A few of my favorite things...

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The NIKE ZOOM BB is probably the best Hoops shoe that they've put out in a while.

I've played about ten times in this shoe, and love the minimalist upper with the simplistic cushioning set up. I am not in love with Zoom Air as a cushioning system, but along with the Jordan XXI PE, this may be the best usage of this cushioning set up, of which it can be used TOO much.

When this happens, a shoe can feel very comfortable, but mushy, which may not be suitable for a player with a heavy footstrike/leg stride.

However this shoe held up well, a nice firm ride reminiscent of the H2K4. I do not expect this shoe to last very long, as the shoe isn't built like that of a Jordan XII, or the Adidas 1.1, both of which hold up to a serious beating. The traction is so good on ALL floors I've visited, that many Nike fans will hope that this shoe will last that much longer.

The fit is OLD SCHOOL, true to size. It has a simple breathable upper, as there are no bells and whistles with this one ala the LeBron 4, which makes this a shoe for Ballplayers who like to forget about what they are playing in.

The only issue I have with these shoes are the buffoonish, clownish, colors that Nike released as the GR.

If I wanna look like I play at Ringling Bros, I'd wear some Bapes on court...

..speaking of looking Professional, I cannot wait to play in the ADIDAS TS LIGHTSPEED, as those look about as clean as you can get. I love the way that most Adidas Basketball kicks do not cross the line, having you look like you are about to hop out of Volkswagen, with thirty other wierdly dressed cats.

My favorite Adidas shoes right now are of that simple nature. Clean lines, and a functional hoop inspired shoe, the Adidas GIL ZERO MIDS are a serious hoops shoe as well.

The GCS system used in this shoe gives the foot leverage when you are making cuts laterally. The more stable the foot is under unstable conditions, as in moving laterally, the more POWER you can generate from the hip. Imagine yourself being able to wedge your foot against something, then pushing off against this apparatus, gaining speed, then power using this as leverage, this is what the GCS in the Gil Zero Mid feels like to me, but in a lesser capacity.

The Upper on this shoe is of HIGH quality. If you are a fan of the upper of the Jordan XII, you know that this is HIGH quality. Adidas does not skimp in this area, as I have even put several of their shoes in the washing machine, with them coming out while not like new, but without any loose threads, separation from the sole, or cushioning coming off of the upper. Their shoes are meant to take a beating, and can.

Also, how they made a shoe that is this well put together, and then then this breathable, is beyond me.

The traction is high end as well, with the cushioning going from soft to firm, if you take out the removable insole. (Something I do.)

The fit is on the large side, as my size 14 had room. If you have worn the 1.1, or the Decades, know that you can go a half size down if you are a D/Medium width.

I absolutely love these kicks, and I am sure that the Ballplayers here will as well.

Let's just hope that Gil's new shoes are just as good, and they also come in a mid as well!


BASKETBALL IS A BROTHERHOOD
 
Cool post!

Id like to add a few of my thoughts.

1. The retro-era seems to be nearing an end. While the Retro-Jordan advocates will continue to purchase the aforementioned models at un-godly prices, many people Ive talked to and the general consensus Ive felt is that retro releases will slow down. Sure, people will continue to argue that retro models will never die, and this is probably true, but I think the general demographic of shoe purchasers will slide back towards performance models in 2008 and beyond. I think this is great for the industry. People look at the 90s as the greatest period of sneaker innovation ever. But what propelled all the innovation? NBA ballplayers were more visible to the American consumer than ever before and kids wanted to wear what their favorite players were wearing. What Im trying to get at is-- functional design=great sales (although the function of Converses React Juice is still questionable) For the past seven years, retro models have been the jones, so great sales werent necessarily predicated on great new design.this led to complacency in the basketball performance market. Hopefully with less retro models we can get back to ill design. At least I hope.


2. I too am excited to play in the TS-Lightspeed, though not for the same reasons as you. Obviously, adidas took a monstrous risk with these by giving all of their signature athletes (excluding Gil) the same sneaker. I hope they perform like hell on court; otherwise I had better enjoy Pro Models or Pro Teams. Adidas has rarely let me down in the past performance-wise, and with all the marketing and campaigns put into this shoe, Id expect them to be awesome on court. Plus, Grant Hills and Pejas versions look incredible. Speaking of past performance, some of my all-time favorites on the hardwood have belonged to the Bromium line. The Bromium II, with its FYW outsole, was awesome on court. The Bromium III, with its adiSave and impenetrable ankle coverage makes it one of the most functional ball kicks, ever. The adidas a3 Decade 1 and adidas a3 Superstar Ultra, though both a bit heavy, were very functional on court and among my favorites.




