By Lucas Martorana 4/1/2010
First Impression: 90/100
Nike presented a minimalistic boot with a streamlined look. It captures the eye with a simplistic design yet showcases its many new technological advances. Right out of the box it is light and strong, showing it Flywire, hollow-core traction, teijin upper, and carbon fiber sole. Welcome to Nike’s most elite line of boots.
Traction: 95/100
No surprises here, the Superfly holds true to the Mercurial Vapor traction system of it predecessors. The new feature is the hollowed dual-density studs. In everyday language that means they hollowed out as much excess material as possible without compromising performance and durability. The studs are also made of two different materials; one harder and one slightly softer. The traction is as expected, you will get the feel of the Nike Vapor line with this carbon fiber outsole, however don’t be at all surprised when all those hollow stud fill up with mud on natural surfaces (remember: they were made elite athletes and elite playing conditions!).
Comfort and fit: 95/100
The Superfly is designed for medium to narrow feet; medium to wide feet may require more break in time and may effect the life span of the boot. As soon as you pick them up you think wow these are light!
Immediately these boots feel good on your feet, they are designed to fit snug to your foot like a glove. It is not ideal to buy these shoes with extra “growth” space. With the thick leather and minimalistic design extra room leave potential for your foot sliding inside the shoe and causing friction—end result: blisters. Speaking of blisters and break in time the Superfly’s break in time was virtually nothing. You are able to take them right out of the box, lace up, and got for a kick about (wouldn’t suggest a 90 minute game, let your feet get used to them!).
Nike’s addition of the Flywire tightens the upper around you foot as you tighten the laces. It is a design Nike has used with their lightest track spike but has since become a popular option for almost all their active sport-based footwear.
The Carbon fiber sole is strong, thin, and light, it provides adequate support and natural responsiveness. Similar to the Nike mercurial vapor SL the carbon fiber had a bad reputation of cracking. As it sounds bad, it has no effect on the performance of the boot, and has only been report on a low percent of shoes.
Touch and Control: 75/100
What you got in your skill set is what you get with the Superfly. The thin, teijin upper is similar to the previous models but there is not a significant amount of padding or additions to the upper for swerve, power, or control. The upper mirror and hug your foot. Strike it well, you know it… miss hit it, you know it. When light weight and speed is the top priority you are going to see more sacrifice with touch, control, comfort and fit.
Price: 70/100
MSRP (Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price) for the Superfly is $350, though pricey if you have the extra cash I would say go for it. With the release of the Superfly II the sale price is around $250. In time these high price tags will fall. You are paying for the newest technology on the market; anyone who has been around knows it is not the material and labor that hikes the price up but the hours and hours working with professional athletes and top footwear designers to come up with the final product.
Durability: 75/100
Don’t expect to get the maximum life of your Superfly with daily training. As a rule of thumb rubberized turf fields are much harder on the glue and stitching than natural grass. Your Superflys will change significantly in the first month and once broken in the life of the boot will improve if you take care of them. Wash them, dry them and avoid doing stupid thing in them and you will be pleased.
Final Grade: 83.3/100 B or B+
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