Nike Talaria IV

The Nike Mercurial line has been out for a few years now. Eschewing traditional cleat design convention, they are made of what the claim is "synthetic leather" but I’d say that it’s more like a shiny plastic - which is essentially what synthetic leather is, and they don't have much stitching lines or anything out. They're almost seamless, and another nice thing about the material is that it is really light. The boot also has a nice soft touch when it comes to making passes and shots. (Also good for awkwardly putting the ball in your own net, as Chris showed last Saturday - ed).

I have used Nike Mercurial cleats before, and the studs on the bottom of the boot have a nice grip, and the frame is quite stiff. That’s another good thing, according to Nike, for support and getting some power behind the ball.

One other cool thing about the cleats is that they are ready to go out of the box. Some cleats need to be broken in slowly with multiple pairs of socks and gentle use. I was able to get going right away with no blisters (well, I got one, but that was because of my socks. I think I know what my next SoccerPro order will be).

Soccer junkies will notice that Cristiano Ronaldo uses the top-of-the-line version of this shoe, as well as numerous other pros. One reason is how light they are, another reason is that they pay him a lot of money which he needs to replace that Bentley he wrecked. But back on the topic at hand, they come in some flashy colors, and the shiny teal (?) blue color with a neon green Nike Swoosh stripe I had is no exception.

Well-built, lightweight, flashy looking shoes with great touch.

Nike Talaria IV FG:

The Nike Mercurial line comes in three different flavors - the lowest level Steam, the mid-range Talaria and the high-end Vapor. If you're buying the Steam you're either a newbie or realistic enough to recognize that your wooden touch has nothing to do with the football boots you wear. If you're buying the Vapor you're either a top-class soccer player or you've got money to burn. But the mid-range Talaria targets the cost-conscious half-decent amateur soccer player. Which is probably most of you reading this.

This particular shoe is the Nike Talaria IV FG. To decode that model name, the manufacturer is Nike, it's the Talaria range of Mercurial shoes, it's the fourth (IV) generation of Mercurial Shoes and it's made for playing on firm ground (FG). It was released in spring 2008 and the Talaria V (along with the entire Mercurial line) is scheduled to be released in the spring of 2008. You can most certainly find these shoes at Soccer Pro, our vendor of choice. They have all manner of Nike soccer shoes and soccer shoes in general.

More soccer equipment reviews:

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• Barcelona Nike away jersey
• Greece adidas away jersey
• Nike Tiempo