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love the way that most Adidas Basketball kicks do not cross the line, having you look like you are about to hop out of Volkswagen, with thirty other wierdly dressed cats.


My thoughts deviate from yours a bit here. I havent gotten a chance to play in the 1.1 Basketball shoes yet, but in all seriousness, they are definitely among the most atypical offerings in the past 7-8 years. The upper, with its futuristic Jetson-esque look is bananas! The adidas a3 Superstar Ultra, especially in its all patent offerings were certainly a thing of beauty, and definitely pushed the boundaries of competitive basketball design. And do not forget the Kobe1s and KobeTwos.

Like you mentioned, the quality of adidas sneakers certainly does stand out. Over the past few years Ive played in several mid-level/upper-end adidas sneakers including: a3 Quantum Leap, a3 Decade 1, a3 Decade 2, T-Mac 5 Low all great shoes. Just recently though, Ive had some bad luck with the adidas Professor Midcool looking shoe nonetheless.

Clima-Cool is so niiiice.

4.A bit of an aside, but Im more excited about the GilIIZero than I have been for a shoe in a LONG while. I cant wait to play in them(I love the freedom that lows afford me)

5. My current thoughts on Nike:
a. The 2006 year for signature shoes was the best Nike has had in years. The Lebron IV offers an incredibly beautiful silhouette, even if it is a bit too heavy and restrictive for me. The Zoom Kobe 2 Ultimates were a vast improvement over the disastrous ZK1. Ive played pretty extensively in the Kobe Strengths, and must say that the regionalized Zoom x Free combination was one of the most compelling and comfortable cushioning packages Ive ever played in.
b.&nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp Nike really shouldve reanalyzed the release colors for the STAT1. Alphaproject came through, but the coolest colorwaysgrey/orange and grey/aqua were left in the samples room.
c.&nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp The Zoom BB is certainly one of Nikes better releases lately. The shoes widespread dominance in the NBA speaks volumes for its performance benefits, and itll be really unfortunate if the shoe does not show up on NikeID. It looks appealing in so many color ways. The Black/Black/Red lowtops are incredible, and are available for purchase on Eastbay.
d.&nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp Is it to much to ask for a performing $75 shoe? How does And1 produce gems like the Edge and Triangle and Nikes coming at us with the T.R.U.S.T.?


6.&nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp Reebok will make its basketball return in 2008, as will Pony. Both look extremely promising as Reebok is taking things to new extremes with Kinetic Fit.

Peace.
 
I understand what you are saying about Adidas pushing the envelope in regard to the look of the 1.1, Superstar Ultra, and the like, but I was really getting at the Cartoonish colorways that are being released by Nike, re: Zoom BB.

Adidas Basketball still deals in uniformity, something that I personally dig. It seems that they actually think about what they put out there colorwise, unlike Nike. See the ZK1 collapse as evidence, which is what will probably happen to the Zoom BB, which deserves a better presentation.

I like REEBOK as well, and am pissed that I could not get my hands on the Pump Shoe that dude wore during the Slam Dunk Contest.

Also, I never got the chance to rock the ADIDAS PROFESSOR even though I wanted to, but I do see a pair on Eastbay 4 a cheap price.

JButta, what experience did you have with them? The one Adidas shoe that disappointed me greatly were the Pro Team III's.

Well, I am glad that you hopped on this post, as we need to have more serious discussions about shoes around here, instead of just a bunch of junk being hyped up, due to a players name being attached.


BASKETBALL IS A BROTHERHOOD
 
I thought the decade line's resurgence was going great. the first 2 offerings came in great colors and were nice classic looking shoes. then the gcs version came and went in a heartbeat, only to resurface on eastbay in a bunch of cool colors but only size 10 ...w.t.f?

