Nike Air Zoom Total 90 Review

Overall Rating

Good price (now), pretty robust.

Astro's not as hard-wearing as boots; not great if you don't do colour!

90's are now as ubiquitous as any other boot at any time. This is largely down to superior marketing and a massive market share effort by Nike, flooding the market, saturating supply, and therefore providing a superior brand (at least in terms of desirability) at a low price. Fair play to them pushing the lower end of the market in this way, to counter Adidas and Puma with their Predator/King offerings, which were ludicrously expensive when the boot itself costs a couple of quid to make, or thereabouts.

Not sure Nike can take all the credit though, as some of the supply and price competitiveness is due entirely to the budget sports shops in the UK getting their hands on enough stock to cause a price war.

This has all been going on for a couple of years now, and I'm sure anyone who's tried to buy some boots or astro's in that time recognizes what I'm saying.

As for the product, well despite any reputation sports manufacturers might have, and avoiding any commentary on the ethical labor debate, the 90 range seems to do the job pretty nicely. I have a set of screw in boots, which have lasted a season and a half on England's muddy parks, and which I bought for a song in a discount sports store.

The astro's I have are fine but wear a bit on the upper instep for some reason, but no worse than other brands. I'd say you do get a good product for a very good price now, but of course this is due to the amount of supply, and next year when Nike (or whoever) launch a new range of something else, all the marketing and production money will be in that.

My vote is always to avoid the fads - let's face it a boot is a boot is a boot - stay a year behind the new products, get yourself leather boots for 20 quid, and you can say in most cases you've done well.

Nike don't make better boots than anyone else, I'm sure, but right now their 90's represent great value and are certainly good enough for regular competitive standard. I'm pretty pleased with my 90's. Lamentably, however, they didn't make me a better footballer (though thankfully they didn't make me any worse either).

Tip for boot manufacturers - Black is fine guys, really. When you get to a certain age... black is fine. Thanks!

Members' Comments ondegbert's Review

• Anonymous101 on 26th Jul 2007

  Not quite value for money, but a good quality boot.

• degbert on 26th Jul 2007

  I was lucky as I bought them at their "end of line" sale so got them for about 15 quid. Sure, the list price is not good value for money!

• degbert on 14th Apr 2008

  I would add that the 90's in question finally gave up the will to live on a wet and muddy sunday morning in April 2008, just shy of two years since purchase, having never been cleaned. Not a bad return considering they were a 12 quid bargain buy.