The rebirth of a legend: Nike breathes new life into the Tiempo to rival adidas' Predator revival

Anyone who started following football in the 2010s or later won't even remember the days when the Tiempo was synonymous with the world's finest creative players - most notably Ronaldinho, with the king of flair wearing various iterations of the boot throughout his storied career, including his own signature version.

But while the Brazilian icon became the face of the silo, in the noughties there was a host of big-name classy operators who wore the boot while at the peaks of their respective powers, including Andrea Pirlo, Francesco Totti, Cesc Fabregas and Sergio Aguero.

Others began their careers wearing the ever-reliable Tiempo before changing it up - including the GOAT; you might associate Lionel Messi with adidas given he's been an ambassador for the German sportswear giants for almost two decades, but when he started out at Barcelona he had Tiempos on his feet - even scoring his first-ever goal for the club wearing the iconic black and white Nike Air Tiempo Legends in 2005, with the assist coming from that man Ronaldinho.

Shop the Tiempo collection at NikeBuy now

However, Ronaldinho's decline in the late noughties, the continued modernisation of the Nike Mercurial and the introduction of new silos like the Hypervenom and Phantom saw the Tiempo's significance fade. It was a period where boot designers were far more focused on developing lightweight designs that prioritised speed and 'precision' boots for attacking players.

Cristiano Ronaldo had taken over as the face of the brand and was synonymous with Mercurials, while Neymar took on the mantle of being the main ambassador for the Hypervenom, which was eventually replaced by the Phantom. The Tiempo, meanwhile, was left behind.

There is an argument that Nike as a whole have been struggling for relevance in the football sphere over the last few years, as they struggle to keep up with adidas' relentlessness in terms of marketing campaigns.

The Three Stripes' Predator relaunch has been prolific, with a seemingly limitless number of iconic designs to call upon for a reboot alongside a slick promotional video featuring the likes of Jude Bellingham, David Beckham or Zinedine Zidane.

While they may not be openly trying to compete, Nike haven't really offered much of a response, other than the revival of Total90 as a streetwear silo in 2025 - something they could have gone much bigger on. There is little doubt that they have been losing out in the nostalgia wars.

Shop the football boot collection at adidasBuy now

With 2026 upon us, Nike have finally delivered an on-pitch response to adidas' recent dominance, as they propel the Tiempo into the modern era with a revamped design that should appeal to the best ballers around.

The Tiempo Maestro will drop later in January, bringing the most striking update to the silo's design to date. Featuring a clean, ribbed design, this is an obvious departure from the familiar, utilitarian Tiempo silhouette. An integrated knit collar completes the design, which should provide a glove-like fit.

The metallic red bronze launch colourway is sure to go down very well with those who are partial to a bit of flair, too. This is different to anything that has come before and could be a game-changer for Nike.

Shop the Tiempo collection at NikeBuy now

Nike says it has "designed its new Tiempo Maestro to help creative attackers stay one step ahead", with the use of 'Techleather' a key feature. The "buttery-soft" upper material wraps around the foot - enabled by a splite soleplate - with the aim of delivering close touch and control without compromising on the performance of natural leather.

"Athletes asked for everything they love about natural leather - the fit, the touch, the confidence - without holding performance back", says Marian Dougherty, Nike's VP of global football footwear. "With Techleather, we delivered exactly that and more: a material that respects Tiempo's heritage while redefining what the leather boot of the future can achieve."

Among those looking forward to lacing up in the new boot is Jamal Musiala, the most prominent attacking Tiempo athlete since switching to them in 2023 and the modern face of the silo. "Maestro is the perfect balance between the modern, light boots and iconic, premium leather - with a bit more flair," he said of the new-look design.

Interestingly, it seems Nike are keen for the Maestro rollout to reach beyond their current roster of Tiempo athletes, with the aim potentially to bring the iconic silhouette back into the mainstream among modern creative players.

While fit-again Musiala has been spotted testing a white-out prototype of the boot in Bayern training recently, so have the likes of Man City's Phil Foden, Chelsea star Enzo Fernandez and Real Madrid talent Arda Guler - all of whom usually wear either Phantoms or Mercurials. Chelsea wonderkid Estevao has also worn the new version in training ahead of its release, having already been chosen to wear a special edition signature Ronaldinho Tiempo back in December.

Could we be about to see some of Nike's most creative wearers ditching their current boots and moving over to the Tiempo in what would be a throwback to the silo's noughties prime? Only time will tell, but it's clear the American sportswear giant is determined to arrest its slide into obscurity and make one of their most iconic and storied boots relevant again 20 years on.

The new Nike Tiempo Maestro will be available globally from January 22 at Nike.com and at select retail locations.

Shop the Tiempo collection at NikeBuy now