In a way I think nike is doing a bit of a team thing this year with the vis sweets or whatever they are called. those seem to be available in your standard team colors and are pretty popular in the league. Hopefully the zoom bb will get the same treatment if the pros like them as much as it seems.

slightly off topic, but Jbutta's bromium pics got me thinking about this late 90s adidas. I always wondered what they were called, any idea?
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"i will slap someone if i ever see anyone wear them and try to stunt wit them" -masterani3
 
Adidas had 5 signature shoes not counting the kobe retros and antoine walker retros versus the zoom kobe 2,s.t.a.t.s and lebron IV's most nba contract players were in team elite shoes or air force 25's.This season adidas is down to one signature and a number of team shoes.It's kind of easy to see why when you see the adidas billups on clearance for 29.99...ok jack johnson we know we know the zoom kobe 1 was clearanced for 29.99 as well.I also have yet to see a pair of the tim duncan sigs either.I just wanted to point that out since adidas "dealt in uniformity".The colors released in the Zoom BB werent the best but out of 7 colorways released only the gold/green colorway was the only one I wasnt a fan of.If you really look at the shoe it had a lifestyle look to it and was generally not liked visually but once they got out there and people began raving about the bb's performance,it made the colorways more bearable.Im also pretty sure we'll see these released as an ID as well.

If you want an alternative to the professor a good option would be the pilrahna 2 because the professor is built on the pilrahna's midsole/outsole only the uppers differ.Thats one thing that really annoys me about adidas is that like and 1 they have a tendency to recycle midsoles and outsoles.Another problem I have with adidas is that how many times do they come out with something groundbreaking but abandon it in a year or two?Are we going to see any gcs basketball models this year?how about the adidas 1.1 series? any firmware upgrades coming there?

If your really look at the market what percentage of shoes are actually used for basketball?A couple of the nike signature shoes,adidas team shoes,a couple iversons here and there and the rest are team based shoes.The retro's sell because they hardly ever make it to the court.They make it to the street or someone's outfit.Retro's are staying hot right now because people who were around at the time either killed their original pair,missed out or want extra pairs for nostalgia sake and you have hypebeasts who are all over what's hot now and want to get into the action just because people want it.And you have people who werent old enough at the time and can appreciate some history.I normally treat retros as a part of the past.Because at that time I can connect a shoe to some event in my life.I normally dont keep retro's in my rotation of shoes I play in but will bring them out when I feel nostalgic.

As for jordan's thats just another animal.People hate the recent releases because no one has seen jordan play in a pair of 21's or 22's.theres no history to link to recent releases.Unless it's black and has patent leather expect it to sit.I know thats a really broad generalization but I sometimes feel that way.I am however very curious to check out Chris Paul's signature shoe.
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Chris Chicago,

You are right, the Decade line for Adidas is hip. I have pairs of the GCS Decade joints in the Lows and Mids, and they were GR'ed in a few colors, most notably the All White Mids, and the Black/White/Gold as well. I like those shoes, actually, I like the lows better than the Gil Zero lows, as the outsole is a bit different, then more asthetically pleasing.

Goosebear,

"it made the colorways more bearable"

According to who? These shoes, the ZOOM BB, aren't doing well at all, where did you get that information? Outside of the Lebron line, of which does OK, hardly any of the Nike Basketball sigs do anything good sales wise. The Stat shoe was just a out and out joke! Flat out UGLY, as it seems that whoever is designing these shoes, is doing it with his/her eyes closed. Next up is the Zoom Kobe III, which looks like it dropped out of a bums butt. Nike seems to be in disarray, as they look as if they have completely lost touch with the buying public, especially those of us who actually PLAY the game in our shoes, those of us who don't worry if they "crease", or look hot with a "fitted".

Nike should have let the Zoom BB stand on its own, and this is why I lean toward Adidas these days.

They make good, solid, high quality, professional looking shoes. They are shoes that don't insult you at their price point, or with pretentious phoney ads. They make a shoe that lasts, and are quite possibly the only shoe company that has recently taken any risks to feature real TECH in their shoes, not just as description for some simple Foam Cushioning.

They aren't pretentious, and this is fantastic for mature individuals of any age, who don't want to be identified with a shoe worn by some punk who doesn't deserve to have his name on MY feet.

That said, when Nike brings something hip, I give them props. The Zoom BB is hip, but Adidas has been kicking them in the butt for quite some time, but they seem to not have the ad force to promote their items as Nike does.

But anyway, thanks for your contribution to this thread Goosebear.


BASKETBALL IS A BROTHERHOOD
 
What was the main drawback to the zoom bb's? Colorways right?Where is your proof that none of the nike shoes didnt sell well? Anyways unless you've played in the stats you can call it ugly but without actually running up and down the court in them ugly is about as far as you can go with that.The Kobe 3 while I shake my head when I look at it,it looks like it has the potential to be an awesome game shoe so I'm just going to have to reserve judgement on the kobe 3's.Sorry I'm not in the fitted and crease bandwagon.Ill take a pair of zoom braves any day over some jordans.

