Kobe X Official Thread Elite Series ‘Elite Team’ April 18th, ‘Elevate’ May 15th, ‘Rose Gold’ June 5

[blastercombo]

That video was funny as hell. I like all those reviewers, nightwing, foamer, kustoo, kickgenius- for what they are. I like to hear their impressions of shoes, their favorites, what they like and dislike, , their breakdowns of a shoe and its tech, and compare that to my needs in a ball shoe and my experiences and make informed decisions. Kind of like asking your friends what they like, but buying what you want or need anyway, taking why they say with a grain of salt.

On a sidenote, as garbage as some of their games were in that vid, bet they are still better than half of NT. Hell I don't think half of NT has ever played ball competitively, they just walk around the mall in their sister's pants and some retro Jordans on the weekend.

Oh absolutely. Most of these NT people review their shoes for mall use.

"Great when standing still for an hour and mean mugging"

"Good for pretending you're On your phone"

"Perfect traction for walking around the food court"

"Comfortable for duck walking"

"Great for impressing guys"

 

[super t1ght]

They

Oh absolutely. Most of these NT people review their shoes for mall use.

"Great when standing still for an hour and mean mugging"

"Good for pretending you're On your phone"

"Perfect traction for walking around the food court"

"Comfortable for duck walking"

"Great for impressing guys"

I agree

that KG Jordan 29 video was pretty damb funny. I don't keep up with shoe reviewers but I like KG and Foamer. The only other one I seen is Nightwing but when I seen him on the court he lost ALL credibility to me. I like Foamer cuz we play similar and he's a big dude plus he's hilarious. As far as i'm concerned Nightwing can never do another review. although if he's made it his full time gig and he's caking, more power to him.

 

[bowb4me]

Collector bashing on a sneaker collecting website. Smh I've seen it all. Ha ha ha

What's worse. Them or the "basketball" players who want tech info to go to the gym or court to play pickup games with the locals? Maybe get a game of 33, half court or 1on1 in. Dudes be faking. What school do y'all hoop at? What's your draft prospects?

 

[amf2001]

You guys are making me laugh. I like the different texture on the All-star shoe but the colors just seem random on the shoe, as the bright sole does not show up in any part of the upper. Plus that video for the xx9 makes me think I don't suck that bad at ball. It looked like some old school and1 no defense style ball. Put your hands up, close out on the jump shooters, move the ball and run up and down the court please.

 

[ootherocoo]

 

That video was funny as hell. I like all those reviewers, nightwing, foamer, kustoo, kickgenius- for what they are. I like to hear their impressions of shoes, their favorites, what they like and dislike, , their breakdowns of a shoe and its tech, and compare that to my needs in a ball shoe and my experiences and make informed decisions. Kind of like asking your friends what they like, but buying what you want or need anyway, taking why they say with a grain of salt.

On a sidenote, as garbage as some of their games were in that vid, bet they are still better than half of NT. Hell I don't think half of NT has ever played ball competitively, they just walk around the mall in their sister's pants and some retro Jordans on the weekend.

Oh absolutely. Most of these NT people review their shoes for mall use.

"Great when standing still for an hour and mean mugging"

"Good for pretending you're On your phone"

"Perfect traction for walking around the food court"

"Comfortable for duck walking"

"Great for impressing guys"

 

[][v][aximus]

They

I agree

that KG Jordan 29 video was pretty damb funny. I don't keep up with shoe reviewers but I like KG and Foamer. The only other one I seen is Nightwing but when I seen him on the court he lost ALL credibility to me. I like Foamer cuz we play similar and he's a big dude plus he's hilarious. As far as i'm concerned Nightwing can never do another review. although if he's made it his full time gig and he's caking, more power to him.

Nightwing seems like a nice dude, but like you said.. watching him on the court kinda took the credibility away from his performance tests. Kickgenius and Foamer Simpson hold it down when I need a good performance review.

