THE BEST $80 BOOTS EVER - NIKE PHANTOM VISION ACADEMY - REVIEW + ON FEET

The Phantom Vision Academy is not a school for ghosts .

It's these , what's going on guys , Josh from soccer reviews for you dot com .

Bringing you my review plus on the video of the brand new Nike Phantom Vision Academy in the raised on concrete color way .

This guy retails for $80 us and is the second takedown model in the new Phantom Vision lineup .

Putting it at the same price point as pretty much all the other academ options from Nike's other three lines .

How do these stack up ?

Are they the best ones ?

Are they the worst ones ?

Are they worth $80 in the first place ?

All of those questions and more including how they fit and feel on feet are going to be answered for you in today's video .

So if you want to learn more about them , please stick around and watch the entire video .

And if you're interested in a pair of these for yourself , I'll leave a little pop up on screen or you can click the first link down below .

That will take you to the review page on my website where you'll find buy it .

Now , links with exclusive S R for you coupon codes .

We'll be able to pick these up below their normal $80 retail price in all the currently available color ways .

If you guys do end up enjoying the video , don't forget to support it with a like and if you're new here watching for the first time , don't forget to hit that subscribe button along with the little bell notification for daily videos on all the latest and greatest soccer gear included with the boots is this orange Nike box , not this box , a different box that looks like this box but not necessarily this exact box because this is my box .

So for those that aren't familiar with the Phantom vision line up at the very top , you have the $275 Elite model .

Then you have the first takedown , which is the Phantom Vision Pro retailing for 150 bucks .

It doesn't have the Quad Fit system and instead features a Nike skin upper with some elements that are similar to the Elite .

Then you have the Academy which only retails for $80 significantly less than the models above it .

And while it does have a lace cover , while it technically has a ghost lacing system is a regular lacing system covered up by a lace cover .

It has the unnecessary mid cut collar and it has the obnoxious triangle on the medial side with some micro texturing .

Everything else is completely different whether you're comparing these to the elites or the pros .

So if you're expecting to buy the Academy , hoping that it will feel something like what you get from that $275 elite model , sorry , disappoint .

But they just aren't the same , but that's not to say that they're bad because they're not , they're actually pretty good .

Here's why .

So starting off with the upper the Phantom vision academy maintains the two layer system that you'll find across the entire Phantom vision line where you have your external layer and your internal layer .

But of course , unlike the elite variation , which features a quad fit system , the brand would normally be right here .

This does not have a quad fit system .

Although the construction does seem to be quite similar , it's just made out of totally different materials , which does actually make for a bigger difference than you might expect .

So internally the shoe looks like this .

This is a picture of the internal construction of that quad fit system on the Phantom Vision elite .

Basically what's happening on the inside of the shoe is very similar , but like I said , it's made from different materials on the Academy tier variation , you can see the material on the sides is white as opposed to silver .

And it's more of like a structured nylon lining material that you would typically find lining a cheaper takedown model boot something at the $80 price point .

But because it's kind of a stand alone element that's separate from this external layer .

It feels a lot softer and more flexible than we'd be used to seeing .

Typically when they kind of add that as a liner to a cheaper synthetic , it ends up making the synthetic feel very rigid and plasticky and just not very premium on its own though .

It feels really good .

And if anything and this is kind of a weird thing to say , the Academy internal system actually feels more structured and more secure on your feet than what you'll find from the pro in the Phantom vision line up where its internal structure is more of a mesh that just doesn't feel quite as solid to me .

Now , also through the middle , just like what you'll find on the pro and elite models as well , you do have the ghost lacing system which basically has three lace loops going down the left and right side to attach the laces to the top of your foot .

And that internal system tie the laces tight .

And it adds a lot of structure to that internal area of the upper that basically locks your foot in place and makes for a more responsive feel that I think you might expect it's not nearly as good as what you'll find from the quad fit system in the elite model , but honestly , they feel quite good , unlike any other takedown model you'll find at this particular price point .

So it definitely gets some points for just being very unique , but in a positive way .

Now , externally , the parts that you can see definitely kind of interesting in that you have a mostly synthetic upper .

It's an unspecified synthetic meaning that they haven't given it an official name in the text back .

It just says that it's synthetic , but it's very thin , it's very flexible and it feels remarkably premium honestly .

If they were to put this on the pro variation at the 100 $50 price point , I wouldn't be mad about it .

And you can see up close , it does have a little bit of kind of this honey comb texturing to the surface .

But for the most part , it feels relatively smooth .

So it doesn't have the same heavy texturing that you'll find again on that elite variation with its flying it upper with that added texturing .