Aside from the adidas 1.1 their shoes are either a3 or adiprene,they havent even upgraded cushioning on all shoes to adiprene+.Nike took all of their risks in the 90's and have been refining that tech.Zoom Air today versus Zoom air back in 1995 is like night and day.And as I said before do we have any GCS based shoes this year?anymore NEW feet you wear tech?a3 has pretty much been their only tech theyve kept year after year and improved.


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I like REEBOK as well, and am pissed that I could not get my hands on the Pump Shoe that dude wore during the Slam Dunk Contest.
>:
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I thought the decade line's resurgence was going great. the first 2 offerings came in great colors and were nice classic looking shoes. then the gcs version came and went in a heartbeat, only to resurface on eastbay in a bunch of cool colors but only size 10 ...w.t.f?
:wow:
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The Stat shoe was just a out and out joke! Flat out UGLY, as it seems that whoever is designing these shoes


Personally, I liked the STAT 1 design quite a bit, and could've been sooo much nicer had they released them in better colorways.

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Nike seems to be in disarray, as they look as if they have completely lost touch with the buying public, especially those of us who actually PLAY the game in our shoes, those of us who don't worry if they "crease", or look hot with a "fitted"
:lol:
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NT needs to have a Team Un'dsed. I like my shoes with creases....

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They make a shoe that lasts, and are quite possibly the only shoe company that has recently taken any risks to feature real TECH in their shoes, not just as description for some simple Foam Cushioning.


Speaking of lasts, NO ONE is touching And1 as far as last implementation and experimentation. On some of their newer upper-end products like the Wonder and Onslaught, And1 has been using track lasts to provide out-of-this world fit.

And I'll expostulate a bit later, but L2G rivals almost anything introduced in the basketball world in the past few years.

Peace.
 
Goose bear,

Well, my proof is the actually sales reports that are often posted here, and then those that I see when they are reported, and then when JM Adidas lays the hammer down for you nonbelievers.

Nike Basketball is hurting.

Also, I will NOT play in a shoe that is not suitable to my aesthetic tastes, as there are way too many options out here. Looks matter, the name on the shoe matters, and people like you are simply in denial.

Now you attempt to crack on Adidas's cushioning set up, right? You say that Nike has improved it?

Lie.

Nike had to change their formula for Air based shoes, to satisfy Greenpeace and their enviromental concerns. They didn't improve on anything. In fact, after they changed the formula, they had a hard time keeping the air in the bags! The cushioning would shift and then change shape, as air would seep out, making them ineffective as a protective element.

So please, there are some of us who actually KNOW what we want and need as Adults, without reminiscing about shoes that we wore in the third grade, or speaking while speculating, when there is fact available.

JButta,

I didn't feel that way about the GCS Decades. "Clunky"

I take the insoles out of all of my shoes before I play in them, and it puts me closer to the court. I could see how that insole could make you feel higher off the court, making the shoe feel clunkier though.

The Decade II's I have some PE's of. I can wear a size 15 in them, and I found those to be in need of an extra eyelet at the top, for that lockdown fit. I wound up double lacing thru the top eyelet in order to suit my needs.

I see that you are pissed about the 'boks that Gerald Green wore in the dunk contest as well.

I went to the NBA store in NYC, and they had them there, but not in my size. I saw a pic in the latest KICKS mag, which featured the Designer of those. He had a Blue pair just like the Green ones sitting on his shelf, wanna talk about sick????? :wow:
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BASKETBALL IS A BROTHERHOOD
 
there is no crack on adidas' cushioning system because you get a3 or adiprene..yaaay anyways Im not sure how old you are but Im 30 years old and sorry I wasnt in grade school when most retros dropping were originally released and played in those just as hard as I play now.Like we all know you dont like nike and youll find every reason to nit pick at nike basketball.I can come up with 100 reasons not to like Adidas as I can come up with 100 reasons not to like any other brand.
oh and I just googled your greenpeace making nike change it's "air formula" and there is no record of nike changing it's formula for the environment.There were articles on nike changing their manufacturing process' to be more "green"so if you have that article handy and coming from a reputable source not "wehatenike.com"
If nike isnt releasing any shoes that are aesthetically pleasing to you then dont buy it.No one is holding a gun to your head making you buy anything.What you like is simply that what you like,your opinion is simply that,your opinion.You knew when you posted your first post in this thread that this would turn into a jack johnson versus nike deal like a majority of your other posts.
youll make inflammatory remarks like "Nike basketball is hurting" but thats it..because u say so..show me sales reports and tell me who's selling and who isnt.Keep in mind success isnt based on simply the US because this is a world market we live in.

