The current soccer market is dominated by synthetic boots. Why? That’s what the younger generation wants, so companies will prioritize that kind of product. With that said, there are still plenty of high-quality leather boots out there, but to be fair, none of them are as exciting, or as popular, as some of the more recent synthetic releases. With the release of the Legend 6, that has changed.
The Tiempo line has been around for a while now, and I think it’s pretty well understood at this point, that if you want a quality leather shoe, the Legend is a safe bet. The Legend 5 was my personal favorite shoe all year long. It offers awesome comfort, a quality leather touch, an effective stud pattern, and a general fit and feel that’s a little more modern than something like a Copa Mundial. With the release of the Legend 6, they’ve maintained all of those elements, but have also improved performance. For the first time in a long time, people seem to be genuinely excited about a leather shoe, and for good reason.
Comfort/Fit
Quite simply, the legend 6 is a very comfortable shoe. There are two brand new elements that Nike has introduced on the Legend 6, that make it different from any other leather shoe that we’ve seen before. The first is the internal support cage, which lies beneath the kangaroo leather upper. This cage works directly with the lacing system and independently in the forefoot and toe area, to hold your foot in place when making quick cuts and changes of direction. To say the least it has a huge impact on the responsiveness of the shoe.
While we’ve seen something like this before from Adidas on their last 11Pro model, unlike that shoe, the support cage on the Legend 6 blends in completely with the leather upper. What I mean by that is that you can’t feel it at all when to shoe is on your foot. Slip them on, tie the laces, and they feel like normal, soft leather shoes. It isn’t until you start moving around that you realize how much more responsive the Legend 6 is in comparison to a standard leather boot. You get the responsiveness that you expect from a modern synthetic boot, along with the comfort and softness that you expect from a traditionally styled leather shoe. The internal support cage is also the reasoning for the minimal stitching that you see on the leather upper.
The second unique element of the Legend 6 is the one-piece construction of the upper. This isn’t new for Nike, but it’s new for the Legend, and kind of unusual for this style of shoe. While I had my doubts, trust me when I say that this is a great feature. The central part of the upper, where the tongue would normally be, is made from a memory foam-like synthetic material that is directly attached along the sides of the leather upper, where it eventually detaches at the top two lace holes. This impacts the fit, in that the Legend 6 has a slightly more snug fit than the average leather boot, which is great. The two-hole lacing system also does its part maintaining the same tightness throughout the entire session. It also prevents the tongue from sliding from side to side, plus it seals the boot up, which helps to keep your feet a little more dry in wet weather.
The kangaroo leather itself is very good quality. In comparison to the Legend 6, it’s equally as soft, and just a touch thinner, but still feels great against your foot. Like any leather shoe, some break-in time is required to allow the leather to soften up further and even stretch a little bit, although I will say that I was never in any kind of discomfort during the break-in process. Also keep in mind that the internal support cage does not seem to restrict the leather upper from stretching, they’ll still give a little after some wear-time. The soleplate is pretty much identical in comparison to the Legend 5, maintaining a really flexible feel, with the only downside being the thickness. Since the soleplate is quite thin, if you play on harder ground, you may run into issues with stud pressure down the line. If you’re playing on decent fields, you shouldn’t have any issues.
The general shape of the Legend 6 hasn’t really changed much either. It’s more snug all around in comparison to the Legend 5, due to the one-piece upper, but after some wear-time, the fit will be pretty similar. This is a shoe, that will be suitable for just about any foot type. Unless you have exceptionally wide feet, these should fit you quite comfortably.
Sizing is also the same as the Legend 5. Instead of my usual size 9US, I went up half a size to a 9.5US for the proper fit. The Tiempo line runs half a size small, so if you’re looking to order a pair, I would recommend going half a size up.
Traction
The soleplate and stud pattern remains the same coming from the previous, which is fine, because it gets the job done. You’ll find conical studs in the forefoot and bladed studs under the heel, offering a good blend of stability as well as outright grip. The conical studs are fairly narrow in profile and decently long as well, so despite the more traditional look, the grip they provide is more than sufficient. The flexibility of the soleplate also helps in allowing you to have as many studs under your foot as possible, no matter which way you twist or turn. It is worth noting that the internal support cage does make a noticeable difference in the responsiveness of the shoe, which is a major plus in comparison to the Legend 5.
The Tiempo line is a great example of a stud pattern that isn’t particularly fancy, but at the end of the day, it gets the job done.
Touch
Despite all of the unique elements featured on the Legend 6, if you’ve worn high-end leather shoes before, these will be pretty similar. As I mentioned earlier, the quality of the leather is great. The kangaroo leather spans nearly the entire upper, aside from the heel and tongue areas. In comparison to the Legend 5, the quality is about the same, still very good, and is also a touch thinner, but still padded enough to provide the soft leather touch that you would want from this style of shoe.
What I liked about the touch of the Legend 6 is the consistency, which is also something I really liked about the Legend 5. What makes the 6 different is the one-piece upper. While the tongue area isn’t actually leather, the synthetic material they used is the same thickness, and since it’s one-piece, there aren’t any overlapping materials. That aspect of the shoe, along with the fact that they fit a little more snug than the average shoe in this category, you’ll find that they provide what I would describe as a very “Pure” leather experience. Not too thick, not too thin, but nice and soft.
All Condition Control (ACC) is also a feature on the Legend 6, as you’ll find with all top-end models from Nike. It’s supposed to act as a wet control element on the upper, but it’s debatable as to whether or not it has any significant impact on performance at all. It’s there, although it is invisible, so there’s to really criticize about it, but I wouldn’t say that it’s a stand out feature on any Nike model.
Shooting
When it comes to shooting the ball, the Legend 6 is about what you’d expect. It’s a fairly plain leather upper, with no extra grip, and with a slightly padded sensation. There’s nothing about it that makes the shooting experience better or worse than pretty much any leather shoe out there. If you like the feel of wearing leather shoes, you know what to expect and won’t disappointed with the shooting experience.
Protection
While the Legend 6 is on the thinner side for a leather boot, they still offer more protection than most synthetic shoes out there. Beyond the padded leather upper, the shoe features an internal plastic heel, that keeps the back of the shoe nice and solid. It certainly isn’t the most protective shoe out there, but in comparison to most other high-end models, it’s above average as far as protection goes.
Durability
Throughout my testing of the Legend 6, I didn’t comes across any issues in regards to durability. The shoes held up fine, with nothing jumping out at me as a cause for concern.
Please keep in mind that the Legend 6 features a natural leather upper, so some maintenance is required in order to keep the upper in optimal condition. Also, when buying any shoe, make sure that you purchase the correct stud pattern for the playing surface that you will be using them on. Using a stud pattern on a surface it was not designed for, will lead to premature issues in regards to durability, amongst other things.
The Verdict
Regular SR4U followers are probably already aware that I’m a big fan of the Tiempo line. The Legend 5 was my personal favorite for an entire year, and the Legend 6 has now taken its place. As good as the Legend 5 was, the Legend 6 is that much better in my opinion.
The Legend 6 is quite simply the most modern kangaroo leather soccer cleat ever. It offers that classic feel that you would want from any leather shoe, but with a more modern fit and a level of responsiveness that you wouldn’t expect based on how the shoes feel on your feet. If you’re on the market for a pair of leather soccer cleats, take a good look at the Legend 6, because it is a very solid option.