But you do have the obnoxious triangle here in the mid foot area that does have that texturing that doesn't feel quite as grippy as what you'll find on the two models above it .

They almost have a little bit of a rubbery sensation .

This isn't quite there , but it still will offer a noticeable amount of extra grip on the ball in this particular area versus the rest of the foot .

Then of course , you have the lace cover which is exposed , neoprene material has a little bit of stretch to it .

I personally think that this material looks kind of cheap .

They also do maintain the ghost laces branding and basically all that means is that the laces are hidden .

That's why they call it ghost laces .

The only reason why they're hidden is because of the lace cover .

There's really nothing particularly special about the lacing system itself , although it does get the job done .

And I think it's very important to the overall performance lockdown and comfort of the boots themselves .

But as far as upper go , it's nothing particularly fancy and why you will see this on feet a little bit later .

I think it's a little bit bulky on your feet as well .

But in regards to touch , in regards to fit , in regards to just not feeling cheap , honestly , they're pretty good moving on to the rear .

The Academy variation of the Phantom vision does maintain the mid cut design .

But as you can see by this collar , when you tuck it in the shoe , basically was designed as a low first , but they added the collar because that's something that's very popular right now for Nike .

So I understand why they did it .

There's really no reason for it to be here and it's made from a much cheaper sock material than what you'll find from the fly net on the pro and elite variations .

It's slightly thicker as well , but it's still soft , it's still flexible and it's really kind of a loose fitting .

So it's not something that you notice at all while you're playing in the boots , no structure , no ankle support .

It's there simply for the sake of looks and it does extend across the top of the foot basically through the middle of that internal system where the laces are just to provide that little bit of padding across the top of the foot .

So the laces aren't digging in in an uncomfortable way .

The heel area does feature an internal plastic heel counter , which is pretty standard across the entire line and then internally the lining material is a padded me material , which I do find to be kind of cheap .

You also have it on the Pro model , but it is pretty comfortable out of the box , no issues with slippage .

So there isn't really much to complain about .

The insoles are fully removable and quite basic .

It features a mesh lining on top and it's made from a single layer of this gray foam .

The fact that it's removable though and not fully glued in is definitely a positive at this price point , which brings us to the base of the boots , the sole plate and stud pattern , the sole plate for the most part being identical to what you'll find on the pro and the elite didn't find that there was too much of a difference between the two slightly different plastics .

I guess this compares more closely to the Pro than it does the Elite .

But for the most part , it's a pretty standard plastic soul plate , really good flexibility doesn't have that awkward stiffness that often we can find at these lower price points um with takedown models .

So that's definitely a positive .

And then there's the stud pattern , something that is exclusive to the Academy tier , not just within the fans and vision line , but really across the board from Nike .

And that is a multi ground stud pattern .

Basically , this is F G A G something that I wish they would give us on the higher end variations , but they don't for whatever reason .

So it's the same basic layout that you'll find with the firm ground variation of the Phantom vision in the elite or pro tier .

But you can see instead of mostly bladed studs , you're going to find mostly conical studs with a little core hollowed out the middle for the sake of basically providing good traction on artificial grasp .

But without being too clingy , wouldn't really recommend wearing the firm ground version of this boot on natural grass .

But with the academy variation , you can't actually buy a straight up firm ground or a straight up A G variation because they only make it in multi ground like I have right here .

You can even see the multi ground branding right there at the heel .

Speaking of the heel , two bladed studs at the base , two conic studs at the very back and then again , conical studs kind of around the edges , the same support bladed stud , that's kind of this three sided shape that you also find in the textured area in the middle .

And then they do maintain that kind of trio of bladed studs at the tip of the toe giving you an aggressiveness when pushing off plenty of bite .

Honestly , it's still a relatively aggressive stud pattern , more so than what we had from the maja line that this technically replaces .

Um And overall , it's a good stud pattern , especially if you play on firm natural grass and artificial grass playing surfaces .

But you only want to buy one pair of boots , really solid stud pattern .

And then there's the weight and this is something that honestly , I didn't know what to expect considering that these are so different from the elite and pros in regards to materials used .

But to my surprise , they're actually quite light in a size 9.5 us .

The Phantom Vision Academy weighs in at about 7.9 ounces , which is only about half an ounce off of the top end elite variation , not an overly significant amount of weight and about half an ounce a little bit more than that lighter than the Phantom Vision Pro , which retails for $150 far as weight goes .

Well , I don't think too many people will look at this and kind of assume that it's going to be a super lightweight speed boot .

They're actually relatively light right around the eight ounce mark .

They're not exceptionally light , but again , for 80 bucks , you can only expect so much .

So I really have no issues with how much these weigh .