If you played in some zoom flight 95's back in 1995 youll notice the difference between the application zoom air in 1995 versus the application in 1998 or 2003 or 2007.I know I have and i wasnt 10 when I started.I would like to have seen adidas continue to evolve it's existing tech's but sadly we just get rehash's 5-6 years later.

Ill continue on this thread as long as it doesnt turn into a "youre a nike disciple and dont know crap" type of discussion
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"they havent even upgraded cushioning on all shoes to adiprene+"

Well what you find superior is subjective, and then is not necessarily the truth. Truth is, Nike had to change their formula. Therefore the change in the feel of Nike Air. Do a search here on Niketalk by the Mod 3Canada, who posted the info about how Nike was forced to change if you do not believe me.

While you are at it, Goose bear, " but it's been widely publicized on NT in the past", as stated by JButta, something you seemed to just skip over, just answering to me, because you seem to want to argue and ignore facts, ask JM Adidas, and then do a search in the Jordan Forum for the sales reports which shows how bad Nike Basketball is doing.

You dont have to believe me, and that is fine. Proof is right there for you to ignore. BTW, I never asked you to comment on this post, but by all means, continue your argument with the truth, by yourself.

Back to the Topic,

J Butta, what size do you wear??


BASKETBALL IS A BROTHERHOOD
 
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Thats one thing that really annoys me about adidas is that like and 1 they have a tendency to recycle midsoles and outsoles.Another problem I have with adidas is that how many times do they come out with something groundbreaking but abandon it in a year or two?
ed initially as a block-like cushioning insert and has now become the micro-a3, the Structure-a3, and Bounce.


Edit

As for recycling midsoles, I don't mind it, although it can lead to some complaceny in design. I mean, all brands do it...Nike has used the same uppers on their team shoes for the past few years. Also, if an outsole works well, why change it? It's tough to beat a 3/4 Length L2G setup......

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I went to the NBA store in NYC, and they had them there, but not in my size. I saw a pic in the latest KICKS mag, which featured the Designer of those. He had a Blue pair just like the Green ones sitting on his shelf, wanna talk about sick?????


Yeah, Andrew Winfield is a great up and coming designer for RBK....and indeed, those blue Showstoppers were NICE. I really like the Answer 11 samples in beige/neon green.

Jack, I wear a size 13.

Thanks.
 
13, cool. I was hoping the you wore a 14, as I was gonna ask about those Black Superstar Ultras...if they were yours!
BASKETBALL IS A BROTHERHOOD
 
I would be willing to accept any proof but a change in mixture of gas for nike to appease the environment would be positive press and make it somewhere on the web.If niketalk is the only source of this info then just because a guy is a mod on niketalk then we're supposed to believe him?Unless it comes out of Nike inc. its just rumors and hearsay.I did a search for the sales report on niketalk as well as google,yahoo,wall st journal and usa today I found the original niketalk link but it had been deleted.

The midsole/outsole of the nike shox bb4 was a recycled midsole/outsole combo but theyve changed the setup on the shox spotlight.There were different changes in forefoot placement as well as the 4 or 6 column setups.

At this point does it really matter how bad nike basketball is doing when you have jordan brand cleaning up with the b'loyal?
like JButta said before this has been a good year for signature shoes and basketball shoes in general for nike.With the zoom Lebrons IV's reviving foamposite use,Zoom Kobe 2's..I however wasnt a fan of the three different shoes..But the Zoom kobe 2 st's and "ultimates"have performed extremely well..I dont really like the idea of the lites when we already have the zoom bb making the lites redundant..I can now see how the Kobe Nation is about to jump all over me.The Zoom bb's was excellent as was the asia only nike zoom brave which would be my pick for sleeper of the year.While consumers were completely overrun by air force ones and special edition af 25's,the shoe wasnt half bad when you actually got it on court especially for the big guys.

now before you start having fits about wheres my proof Im strictly speaking from a performance perspective.In previous years we had the 2k5 as the dominant shoe of that year and the year after that we had the first kobe sig that was decent but the lebron 3 dominated nike basketball that year.It was nice to have a number of performance shoes available to pick from compared to previous years.There was a little bit of something for everyone this year.




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Jack, I'll be on the lookout for a size 14 or two. That black/silver pair was from the Kicksology.net days....

