pair of boots for slotting some goals in.
Features – 10/10
Nike Phantom Venom Elite football boots – top view
We’ve really got no choice but to give a full 10 out of 10 for features. Nike has paid homage to the spectacular Total 90 football boots with these Phantom venoms. The strike zone definitely used to help us score more goals and show us exactly where to strike the ball for ultimate power and accuracy!
The new strike zone isn’t exactly the same as it was back in the T90 days. It’s been pressed into the Flyknit upper and synthetic coating which provides extra grip. Just running your fingers over this you can really get a sense of how this would make a difference. Nike has said that their lab tests show improved accuracy when striking the ball anywhere on this strike zone now. Whilst we can’t vouch for that, that’s the claim and we’d love to put that to the test. We do agree that when you hit it nicely on the power zone you get that beautiful pingy feeling that lets you know the ball is heading for the top corner.
The soleplate is another major feature on this pair of boots and is the most aggressive stud pattern we have seen on a Phantom Venom. Again this has similarities to the Vapor 13s which has typically always had the most aggressive stud plate of Nike’s range. And the Tiempo and Phantom Vision are typically more relaxed and focussed on control. The soleplate is ‘Hyperactive 2.0’ which follows on from the 1.0 on the Hypervenom. We really appreciated how easy it was to wear these in as the soleplate has the perfect balance between flexibility and strength straight out the box. We also feel like they gave us great traction and were really responsive.
Value for money 7/10
Nike Phantom Venom Elite football boots – bottom view
The Phantom Venom Elites are top-of-the-range boots from Nike and the price matches that. But the price is definitely justified. Nike gives us the beloved power element that will potentially improve your accuracy, alongside a comfortable roomy fit so they’re great value for money!
A word of warning from me though, I have had two pairs of Phantom Venoms rip. Both times this occurred in tackles and it ended up ripping the exposed Flyknit lace cover. Whilst this does have some effect on our rating of value for money, Nike has replaced our boots instantly both times so we can’t have any real complaints there.
Pro advocates – 10/10
Nike Phantom Venom Elite football boots – back view
We’re talking about the Woman’s World Cup pack, which we saw all through the summer on some of the world’s top players – male and female. They were worn by Raheem Sterling and World Cup Winning captain Alex Morgan. What more can you ask for!
These days you will catch Sterling still rocking the Phantom Venoms in the newest colourways. Other pro advocates are Harry Kane, Alexandre Lacazette and Mauro Icardi.
Final verdict on the Nike Phantom Venom Elite football boots
The power-boot may be back but not exactly as we knew it. They’ve got a nice soft Flyknit upper and a tacky rubberized texture that gives you a perfectly sticky feel on the ball. With the injected strike zone element it’s a good modern take on a power boot. So if you’re looking for that supreme power boot feeling these are as close as you’ll get.
I also love that there’s a bit of extra space in the toe area to accommodate for fatter feet like mine! Just be wary that you may not be able to pull these laces really tight and we have seen some durability issues. But overall, for the quality that you’re getting and the performance of the boot, the Phantom Venoms are a steal!
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