 

[ap27]

Kickgenius are the best reviewers right now by far

They aren't shill reviewers like the rest of them

I think they're honest and try to do a good job, but watching their videos is a huge waste of time. If you had to dissect their 10 minute video and write everything down that they said you would extract little to no valuable information. They just say something is "good" or "not that good" and dont describe in any detail why. I do think a lot of these reviewers do have tons of biases, and those 2 don't seem to be as bad about that.

The only info I try to get out of reviewers these days is size/fit. It's also incredibly arbitrary how some of these sites put up #s for ratings. If you go to a running website they actually have a quantitative value for how much the forefoot or heel compresses given a load of force to describe the cushioning. Bball sneaker reviewers just give everything an 8 or give it a 9/10 if it says there's zoom. I stopped trusting reviews after reading all these positive things about the KD IV, which has pretty much no cushioning at all.

 

[rfx45]

I disagree, I feel KickGenius actually talks plenty about the tech and details, maybe not as deeply as Nightwing but they definitely talk about the tech and why they do or don't like it. Just watch the UA Curry 1 vid posted before and how they spoke about the new cushion and the new upper that didn't really work too well. And on the XX9 performance review below, they digged pretty deep on the improvements from the XX8s and stability and how the cushions differs in feeling and how the woven uppers are.









They are also the only ones I've seen try to breakdown shoes by science to try and disprove something as simply a marketing ploy, now I am no expert so I can't say if it is pure BS but it does makes sense how they explain it.













With that said, you could fast forward the first few minutes to skip when they are warming up, doing drills and everything but I actually do not mind watching those.

 

[sk33termcg33]

Collector bashing on a sneaker collecting website. Smh I've seen it all. Ha ha ha

What's worse. Them or the "basketball" players who want tech info to go to the gym or court to play pickup games with the locals? Maybe get a game of 33, half court or 1on1 in. Dudes be faking. What school do y'all hoop at? What's your draft prospects?

I'm not one to judge but at least those who wear them on court are using them for the purpose they were designed for.

Nightwing might be terrible but at least he's not walking around the mall in shoes meant for ball.

Also, don't know about you guys but the gyms we play pickup at have a ton of former D1-D3 dudes, so maybe they aren't draft prospects and I'm not saying I'm great but you get good runs there and playing 4x a week I'd like my feet to not hurt so maybe I'm asking for too much homie but don't sound so defensive lol.

 

[bowb4me]

My point was sneaker collectors don't have anything else but the comfort of everyday task to review a sneaker off. Basketball shoes being worn off the court has been going on for over what? 30 years now.

Shoes and wearing them for their intended purposes is dumb too. Unless you only wear casual shoes day to day and runners only for running. Trainers only for training ect. Who does that?

 

[][v][aximus]

I'm not one to judge but at least those who wear them on court are using them for the purpose they were designed for.

Nightwing might be terrible but at least he's not walking around the mall in shoes meant for ball.

Also, don't know about you guys but the gyms we play pickup at have a ton of former D1-D3 dudes, so maybe they aren't draft prospects and I'm not saying I'm great but you get good runs there and playing 4x a week I'd like my feet to not hurt so maybe I'm asking for too much homie but don't sound so defensive lol.

Sounds like you're judging to me. People have been wearing basketball shoes casually for years now, and there's nothing wrong with that. As long as it's comfortable and it appeals to them aesthetically then I say all the power to them. Heck, I rarely wear bball shoes casually but every once in a while I like to throw on my ZK4's with some joggers when I run errands or go to the movies. It feels good.

 

[Magic33]

The only thing about these reviewers is how they get stuff for their reviews now. So that makes them less impartial IMO. A free trip, meeting Steph...do you think they will give their real opinion or sugar coat it?

Don't want to derail but I kind of prefer KickGenius' reviews better (maybe because they actually ball better?) and I think they kind of have conflicting views on the Curry 1 in comparison to Nightwings. I think the Clutchfit Drive (which looks pretty damn good too) is still the way to go when going for UA bball shoes. And to be fair, Kobe 9 was one of the best bball shoes of 2014, up to you if the performance/quality to price ration works.