Goose, I totally forgot about the Shox Spotlight. Certainly a different way of presenting the Shox setup, though was there any tangible performance benefits with Shox in the enscapulated air?

IMO, 2007 was one of the best years for signature Nike ball sneakers in a long while, and I gotta add that the Lites are a bit redundant. We should move onto the Kobe 3--no matter how controversial the shoe may be. :D
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I dont know to be totally honest with you I havent worn a shox based shoe since the vc1 although I was a fan of the bb4,I still keep up on current shox tech but not really a big shox guy.As for the Kobe 3 looking at all the specs as well as the weight has me curious.I am a little disappointed by looking at the midsole that it looks like they went away from the zoom kobe 2 setup that put you really low to the ground.But then again we wont know till we actually put on the shoe.
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doesn't nike recycle midsoles as well? I recall the pure profile max having the same midsole as the uptempos sensation (worn by ilgauskus on the cavs). then there were the max camps, which were preceded by uptempo premier worn by Othello Harrington. finally you have the Total Max's and the air max finishers.

Personally, I don't have a problem with this. the logic being, If you loved one shoe you'd want to see it's midsole used again. Innovation is great and all, but consistency is good too. if the Pro Models fit me I'd probably buy a pair every year and save myself a lot of hassle running from store to store, trying on dozens of gym shoes hoping to find a pair that feels as good as my worn out, year old favorites that they don't make anymore .


"i will slap someone if i ever see anyone wear them and try to stunt wit them" -masterani3
 
Jbutta, good lookin' on that one.

In regard to the ZK3, that shoe isn't gonna touch the feet of many people, I can almost guarantee that. With all this talk about "performance", which is really subjective and then not really a legitimate point to measure, as many throw that term around in order to HYPE a shoe that is endorsed by an unpopular player, or to legitimize an ugly, dumb looking shoe, ala the ZK3.

Legitimate points to look to in TRUE performance, is whether or not a shoe fits YOUR foot, gait, then style of play, while meeting the individuals standard of comfort. Also, does the shoe last? Considering that certain Nike Hoops shoes feature Air, with the air being used since the change to appease environmental concerns escapes from the Air Bags (See the 360), the quality and durability of Nike Air shoes, Zoom or otherwise, is suspect.

One can suggest that the 2k5 dominated NIKE basketball, but it sure didn't ring up sales like the Jordan B'Loyal, or whatever Team Jordan shoe that was released at that time, and it didn't dominate basketball where people aren't paid to wear shoes. RE: Sales. Also, the durability of that shoe, simply put, sucked! That means that it was not worth the inflated price tag that Nike promotes. As far as functionality is concerned, the design was flawed. If the heel clip got caught beneath the foot of another player, the sole would partially rip off.

I trust shoes that do NOT use Air based cushioning units a bit more, as they are consistent. The Zoom BB is cool, but I don't expect it to last. I have other GOOD shoes in my rotation, as many here have more than one shoe in their rotation. But the PLAYER who cannot afford more than one pair of the latest shoe need to know that there are better options, than some of the crap that is hyped up on here.

You don't need Kobe's 150 dollar shoe, nor LeBron's, in order to have a good shoe. Nike isn't the end all, nor are they the best.

They're just the most hyped.

So with all this talk about Adidas midsoles, it's just smoke and mirrors. Adidas has the NBA on lock, and this just may be the most exciting season that we've seen in a while. KG is in a major market, and ADIDAS BASKETBALL has three of the NBA's top citizens on their roster, so their visibility is gonna be off the chain.

Nike and their loyalists should be nervous.

Chris Chicago,

U right about that. You shouldn't have to run about looking for a fav shoe. Nike fails at this, Adidas succeeds. The running community has the same beef with Nike. They are inconsistent, and the running community is immuned to hype, unlike Basketball, which is vunerable to pretense.

This thing, Hoops shoes, is moving in a different direction, and you can see it.

I am copping my Billups TS's today, I can't wait to hoop in them.

BASKETBALL IS A BROTHERHOOD
 
As for the 2k5 out of how many sold had the heel issue?generally speaking if even 1000 out of 1,000,000 had the heel issue that is still 1% and to my knowledge no one was turned away by nike when they returned their pair for that heel defect.You act like no one has ever returned an adidas shoe,but Im still waiting on that legitimate proof that nike changed their "air" formula to appease greenpeace who isnt a governmental body of any sort but an independent orginization with no bearing on any government standard of environmental control.I even went onto green peace's website looking for a release that they have slayed the mighty nike giant and deflated "air" and found nothing

And youre right Jack Johnson,people should know there are options beyond $150 signature shoes.There are options in every price catagory,But dont knock people who can afford to pay for the shoes and choose to by their own free will to buy whatever they choose.or run around like chicken little proclaiming that nike basketball is about to fail and the sky is falling..

