Nike Tiempo Super Ligera Football Boots

Just how did the Nike Tiempo Super Ligera come about and, some might say, why did it come about?

As it happens, the football boot isn’t aimed at the European player, nor the American market. Instead, it’s been produced for the Asian market and in particular, the Japanese Bukatsu player.

Designed by Doug Wilken, the Tiempo Super Ligera brings two worlds of performance together in a lightweight yet durable football boot.

When it came to the design of the Tiempo Super Ligera, Wilken was keen to find out first hand about the needs of the player. So, through focus meetings conducted with Japanese Bukatsu groups, he learned that these players needed — and wanted — a boot that was lightweight and soft. However, by studying wear tests Wilken was able to assess something else that they needed — durability.

For the Japanese bukatsu player who plays from dawn to dusk, football is everything. And they play primarily on hard fields made of coarse, packed dirt, which is especially tough on their football boots.

Designed on a new, Asian-specific footwear last, the Tiempo Super Ligera is wider than the typical football boot, with an extended throat to give the boot more versatility and variation. By identifying high-wear areas on the football boots that the players used, Wilken targeted these areas and screen-printed a layer of Nike Grind on those spots in order to protect the foot and strengthen the boot without adding weight. A gusseted tongue helps prevent irritation by preventing dust and sand from getting into the boot during play. Reflective elements were added in the upper for those games that take place at dusk.

Translucent studs reveal an inner plate injected with a TPU that provides both strength and structure while imbuing the shoe with a lightweight aesthetic. Working with the Nike Sports Research Lab (NSRL), Wilken examined the motion of the players’ feet and incorporated a longitudinal flex groove. The flex groove allows the foot to flex from side to side, while isolating the fifth metatarsal head, where most of the foot’s power originates.

Tiempo Super Ligera

High -brasion screen printed reground rubber layer
Reflectivity
Longitudinal Flex Groove
Kangaroo leather upper
Translucent cleats reveal an inner plate injected with a strong TPU that provides structure.

Doug Wilken Designer

Doug graduated from Southern Illinois University with a degree in industrial design.
Has worked in the Nike model shop and cleated category, designing for American Football, Baseball, Softball and Lacrosse.
Has been designing for the football category for the past 2 years.