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KD 9 dissected
http://www.fastpass.cn/review/4073
http://www.fastpass.cn/review/4073
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Looks like all those years of supporting the Warriors will finally pay off for Danny Tanner
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undyed flyknit
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Doubt we'll get them after they put out the whites
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What are the chances of nike releases an authentic usab jersey of draymond?
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why would you even want that
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of course his pairs wont be painted
and any regular releases will not be painted. its only the IDs.
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KD 9 Initial Review:
A little background information - I am 6'4" and 190 lbs, play wing in summer leagues and pickup. I've posted some reviews on some other signature sneakers in the past and wanted to let you guys know how the KD 9s are holding up after a week of hooping in them.
FIT:
At first, these were a pain to wear tied up. The shoe was not as hard to get on my foot as some have mentioned, and that could be completely dependent on your foot and width, etc. The flyknit was rigid at first - as expected, but it felt very comforting knowing my foot was tightly wrapped in the upper and it was pliable, a combination that isn't found in the market on other sneakers too often nowadays. I did experience a little bit of discomfort on the sides of my forefoot, but I knew the flyknit would give eventually and that would go away. One thing to keep in mind - we get spoiled with a lot of sneakers these days having right-out-the-box comfort when we wear them. Some shoes still require that annoying break-in period and the KD9s are definitely in that category.
Over the course of playing during the week, the upper got much less rigid and started molding to my feet. The pain on the sides I mentioned previously went away and the shoe still had the tight wrap feel but just not as restrictive. Some people do not like this feeling - I totally understand. For a lot of folks, they don't want the free, pliable nature of this upper on their go-to hoops kicks. I find it comfortable and I'm sure others do as well, but I would keep this in mind if you are looking to make this a part of your hoops shoes rotation. For casual use, you can't really get much better than true flyknit.
CUSHIONING:
This, as probably expected, was by far the best part of the shoe. Back when the LeBron Xs came out, I wrote a review saying how much I loved the full-length zoom unit, but that the one thing that was compromised was the ability to have a flex point to explode off your forefoot. It's especially crucial when playing defense and are on your toes for lateral movement. Nike got it right with these as the articulated full length zoom achieved exactly what the lebron x fell short in trying to do. Not only that, but this zoom is far more responsive than any full-length zoom set-up I've owned. Over the course of the week, you could feel the heel-to-toe transition get more responsive and also feel the bounce pick-up as the bags got worn in. I have seen the one bag that popped and I believe the first CWs usually have that defect in them - over time the bags seem to get more durable but maybe I am mistaken on that. I have a pair of the mic drops and so far (knock on wood) my pair is just fine.
TRACTION:
I was very surprised to see the pattern utilized on the KD9 be as effective as it was regarding gripping the court. On hard cuts and stops there were no issues and I play on a moderately clean surface. Like any other shoe, the 9s required a wipe down mid games to remove any caked dust. I would not recommend this shoe for outdoor use because the rubber compound used for the sole is extremely soft. On blacktops, this sole would get demolished and that compromises the zoom if the sole gets worn, so I would stick to indoor usage.
FINAL COMMENTS:
While the heel slippage has been a topic discussed in here before, I must say it was never an issue for me and I went TTS with my usual size 12. I think everyone should try this out and keep in mind that the shoe will get a little less restrictive over the course of wearing and using them. I really like the way this shoe performs and I think people who have them and think they are painful at first should realize that they are and it's only temporary. A few people I know in the sneaker community said they did not like them and some even sent them back because the first few wears were just painful as far as pressure on the top of the foot and being too tight - these are all issues that, in my opinion, will go away when you fully break the shoe in. Other than that, for $150, you really don't get this kind of cushioning with a flyknit upper and signature athlete attached to it. Some people have been able to cop them on discount with the DSG $20 off over purchases of $100 or more - that's what I did and I suggest waiting for the next one because if you can cop these for less than retail, its a steal in my book.
I hope this brief review helps some people on the fence and I will definitely post a follow-up after a few months to see how they hold up after some real wear and tear.
A little background information - I am 6'4" and 190 lbs, play wing in summer leagues and pickup. I've posted some reviews on some other signature sneakers in the past and wanted to let you guys know how the KD 9s are holding up after a week of hooping in them.
FIT:
At first, these were a pain to wear tied up. The shoe was not as hard to get on my foot as some have mentioned, and that could be completely dependent on your foot and width, etc. The flyknit was rigid at first - as expected, but it felt very comforting knowing my foot was tightly wrapped in the upper and it was pliable, a combination that isn't found in the market on other sneakers too often nowadays. I did experience a little bit of discomfort on the sides of my forefoot, but I knew the flyknit would give eventually and that would go away. One thing to keep in mind - we get spoiled with a lot of sneakers these days having right-out-the-box comfort when we wear them. Some shoes still require that annoying break-in period and the KD9s are definitely in that category.