Nightwing is also a fan of the Warriors and Curry which might taint his view.

Also Foamers was more similar to Kickgenius to me

Eye opener for sure.

You don't really need to be a great baller to review traction / breathability etc, but some of these dudes talk about "cutting, "great for crossovers", "definitely a PG shoe", "this is for big men". I mean how the hell can you be all preachy about stuff like that when you can't dribble or or shoot the ball straight?

This is true

Oh absolutely. Most of these NT people review their shoes for mall use.

"Great when standing still for an hour and mean mugging"

"Good for pretending you're On your phone"

"Perfect traction for walking around the food court"

"Comfortable for duck walking"

"Great for impressing guys"

That video was funny as hell. I like all those reviewers, nightwing, foamer, kustoo, kickgenius- for what they are. I like to hear their impressions of shoes, their favorites, what they like and dislike, , their breakdowns of a shoe and its tech, and compare that to my needs in a ball shoe and my experiences and make informed decisions. Kind of like asking your friends what they like, but buying what you want or need anyway, taking why they say with a grain of salt.

On a sidenote, as garbage as some of their games were in that vid, bet they are still better than half of NT. Hell I don't think half of NT has ever played ball competitively, they just walk around the mall in their sister's pants and some retro Jordans on the weekend.

 

[rfx45]

The only thing about these reviewers is how they get stuff for their reviews now. So that makes them less impartial IMO. A free trip, meeting Steph...do you think they will give their real opinion or sugar coat it?

KG post at times that they're reviews doesn't come out as often because most of the time they have to actually pay for their shoes. They do get good reviews but I do feel they do not hesitate to say something bad about the shoes. Like even that XX9 review and after Nike paid for their trip to MJs house and play at MJs gym and get free XX9s but in the end they still criticize it and even said some parts were not as good as the XX8s. That's why I like Kicksgenius.


Nothing against Nightwing, he is very knowledgeable but sometimes it does seem like he doesn't give bad reviews to certain shoes, like he is biased. Like he said something about the clutchfit drive giving him blisters but still ranked it as his #1 bball shoe of 2014. Kind of doesn't make sense. Same with the BrandBlack that they gave him for free and kept sending him samples and asked for his feedback and I get it he, he gave feedback to make shoes for his foot but he practically called it perfect. I understood that but then when you see KG test the same shoes and they do not agree on certain things (I forget but I think Nightwing said traction was perfect while KG said it was mediocre?) then there seems more biased on one side.

 

[iks mod]

I think @Sk33terMcG33  's point is that these dudes who review shoes (even those with so-so or zero game) aren't pretending to be all-stars, he just applauds them for playing in the shoes and providing some input into how they play versus how they look with joggers.  You have to take the reviews with a grain of salt, because yes, some of them don't put the shoes through as much stress as others, but personally, I just appreciate hearing any input that's out there.

There is no right or wrong here IMO.  We will forever talk in circles about this.  

For me, 80-90% of my pairs I just play in for pick-up, men's leagues, wearing at the gym.  Playing ball was my first love and the love for shoes just worked into that.  This doesn't mean I don't see the value in rocking your shoes casually.  I know plenty of folks who enjoy em that way and I don't have a problem with that.  

 

[theassassin23]

Just concerned about the impact protection. Zoom in the heel is fine, but questionable about how it feels in the forefoot (Lunar). I have wasted money on the last two Kobe models with the inserts. No impact protection and sore joints the next day has really made me think twice about this line. I just didn't understand how all the people were praising the cushioning on the Kobe 9's and 8's.


My standard for impact protection is the LeBron 10.

