Nike Hypervenom II Tier Breakdown – We Tell You The Differences

Oh how mighty the original Nike Hypervenom was. With boots seemingly getting a shorter and shorter shelf life (I’m looking at YOU, adidas F50 adiZero), the Hypervenom having a full 2 years on the pitch is a testament to how quality a boot it was. Yet Nike has rung in a new era for the range with the release of the second generation Hypervenom, which now features the iconic Dynamic Fit Collar. But the Hypervenom collection is not all about the top of the range Phantom, the boot is also being released alongside the Phinish and the Phatal II. But what separates all the boots? We go through the boots in our tier rundown of the new Hypervenom II range.

Let’s start off with the top dog. Nike knew they could not be too gung ho when they started fiddling with the hugely successful Hypervenom Phantom I, but the boffins at Nike say they have simply evolved everything that made the original Phantom great into the next generation Phantom. Of course, the biggest difference is the addition of the Dynamic Fit Collar. We have seen it on the Magista Obra and the Superfly II, and the Collar fits over the ankle for a glove-like fit that kinda makes the foot, ankle and lower leg work as one single unit.

This ties in with the Flywire integrated into the upper of the boot. With the Collar locking the foot down, the strategically placed Flywire then ensures your foot does not slide within the boot. The Flywire has a second purpose of creating a better touch on the areas of the boot that are likely to have more action with the ball (which is why it is more heavily concentrated towards the toe). This is the first time Flywire has been used in this manner, and the rest of the upper has been finished off with a mixture of a sophisticated mesh and Nikeskin, as well as the now customary All Conditions Control (ACC). The result is an upper that allows the user to have a good, close control of the ball, but it still has a little more padding than the Superfly II.

There is also a slight change made to the soleplate. While the new Hypervenom still features the same split-toe design, stud design and configuration of it’s predecessor, the soleplate has been made from a slightly softer compound for a more comfortable ride. Plus there is the cool black and orange graphic that makes quite the bold statement. The boot also weighs in at a respectable 209 grams.

Sure, we have seen the Phantom II being advertised everywhere, but it is about time the Phinish gets a little more attention. And with good reason too, because the specs of this boot are absolutely fascinating. Essentially the direct successor to the first generation Hypervenom Phantom, the Phinish comes in a traditional low-cut design for a sock-like fit. This fit is accentuated by the super soft one piece upper that is also tongue-less, much like the Mercurial Vapor X.

The upper of the Phinish is made from Nikeskin, Flywire and a mesh material like the Phantom, but they have been mixed in a slightly different manner to offer a more suede-like feel for the ball. However, while the feel of the uppers are a little different in how they are put together, Nike say both boots attempt to offer a more amplified touch in general. Aesthetically, there does not appear to be a huge amount of difference between the two uppers, and given they are essentially made from the same materials, the touch offered by the two boots is probably very similar to each other.

I think what is truly interesting is that bar the Collar, the ever-so-slighty-different upper and the soleplate of the Phinish being a solid orange as opposed to the black and orange of the Phantom, there truly is very little separating the Phantom and the Phinish. Compared to the Magista and Mercurial ranges where there are clear differences between the top two boots, the lack of separability between these boots is an interesting move from Nike.

So here is something. For the first time, Nike have introduced the Dynamic Fit Collar on a mid-tier boot. Well, it is kind of a mid-tier boot. Priced at about $170, the Phatal II is pretty pricey for a mid-tier boot (there are some top-tier boots that cost the same as the Phatal), but the addition of the Collar is an interesting addition by Nike.

However, this Collar is made from a thicker material than the Flyknit Collar of the Phantom II. The upper is also made from a thick inferior microfibre upper that is on the soft side. Alas, there is no Nikeskin or ACC used in the construction of the Hypervenom Phatal II DF, so while you get that Dynamic Fit Collar, it will not feel the same as putting on the Phantom II as you do not have the more flexible Flyknit collar.

Besides that, the soleplate and stud configuration of the Phatal II is the same as the Phantom and Phinish models. Nike do offer a standard low-cut Phatal II that has the same features as the Phatal II DF minus the Dynamic Fit Collar for $130, making it a much more affordable option. The Phatal II DF is good for those of you who want to try the midcut range of Nike boots, but do not expect it to give the same ride as the standard Nike Dynamic Fit Collar boots.