Nike combines the Flyknit Ultra and the Hypervenom III in its latest Special Edition Phantom Ultra Venom. What you get in this boot is the actual Flyknit upper construction of the Vapor Ultra, which utilised the material as the base and sandwiched it with a synthetic liner and a Nikeskin overlay. The ‘Speed Ribs’ texturing gives way for the 2mm Poron foam pods of the said Hypervenoms. And with the inclusion of the Hyperreactive outsole of Nike’s former control/power boot, the mashup is complete.
Fit is universal, thanks to the width of the last and the form-fitting nature of the upper (significantly assisted by the uncoated elasticated knit on the tongue). The ball touch is quite sharp but adds an extra punch during fast and hard impacts, thanks to the reaction of the foam pods. Agility is the focus of the stud configuration, with the chevrons on the lateral side giving you side-to-side stability and the medial hexagons easing up your twist and turns.
Regarding the colourway, the Phantom Ultra Venom SE has a greater semblance to the launch of the Flyknit Ultra, the black with metallic gold exclusively worn by Eden Hazard back in the day. The only thing with the Ultra Venom is that the secondary colour accent, mainly coming from the outline of the Swoosh and the outsole, is more orangey, especially with the wearable finish of the soleplate. The predominantly black look gives the Nike release a low-key vibe despite getting the best of both worlds from the previous Vapor and Hypervenom boots.
