The last time-jump to complete the inspiration of the Future DNA pack is 2011 and it was in this year that Nike gave the football world the Tiempo Legend IV Elite. The Legend IV elite debuted with an upper made of black premium K leather with curved and criss-cross stitching for texture and Flywires in the midfoot and arch for support. The Swoosh on the lateral was white while the tongue in the central lacing zone and the slanted strap-like materials stitched at the back of the heel were orange. The outsole had a chequered pattern where the carbon fibre plate sat on.
The Future DNA Tiempo Legend VIII mirrors the Legend IV Elite’s launch colourway as well as the leather upper. Colour-wise, the Tiempo Legend VIII is also black in its multi diamond textured premium K leather that makes up the forefoot, the top half of the lateral, and all of the medial. The Swoosh on the lateral are white and the tongue plus central lacing area is orange. The strap-like design at the back of the heel is also orange.
Touching a little bit more on the structure of the Tiempo Legend 8, the reinforcement is mainly coming from the Quad fit mesh technology and a little bit from Flyknit that makes up the lacing zone. The reinforcement is completed by the black synthetic material that composes the quarter and heel area where the orange Tiempo branding is located. The layering of the leather, Quadfit and Flyknit is not glued, therefore providing out-of-the-box softness and comfort.
Tech-wise, the quilted diamond pattern prevents the accumulation of water and mud on the upper. It also avoids the perforations stitching like the one found in Tiempo Legend IV would cause. A Flyknit tunnel around the midfoot hugs the arch of the foot to make players feel more secure and offer a supportive fit. The Quadfit mesh that covers the forefoot and the sides of the foot complements the Flyknit tunnel and collar by providing a bit of a stretch to accommodate most foot types and restriction during motions for a gentle lockdown. It also prevents the leather upper from overstretching.
The lockdown is also customizable thanks to the central lacing system. The lightweight hyperstability soleplate has four studs on the heel (two chevrons at the back and two blades at the front) and nine on the forefoot. The forefoot stud configuration features one chevron and one blade positioned side-by-side at the tip, while the rest of the forefoot has six conical studs by the edges (three on each side). Right in the middle of the conical studs is a single chevron stud. Such stud combination allows the plate to get both significant traction bite as well as smooth foot pivots.
