Nike Phantom Venom Academy
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Nike Phantom Venom Academy
Nike Phantom Venom Academy
Nike Phantom Venom Academy
The Nike Phantom Venom Academy is a take-down model of the take-down model of the Nike Phantom Venom Elite. You have the Nike Phantom Venom Elite, the Nike Phantom Venom Pro, and then you have this guy.
The Nike Phantom Venom Academy. This is the cheapest cleat in the pack, and you can tell right away when you take it out of the box.
Last week I reviewed the Nike Phantom Venom Elite. One of the things I loved about it was the fact that it was extremely light weight.
The Nike Phantom Venom Academy is the opposite of that. The first thing I noticed after taking the shoes out of the box was the weight.
It feels a little heavy. Not too heavy, but definitely heavier than the one I reviewed last week which was the elite, and that's understandable because of its price, and because the Venom Academy is a take-down model as I said earlier.
The second thing I noticed was that the Nike Phantom Venom Academy looks and feel cheap, and that is because it is a very cheap and affordable cleat. So, in that regards, you cannot really complain about the look and feel of it.
The way it looks, and feel is a perfect reflection of its price, so with that being said, let's break down the cleat from top to bottom
Upper of The Nike Phantom Venom Academy
Nike Phantom Venom Academy
Nike Phantom Venom Academy
Nike Phantom Venom Academy
The colorway of the cleat is straightforward. It’s all black, and I'm a big fan of all black cleats, so that's the biggest plus for me on this cleat.
There’s also an accent of a goldish color here and there. The Nike logo, Phantom, and Nike skin callout are all in gold. The tip of the studs are all in some sort of goldish color as well.
The upper of the cleats is a mesh upper with a Nike skin overlay. The first thing that normally comes to mind when someone say “Nike Skin” is high-end product, but in this case that’s not what it is. The Nike skin on the Phantom Venom Academy is a bit different.
It’s just a mesh upper with a modest version of the Nike Skin overlay on top of it. So, it’s a cheaper version of the Nike skin, and you can tell as soon as you take it out of the box.
The upper of the cleats doesn't feel that bad. When you feel it or push it down, it has a nice push back to it for a mesh upper. And it feels good or maybe I should say OK on feet once you get pass the struggle of putting it on.
Another thing I notice is that a lot of the features on the cleat looks more like a prop rather than something that can actually help you play better. The toe area of the cleats has a honeycomb look to it similar to the elite and pro version of the Nike Phantom Venom.
However, it doesn’t look or feel the same. It looks very vivid and defined on the Elite and Pro, but it's barely noticeable on the Academy. It almost feels and look like a prop that’s just there to be there. It's not really there to do anything at all.
That Same look and feel applies to the strike fin on the strike zone of the cleat. The fins are barely noticeable. It almost seems as if it was just painted on the cleat.
Insole/Comfort of The Nike Phantom Venom Academy
Nike Phantom Venom Academy
Nike Phantom Venom Academy
The lacing area is another place where you really get to notice the price cut. The material that covered the lace halfway is not stretchable at all, the tongue is also made with the same material.
That gave me a lot of problems when trying on the cleats. It was a pain to put on. The whole thing is so stiff, and you really have to fight with it just to get your feet in there.
It also felt very tight after I put it on. I’m talking really tight. You will definitely need to go half a size up if this is going to be your go-to cleats. Which I do not advise.
There is no Flywire system on the Nike Phantom Venom Academy. However, the lacing system on it tries to give you something similar.
Nike tried to setup the lacing system, so it mimics the look and feel of the real Flywire system. it's basically the bootlegged version of the Flywire system, and it’s not bad at all for the price.
Outsole of The Nike Phantom Venom Academy
Nike Phantom Venom Academy
Nike Phantom Venom Academy
Nike Phantom Venom Academy
Nike Phantom Venom Academy
The TPU outsole of the Phantom Venom Academy is very stiff. Especialy in the middle of the cleat. The forefront is not too stiff, but the cleat as a whole is very stiff.
The placement of the studs are exactly the same as that on the elite. However, that’s where the similarities stop. The outsole on the Academy is not hyper-reactive. All you get is a stiff TPU outsole, and for the prize, there is not much complaining to do.
Final Thoughts
Now the question is, what is the verdict? Is this a cleat that you should get? It is an affordable cleat, and affordable is an understatement when it comes to the Venom Academy. They are very cheap That's why I'm going to go out on a limb here and say yes…Maybe.
This cleat is far from being the best. as a matter of fact, I do not advise any serious soccer player to have it in their arsenal. BUT, it will make a great budget cleat, and I only say that because the prize justifies that. It is a perfect cleat for casual play, and that's where it should begin and end.
If you’re on a budget I think your best option will be the Nike Phantom Venom Pro. It’s at a good price and it give you some of the bells and whistles of the Nike Phantom Venom elite.
The Venom Academy It's not a thumbs up, but It's not a complete thumbs down either. It's not my favorite cleat that’s for sure. It's okay, I'm going to go with that. It's an okay cleat for someone that just wants to go out there and play.
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