Kg hasnt had a top selling signature shoe since he left nike.He didnt do anything with and 1 and when I see adidas garnet sigs selling for 29.99 in CANADA where prices are higher that means it really didnt move.

I will agree that Nike doesnt sell the best running shoes.During my times working at various retail stores nike was never my first choice when I had a customer looking for running shoes...to be fair neither was adidas..

and again jack youre right about one's standards of performance but again unless youve had the 2k3 please reserve your judgement of "a shoe that is endorsed by an unpopular player, or to legitimize an ugly, dumb looking shoe, ala the ZK3." until youve worn it because what seems to be the only nike you can stand-the nike zoom bb-has roots in the 2k3.

in a year or two the only ones youre gonna see out of the "5" are arenas and tmac.I believe only two of those guys can sell a shoe...which totally goes against your belief of overhyping players..at least adidas has the d-league on lock cause most of those guys dont have sneaker deals.

I cant say I'm a nike loyalist because I eagerly anticipate releases from nearly every brand but hold on lemme check.......nope cant say im a least bit worried about nike basketball..
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1.Greenpeace is just like PETA, and if you get on their bad side, they'll do ya' like they did Vick. If Nike didn't change the formula, or speak of the plan to change it, it would have been trouble. At the same time Nike was getting flack about child labor in Asia, that coupled with the chemical used in Air contributing to the damage of the ozone, the negative pub would have been devastating.
You say that they improved Zoom, well if it feels better to you, cool. However that wasn't the intention.

2. "Dont knock people who can afford to pay for the shoes"

...and pretentious pricks should not make fun of people who cannot either. Nike specializes in this sort of pretense, giving ammo to those who pay alot for a pair of sneakers, to make them feel as if they are in some special "club".

3. KG is in Boston now, and he'll be on Television alot, unlike when he was in Minny where nobody could see him. He is likeable, personable, a TEAM player, and a great interview, now playing for one of the most storied franchises in sports.

Adidas now has a gold mine there...

4. Nike running uses the same "tech", as Nike Basketball. If Nike Running tech sucks, Nike Basketball is in the same boat.

5. The 2k3 was flawed. The top near the ankle would shear skin. I personally don't like to wear socks up above the ankle. It feels better to me while playing in lows. Then, I should not have to compromise my comfort and tastes, to continue to play in a shoe that could have been improved in production, by simply adding a terry or foam collarpiece.

You speak in absolutes when it concerns Nike Basketball shoes, when matters of comfort and performance are subjective. The 2k3 may have been the template for the Zoom BB to you, but what does it matter? Was it the best shoe ever? No.

However, the materials used can be judged. As we know, Air doesn't last as EVA does, or other cushioining set ups, that do not feature such unstable materials.

6. As far Tmac and Gil only being able to sell shoes, who cares???? Who needs a pitchman? The running community doesn't have pitchmen, and that's cool! The Basketball community has rejected Kobes junk, but I thought that Kobe was supposed to be this great pitch guy??? Sig shoes are done. Unless you are MJ, you are not making a dent anymore.

People, smart people over the age of 12, like being themselves.

7. Nike Basketball is on the ropes, and with companies like Starbury, Adidas, And 1 making affordable shoes that last longer than AIR, Nike Basketball had better be wiser. But with the colors that were released of the Zoom BB, and then other Nike hoops shoes, I don't think that they have a clue....


BASKETBALL IS A BROTHERHOOD

"but alot of the things Kobe does I would never have done."

MJ in GQ
 
you just contradicted yourself with kg being in boston and the statement that adidas is sitting on a goldmine and point #6.And yah kg is every thing you said he was and more but he still cant sell a sig sorry to burst your bubble.The only reason youre going to be able to say "kg's" sig shoe this year is going to sell well is because it's piggybacked with tmac and whoever else is wearing the ts lightspeeds.Like Ive said before if you had any of the early zoom air based shoes..zoom flight 95 or 96 versus anything else out today there was a great improvement between cushioning and court feel.Earlier versions were lacking in cushioning and as time went on the zoom air improved in both responsiveness and impact protection.You keep going on and on about how nike has improved tech I just explained it to you and if you actually tried them on back in the day you would know what Im talking about.The difference from 1995 to 1998 in the flightposite one is basically adiprene to adiprene+ to put it in terms you can digest.Fortunately the difference between 1998-2007 has further advanced the tech by now putting you closer to the ground without sacrificing cushioning or responsiveness.

