Nike LeBron 9 P.S. Elite - Mens - Black/Metallic Gold

The materials on the shoe are aesthetically pleasing and they do offer a few upgrades over the LeBron 9. The carbon fiber wing looks nice, but I didn't feel like it offered a "next level" quality of support. That being said, it wasn't a negative either, the shoe is supportive for having a low cut (those side flaps with the vents aren't really restrictive at all). I liked the Pro Combat inner bootie, it fit snug around my foot and helped with containment. The pull tabs were also nice for achieving that great lockdown. The toe box isn't as stiff as the LeBron 9, so my toes were more comfortable by comparison. One thing to note, the gold paint on the swooshes chipped off rather quickly (~50% of paint on one lateral swoosh came off after ~6 games). The forefoot zoom air is nice and responsive, pretty much what you're used to with zoom air. I can't really comment on the heel air bag, because I don't feel that I land on my heels too hard. The traction was solid, didn't have any slippage problems on semi-dusty indoor court. It's not the best traction, but still good enough.

This is a nice, quality shoe that is viable for a wide range of players/play styles. There were a lot of things I liked about the shoe (cushioning, lockdown, materials), but it's not my "go to" and I have other shoes that better fit my play style. I'm a pretty small guard (5'7" 150) and these didn't have the type of flexibility that I like in the forefoot. They were actually a bit more flexible than I thought they were going to be and they broke in a bit after a few wears. This probably isn't an issue for bigger players or guys that put a lot more force on the forefoot. I did really like this shoe, but it just wasn't a great choice for me.