Nike has three main lines of boots.  They include the Total 90 (wider, stable power platform), Vapor (very narrow, very light) and Legend (middle width and balanced design).  The Air Legend is the top of the line shoe from its respective line.  At about $130, it is at the lower end of the top flight.  This is an extremely comfortable shoe thanks to the combination of the Zoom Air inner unit and the kangaroo leather upper.

We have been testing these boots for several weeks both in practice and in six full games.  The design is a balance between the power kicking platforms and the light weight slippers.  The outsole is a glass fiber composite that provides strength and a good contour for comfort and support.  The kangaroo leather upper is very soft and strong.  Unlike some of the newer plastic uppers, leather breaths, making this a good all year boot.  The boot is designed with an external heal counter and an interior sock liner.  The boot has held up very well.  The design is offered as an indoor, firm ground and soft ground variants.

As a soft ground boot, the cleats are removable.  There are two common problems with removable cleats.  Often they will either work loose during aggressive play or they can become difficult to remove/reinstall, especially when the boot is caked in mud.  The cleat shape and retention system plays a significant role in determining which of these problems is likely to happen.  For the Air Legend, Nike went with a very traditional design.  The cleats are plastic (for low cost and light weight) with an aluminum tip.  They use a simple screw-in design and Nike provides a cleat wrench key that matches the hexagonal shape of the cleat.  This system is far more prone to loosening than clogging.  Our tester simply checked that the cleats were tight before each practice, before the game and at the half.  We did not notice any problems.  One big advantage of this simple design is the availability of replacement cleats.

Bottom line: There is a reason this boot is called the Legend.  It is an updated version of the traditional football boot.  The cleat pattern, lace location and leather upper can be seen from a $30 recreation level shoe to pro level boots.  It hasn’t changed significantly in decades.  On this boot, it is simple and well executed.