Finally someone who speaks from EXPERIENCE! I for one settled with the Durant line lately since the 8's bottomed out on me so fast and the 9 was just not enough impact protection. If I had some more size to my frame I'm sure Lebrons would be my choice as well but Durants do well so far with the Zoom. The KD7 had great impact protection but the court feel suffered from it. Hoping the Kobe X is a best of both worlds in terms of court feel and impact protection

 

[crossover22]

It's like someone said earlier - you don't have to be MJ to review these shoes, but at least be somewhat competent if you're going to give your "expert" opinion.  To me KG and Foamer are the go-to reviewers.  Nightwing is iffy to me.  I watch his reviews and listen to what he has to say, but I take it with a grain of salt.  In his defense, he has admitted that he is very short and that he's not the greatest.  But still, he talks a lot about impact protection, cutting, playing D, etc.  From what I've seen he's a set shooter that gets very little elevation on his jumper, and for how short he is, he's a mediocre ball handler.

I'm 6'4 220lbs.  When I'm looking for impact protection, I'm talking about coming down from dunks, weak side blocks, and getting out and running the fast break, let alone pull up jumpers in the lane.  Those are things that Nightwing couldn't possibly simulate in his wear test.  Another thing that bugs me is how he compares shoes to one another.  I'm fine with comparing shoes but your final scores and rankings should reflect that.  For example I remember him saying the MeloM10 was basically the Jordan XX8 with better materials on the upper.  But then you fast forward to the end of the year rankings and he's got the XX8 as his #1 shoe of the year and the Melos not even in the top 10.  Another example is for his 2014 Top Ten performance list he had the UA Clutchfit Drive as his number one and in his description he says "even though they give me blisters every single time I wear them."  I haven't worn the Clutchfit and most reviewers seem to like them, but how can your best performer of the year but the one that gives you blisters every single time?  That isn't comfort to me.

 

[dafilman]

So yea I wonder what other CW we will see on the 31st. 

 

[sk33termcg33]

If you see any of my posts you'll know I constantly say "to each his own" so I don't mean to sound like I am going at anyone specifically.

In the same sense someone thought I was judging, why is it wrong for me to have a problem, as iks mod alluded to, for me to want my reviewers to put the shoes through more rigorous usage? All my point was is if these dudes don't go hard in the kicks, they are somewhat similar to those who don't hoop in them, but at least they are doing a little more than the casual wearers - that's all.

 

[iks mod]

All good points @crossover22  and that's why it's nice to have a few of these guys doing reviews, like Foamer and KG who actually get some elevation

I don't have quite the lift that I used to, but I can still throw it down at 6'2" 

 

 slowly but surely trying to get my legs back, just takes getting back into a routine

 

[iks mod]

Related to the X, I think that heel unit will be great.  I like the unit on the KD 7, but this lower profile max zoom would seem to play smoother while still giving you enough cushion.

Just want to hear a bit more about that forefoot...

 

[blastercombo]

They are performance,PERFORMANCE, reviews. Dudes perform at wale levels. That's all that needs to be said

 

[fahqu001]

 

 
I love it... I dont know most of the guys in the vid but heard the name nightwing as some legit tester son is like 5'2

You can tell who plays/played ball and the casual fan

I always liked Foamer and his brother. It was awhile before I realized they were 6'7" and 6'8"

And my feet are STILL bigger than theirs

I didn't know Foamer was that tall either. I figured like 6'2". BTW, who is Foamer's brother?

 

[mf gooze]

Think of it like this, it's like me giving you tips on call of duty but I go 3-39

View media item 1372342Are you watching these videos for basketball tips or a review of the shoe? Someone can be terrible at multiplayer but still give a review of the game.

 

[][v][aximus]

Are you watching these videos for basketball tips or a review of the shoe? Someone can be terrible at multiplayer but still give a review of the game.

He's trying to say that credibility is the main thing here. Anyone could give a review, but would it be any good? Would you want to watch it?

 

[raptorsundefeated]

Watching some of those reviewers dribbling through the cones was :x

It wasn't even anything advanced just a simple retreat dribble/change of direction to mimic beating pressure. Some of them need to get on that handlelife

No shade thrown tho lol