PETA didnt do anything to vick,the government did.Cmon dude,seriously the federal investigators digging up dead dogs on his property and him pleading guilty to the charges cost him his contract and his job not peta.Nike is still getting flack about child labor oh and if you didnt know adidas gets complaints as well-Adidas Profile.You act like nike air is some toxic mix but its mostly nitrogen and a couple other molecules because actual "air" as in oxygen-o2 expands and contracts too much and seeps out of the polyurethane bag.Get your facts straight and for the last 3 posts WHERE IS YOUR PROOF NIKE CHANGED THE FORMULA?I went so far as to do all your research for you and all you can give me is a mod on niketalk.I even went to the greenpeace site and got nothing.
You didnt like the 2k3 fine maybe some common sense would have been better and worn a quarter sock to protect your exposed skin..oh yah you read about that and didnt actually PLAY in the shoe.

last time I checked we were talking about the end of nike basketball not nike running..and you have the nerve of saying I speak in absolutes..Im not the one who says "period" after making a point.What really sucks about this debate is Im being forced into sounding like I dont like adidas or any other company,I know every company has it's own set of strengths and weakness' however I refuse to say nike is superior to adidas or anyone and vice versa.
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You have to know what a contradiction means in order to call someone on it.

Furthermore, this circular arguement crap that you are attempting to pull isn't getting me frustrated, nor angry. You are just making yourself look like a fool. The whole athletic shoe industry shoe knew that Nike had to change their Air formula from SFX, to Ambient air. Then just like with PETA protesting, putting pressure on the Government to get Vick, Green Peace would have done the same thing against Nike, if Nike didn't promise to eliminate the usage of the gas.

BTW, I want you to point out where I stated that I DID NOT wear any of the shoes you mentioned.

Enough with this, because all you are attempting to do is to make me say something, so you can whine to a mod about being attacked.

The Zoom BB is a good shoe, to bad it's selling like crap for Nike Basketball.
________________________________________________________________-

The Adidas Lightspeed is a dope shoe 2 ball in! I'll be posting an in depth review, in the upcoming week.

BASKETBALL IS A BROTHERHOOD

"but alot of the things Kobe does I would never have done."

MJ in GQ
 
so uhhmm it was peta that got vick in his drama not the dead dogs in his backyard right?So regardless if they found the dead dogs in the yard the government wouldnt have prosecuted without peta??I guess I need to clarify that since you seem to think Peta and Greenpeace call the shots.Anyways we were simply talking about basketball shoes and we went into running shoes and vick...

Im not looking for a fight and got better things to do rather than hitting up a mod for arguing with u.

The only reason this is a circular arguement is because you make a point-"nike changing air under pressure from greenpeace" but cant find facts to support it..hell even I looked for info for you..and didnt find anything yet you continue to bring it up..

Im pretty sure people know who the fool is by being on a nike forum and constantly trashing nike while sounding like some saturday morning cartoon villain."nike and their loyalists should be afraid"..Maybe you should change your name to syndrome from the incredibles...

as for not owning the 2k3's-"In regard to the ZK3, that shoe isn't gonna touch the feet of many people, I can almost guarantee that. With all this talk about "performance", which is really subjective and then not really a legitimate point to measure, as many throw that term around in order to HYPE a shoe that is endorsed by an unpopular player, or to legitimize an ugly, dumb looking shoe, ala the ZK3." -and- "5. The 2k3 was flawed. The top near the ankle would shear skin. I personally don't like to wear socks up above the ankle. It feels better to me while playing in lows. Then, I should not have to compromise my comfort and tastes, to continue to play in a shoe that could have been improved in production, by simply adding a terry or foam collarpiece."-your comments alone should be evidence that you have more intelligence than to own such a flawed shoe..but then again if you do own them...again ill ask who looks like the fool then...

The contradiction came where all you did was dog on nike and kobe or $150 shoes for being over hyped but adidas ad's are ok right..so are the adidas sweatshops right?

anyways we can go on and on about this because Im pretty sure youll find something else to predict the downfall of nike basketball or another 1000 reasons why everything you like is superior to what anyone else is into...
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