Nike Mercurial Vapor IV vs Talaria IV

With the Nike Mercurial Vapor IV priced over the $200 mark, and being ever increasingly difficult to find purchase after the Christmas rush, we though it would be a good idea to take a look at more available, and reasonably priced Nike Talaria IV.

So what are the major differences? Well, first of all the Talaria is alot more affordable at less than $100. But is the quality of the Talaria worth $100? Our verdict is yes. The Talaria is made of a Lightweight Teijin KNG-75 synthetic leather, allowing for excellent ball feel. The Vapor is made of supple Teijin synthetic leather, which helps the Vapor contour to your foot better than the Talaria. The Vapor is also slighly lighter, but only slightly at 9oz compared to the Talaria at 9.6oz. Even at 9.6oz, the Talaria is lighter than cleats like the Adidas Predator.

Lets look at the difference in style. The Vapor has the advantage of a covered lace system that increases ball contact area. The Talaria has a central lacing system. The stud design on the bottom of the cleat is very similar, only that the color design varies between styles. The other appearance difference is the Nike swoosh. On the Vapor, the Swoosh goes from across the front of the cleat, to the back of the opposite side, while the Talaria’s swoosh is smaller and runs on one side. Both styles look good. Most cleats released by the bigger companies are released with a cheaper version. Some are worth the money, and some are just a bad immitation. The Nike Talaria is a very good replica version, offering a well designed cleat that is made of top quality material. We give this cleat the ‘Thumbs Up’, and think that it is worth purchasing as an alternative to the much more expensive Vapor!

To get your hands on the last few remaining pair of Mercurial Vapor IV Berry, check out the listings at eBay.