It's that time of the week again when we go digging into our SoccerBible boot vault. This week we've pulled out a classic pair of Nike Tiempo Premier football boots which were out circa 2001/02, to show you just how far Nike have developed their Tiempo range...
Introduced to the world in 1994, the Nike Tiempo Premier football boots
were first worn by football icons Paolo Maldini and Romario at the 1994 World Cup, and have gone on to be worn by such great players as Eric Cantona, Ronaldinho, Ian Wright and Andrea Pirlo. Our 2001 pair, as you can see were personalised up for Manchester United's Ruud Van Nistelrooy, but are probably best associated with his prolific team-mate Ole Gunnar Solskjaer during United's Premier League winning season.
The 'Tiempo Premier' quickly
established itself as one of the most popular boot choices within the game, as the boot features an ultra
lightweight kangaroo leather upper for instant comfort, flexibility and feel.
The unique Mercurial moulded sole plate helps to optimise both the
traction and stability during play. The Tiempo range was acknowledged as the pinnacle of performance footwear at the time, as they were extremely light and flexible, plus they had great design and were made in Italy.
These particular Nike Tiempo Premier football boots stood out on-pitch due to the bold white stripe that adorned both the heel and tongue. But these boots became a classic not only because they featured radical stitching patterns to hold the leathers shape, but because they had a design feature that Nike was to backtrack on - the small Swoosh. For the 2001/02 Tiempo Premier, Nike decided to shrink the Swoosh and move it forward, however, we think they soon realised the power of branding on pitch and were to revert to a bold swoosh for future Nike Tiempo football boots.
It's always interesting to delve into our Boot Vault, to compare boots with their modern day counterparts and see how far a boot range has developed. But we'd also love to hear from our SoccerBible community, and whether you recall the football boots or even better wore these versions of the Nike Tiempo Premier football boots!
Stay tuned to the SoccerBible as we reveal even more soccer cleats from the Boot Vault, showcasing the best retro, classic and once forgotten boots and bringing them back to life!