Over the course of playing during the week, the upper got much less rigid and started molding to my feet. The pain on the sides I mentioned previously went away and the shoe still had the tight wrap feel but just not as restrictive. Some people do not like this feeling - I totally understand. For a lot of folks, they don't want the free, pliable nature of this upper on their go-to hoops kicks. I find it comfortable and I'm sure others do as well, but I would keep this in mind if you are looking to make this a part of your hoops shoes rotation. For casual use, you can't really get much better than true flyknit.
CUSHIONING:
This, as probably expected, was by far the best part of the shoe. Back when the LeBron Xs came out, I wrote a review saying how much I loved the full-length zoom unit, but that the one thing that was compromised was the ability to have a flex point to explode off your forefoot. It's especially crucial when playing defense and are on your toes for lateral movement. Nike got it right with these as the articulated full length zoom achieved exactly what the lebron x fell short in trying to do. Not only that, but this zoom is far more responsive than any full-length zoom set-up I've owned. Over the course of the week, you could feel the heel-to-toe transition get more responsive and also feel the bounce pick-up as the bags got worn in. I have seen the one bag that popped and I believe the first CWs usually have that defect in them - over time the bags seem to get more durable but maybe I am mistaken on that. I have a pair of the mic drops and so far (knock on wood) my pair is just fine.
TRACTION:
I was very surprised to see the pattern utilized on the KD9 be as effective as it was regarding gripping the court. On hard cuts and stops there were no issues and I play on a moderately clean surface. Like any other shoe, the 9s required a wipe down mid games to remove any caked dust. I would not recommend this shoe for outdoor use because the rubber compound used for the sole is extremely soft. On blacktops, this sole would get demolished and that compromises the zoom if the sole gets worn, so I would stick to indoor usage.
FINAL COMMENTS:
While the heel slippage has been a topic discussed in here before, I must say it was never an issue for me and I went TTS with my usual size 12. I think everyone should try this out and keep in mind that the shoe will get a little less restrictive over the course of wearing and using them. I really like the way this shoe performs and I think people who have them and think they are painful at first should realize that they are and it's only temporary. A few people I know in the sneaker community said they did not like them and some even sent them back because the first few wears were just painful as far as pressure on the top of the foot and being too tight - these are all issues that, in my opinion, will go away when you fully break the shoe in. Other than that, for $150, you really don't get this kind of cushioning with a flyknit upper and signature athlete attached to it. Some people have been able to cop them on discount with the DSG $20 off over purchases of $100 or more - that's what I did and I suggest waiting for the next one because if you can cop these for less than retail, its a steal in my book.
I hope this brief review helps some people on the fence and I will definitely post a follow-up after a few months to see how they hold up after some real wear and tear.
Last edited:
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- Aug 21, 2014
Only took a few hours after getting my first pair in to want another.
View media item 2109208
View media item 2109208
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- Jan 22, 2014
nice!
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- Dec 29, 2012
the other pics didnt convince me that these are better than the USA's but i think this will
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- Jan 22, 2014
def better than the USA's
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Nike sf just tweeted this pic for the golden air box! I hope the kd9 gets this treatment!!View media item 2109281
D_eezus
formerly zombifed nach0
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- Feb 22, 2013
wayyy better
- 43,535
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- Aug 22, 2013
preheats>MD>USA
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- Dec 16, 2012
Question for the bigger dudes that have KD9s. So I got the mic drops off Kix Square for $100. I go to try them on and I can get em on my foot no problem. BUT once they are in they are sooooo tight my foot falls asleep and loses circulation of blood. I have to take em off right away. Anyone know how long it takes to break em in?!? =\
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That doesn't sound good. I've got some wide feet, and my first impressions putting them on for the first time, had to wiggle my foot around to get them on, but I felt it was more of a lockdown fit that was pretty snug, but definitely not that tight like what you're experiencing. Maybe you can stuff some socks or something inside them to leave overnight and it could stretch out that part.
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- Oct 24, 2010
Wish these were GR/ $150
Not about that expensive life for a pair of shoes I'm gonna sweat the hell out of and get stepped on and trashed
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- Aug 21, 2014
Yea I wouldn't pay resale for them, had someone oop me the first pair and happened to find the second pair sitting at HOH today so I figured I'd get another, also got $15 back from VIP which makes it even better.
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Love this pic View media item 2109402
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- Feb 29, 2000
watch kd not even wear the usa gr in the olympics smh
