The Best Phantom, mostly

Nike’s Phantom series has a long and storied history at this point. There have been some massive highs, like the recent Hypervenom Phantom 1 Remake, and terrible lows, like the Hypervenom Phantom 2. The hit rate has been decent enough to the point that there always seems to be a Phantom model that someone loves. With the recent GX series, Nike introduced GripKnit uppers, which has been one of the biggest game changers for the Swoosh in the past five years. The GX1 and GX2 both have their strong points and weak points, but the newest Nike Phantom 6 Low Elite is an evolution on the first model rather than the second. Still, there is some of the second model’s DNA in there. And Nike has taken positive bits from both models and given us what I think is the best Phantom model Nike has made.

Fit and Feel

Like Nike’s other boots with GripKnit, it is immediately the first thing that is noticeable when pulling the Phantom 6 out of the box. The grip is still there, but it feels more refined now. The slightly ribbed texturing across the GripKnit feels nice and very premium. This is probably the thing Nike is best at with their boots, which is making their proprietary tech feel high quality. The stiffer striking area also feels solid and has good placement overall.

It is pleasing to note that the overall shaping of the Phantom 6 is much closer to that of the GX1 rather than the GX2 as I find that the fit of the first GX matches my foot shape better. The GX2 felt overly voluminous and gave me fit issues, whereas the Phantom 6 not only is lower volume, but also has a more rounded toebox than the previous generations. This is a win for me as my foot shape works better with a rounded toebox, and I think it will be the same with other people.

Another thing that is appreciated is the silver band that runs around the part of the boot where the soleplate meets the GripKnit. This is clever for several reasons, the first of which is that it adds to the overall unique look of the boot. But its primary purpose is to make sure that the GripKnit has some protection from wear and tear, which adds to the overall durability.

There are some issues, however. The most glaring of which is obvious when looking at the heel. While the heel itself has good cushioning, from out of the box the back of the heels were flat and looked like a square rather than a rounded shape. Even after several sessions, the right heel still looks flat. What is worse is that this is noticeable while playing in the boots. On the left boot, the heel thankfully became more rounded, but on the right, I am still getting weird pressure on my heels. For a boot that is so premium in other areas, this is absolutely unacceptable. The quality control issues are ever-present with Nike’s boots, and at this point, I would argue that they just do not care. Just a stunning lack of energy from Nike. This along with their continued heel shaping issues just seems like Nike thinks they can continue to get away with lazy product production.

These issues are a shame because the actual lockdown in the heels and the overall lockdown itself are really good. The lacing setup could be deeper, but the way Nike has designed the knit on top of the foot means that it is stretchy through the top of the midfoot but gets tighter towards the ankle. This means that the boots feel nicely locked onto the feet, while still allowing for different foot heights to fit into the boot.

Unfortunately, while the lockdown is very good, Nike still has not fixed the bubbling issue that occurs on the bottom of the lacing system towards the end of the foot. This is part of the disadvantage of using the GX1’s shaping. The part of the lacing system that is covered by the upper has a gap that becomes bigger when I am cinching the laces up. It is not a dealbreaker but is noticeable enough for me to find it annoying.

Going back to something good is the fact that the upper also breaks in quickly, with just over an hour or so until the boots feel ready to go for a match situation. This is partially down to the fact that Nike seems to have made sure to make the GripKnit not overly thick or adding too much to the finishing, which allows the material to break in quicker.

The sizing does differ from previous generations in that the Nike Phantom 6 Low Elite fits truer to size. Whereas I went down half a size down in the previous two generations, the Phantom 6 does not run as long as them so therefore true to size is what I did, and I recommend everyone else do the same.

On The Ball

Of course, this is where the Phantom 6 truly excels. The touch on the ball is excellent, and while the upper is not super thin, I still feel like I get a really close touch on the ball. GripKnit continues to be one of the best materials on the market, and for me the upper on the Phantom 6 is the best execution of GripKnit. It is one of my favourite uppers that Nike has made. The combination of the sticky feel of the upper with the slightly raised ribbing means I feel really confident when playing around with the ball.

If you have never worn GripKnit before, there is still a period of getting used to the upper, but it is not as crazily grippy as previously. The material feels more refined, and Nike seems to have worked hard to make sure that the material continues to impress. I would love to be more skeptical, but GripKnit is just that good of a material.

The orange strike area is waxier and has more grip than the rest of the upper. The fact that this part of the upper is stiffer than the rest means that striking the ball here feels powerful. I personally might have liked this area to go further down the foot as that is the part of the foot I like to use for crossing, but that is me just being super picky.

There is not a super pingy feel when hitting the ball with power, but it is still there, it is very satisfying to put extra spin on the ball. I also really like trying to see how much I make the ball spin in the air whether I am doing a normal curled ball or a trivela. The upper is thin enough to the point that I get immediate feedback when hitting the ball. Again, I love GripKnit.

Which is why it is so annoying that there is that weird gap at the bottom of the lacing system. Sure, I do not always hit the ball with that part of the boot, but when striking a clean volley with the top of my foot, it is obvious that there is a gap there. I know it makes the boot look cleaner, but boots are for performance first and it is just a weird choice to make that design decision.

Dribbling is good, the more uniform structure at the bottom of the foot means that it is consistent. The only surprise I found was trying to get used to GripKnit again. Since the upper is not as grippy as previous generations, this means I find the Phantom 6 easier to dribble in, but I still prefer dribbling in other boots more.

Grip

Nike still has yet to convince me that the Cyclone 360 is anything more than a dangerous gimmick, and because I play a majority of my games on artificial grass, it was an easy choice to get the AG soleplate option. Fortunately, the AG soleplate has good grip even on slightly wet natural surfaces. I do not find myself slipping and this is a great option for people who play on both.

However, the best part of the soleplate is they actually fixed it. My biggest issue with the previous models is that the midfoot was far too flexible in the midfoot. Nike finally listened and made the midfoot stiffer. It feels more solid and just knowing that it is stiffer means it is something that I do not need to worry about when playing. This is because an overly flexible midfoot can cause your feet to torsion weird unless you have very strong feet.

My only complaint is similar to what Boot Wizard has pointed out in his review, which is the flex point for the forefoot needs to be moved slightly forward. It is just a bizarre thing. Not an overly bad thing, but just a bit weird.

Conclusion

It has to be said that I have been far more impressed with the Nike Phantom 6 Low Elite that I thought I would be. The GripKnit is improved and very impressive. The soleplate has been fixed. They actually fixed something. But the heel shaping is a frustrating letdown from a brand that should know better but just does not seem to care. There are a couple of other minor issues but, in spite of this, the Phantom 6 is my favourite Phantom Nike has made in the series. GripKnit is one of the best upper materials on the market. Nike are so close to making one of the best boots on the market, and if they cared a bit more, they could achieve it.

What do you think of the Nike Phantom 6 Low Elite? Please share this with your friends and make sure to follow me on Instagram!

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