So , because there's a lace cover , you don't really have easy access to the laces putting these on can be a little bit trickier than some of the other mid cut shoes from Nike .

But it's honestly not too bad .

What I like to do is just loosen up the top lacing position because that's really all you have access to when you move the top part of the lace cover .

And then make sure the two ends of the laces are sticking out .

If they're in , once your foot's in there , you're not going to have enough space to dig them out , or at least it will be more difficult than it needs to be .

So , make sure the two ends are out , use both hands basically grab the front and back of the collar , stretch it out , slide your foot in sideways and then just make sure you're using your back thumb to support the heel area .

So you're not crushing it as you're sticking your foot in because if you crush it , you can bend it and then it's just going to be uncomfortable long term for you because it is plastic and then just slide your foot in like that kind of adjust the collar around the edges and then with the two ends sticking out , pull them and that does a pretty good job of tightening the entire lacing system all the way down .

Then from there , it's just a matter of tightening the laces and leaving them over top or underneath the lace cover .

I personally leave them underneath .

So on feet , the Phantom Vision Academy actually feels really nice out of the box .

Like I mentioned that internal , what I'm calling a quad fit system that technically isn't a quad fit system because it's not the right material feels more so on the academy than it does on the pro variation of the shoe gives you nice structure .

And honestly , your foot feels very secure in general .

They don't feel sloppy whatsoever .

And then the synthetic on top that you definitely notice through the four ft and toe box area , it's thin , it's flexible , it has no plastic sensation to it whatsoever and honestly feels remarkably premium for synthetic material at this particular price point .

I actually really like them as far as other kind of elements that do kind of , I guess , hint at the fact that this is a cheaper shoe when you bend your foot because the materials are less premium overall .

It kind of adds some pretty ugly folds across the top of the foot , which don't look great .

But honestly , you don't notice them at all when you're playing in the shoes .

Something worth noting though .

And I'm sure some of you guys will pick up on this in the video as well .

As far as other things are concerned when you put them on , sometimes that flaps down and you got to fold it back up otherwise it will stay down .

And that was bothering a lot of people in the comments up until this point .

But overall they feel quite nice of the box to fit in the heel despite being a mid cut , feels like a standard low cut shoes .

So there's nothing really abnormal about the fit in that area of the foot , which is very , very good with wise , I would say that they have some decent width to them , not overly narrow by any means at all .

As long as you don't have super wide feet , these will fit you quite nicely and the overall shape is a low enough volume to wear .

Again , they do have a fairly premium fit to them , not sloppy in any way at all .

And as far as sizing is concerned , I'm wearing these in a size 9.5 us , my feet are about a nine and a quarter and the length is pretty much perfect .

So if you are looking to order a pair for yourself , I would strongly recommend going through to size in order to achieve the best possible fit .

So in conclusion , is this worth the $80 retail price is the Nike Phantom Vision Academy .

So , so in conclusion , is the Nike Phantom Vision Academy worth the $80 retail price and in some ways I think it is actually , especially if you're comparing it to the other mid cut take down models at this price point from Nike themselves , the Super Fly Six Academy , as well as the hypervenom Phantom 3d F Academy .

I think that those are exceptionally cheap as far as takedown models that are mid cut go based on the way they look based on the way they fit in the heel area .

I think if you want a lower and take down model from Nike with the mid cut design , this is the one to have , it fits the best .

It looks the most premium .

I think it uses the most premium materials as well .

And I think if you going for a synthetic take down model in general at this price point , this is legitimately one of the best options available .

I still think that the hypervenom fell in three .

Now , the hypervenom Phantom three academy low is still a really solid option as well .

But if you're looking for something different with the lace cover , this is like I said , not a bad option at all , but with that said , always consider your options when it comes to buying boots on a budget .

If you have $80 to spend , it's typically not the best value to simply just go and buy the latest takedown model at full retail because you can often find an older model or an older color way that's higher end at that $80 price point , perhaps even less .

That's where your best value for money is going to be .

Not necessarily just buying the latest and greatest take down at full retail price .

So just keep that in mind anyways guys , that is it for my review .

Hopefully you enjoyed if you did be sure to support it with a like again , if you're interested in a pair of these for yourself , you can click the first link down below .

That will take you to the review page on my website where you'll find buy it .

Now , links with exclusive S R for you coupon codes .

We'll be able to pick these up below their normal $80 retail price if you have any questions at all , leave them down below in the comments and I'll do my best to get an answer out to you as soon as I possibly can subscribe if you haven't already for daily videos on all the latest and greatest soccer gear .

You can find all my social media information , the link down below in the description as well .

Other than that guys hope you enjoyed the video and as always , thanks for watching .