Jordan 16.5 first impressions

[cbfpunch]

i went to try out the 16.5s today at footlocker and finishline (at queens center). my true size is 8.5, i'm 5'5", 130 lbs (light, i know lol).
so i tried the white/black/blue cw at footlocker in a 9 and 8 since they were s/o of the 8.5s. first thing i gotta say about the shoe is that they look good,and they have a spacious toebox.
the 9 felt way too big on me, the 8 felt better and i still had room from my big toe to the front of the inside of the shoe. but the sides of my toes madecontact with the sides of the shoe in the 8.
went to finishline, they had the black/reds and the white/black/uni blue (got a splash of uni blue in the ballistic mesh

) but i went ahead with the breds in an 8.5. they felt a lot better than sz8 and9s. still roomy in the toebox which is fine by me, i don't wanna risk getting my pinky toe rubbed on like i did with hyperdunks and solider 3s.
gonna wait on my boy to try them out too, probably combine orders or something.
anyway, they felt a little stiff to begin with so i sense that they're gonna need some breaking into before i feel a change. no apparent flex grooves inthe outsole or anything.
i felt the zoom air in the forefoot. to my relief, it wasn't just a dot for the ball of the foot, it was an actual forefoot zoom unit. i wasn'twow'ed by the size of the bag (i always expect the forefoot units to be as large as the ones in say the bb1, bb2, xx3) but that's just from my highexpectations but i could definitely feel the bag there bouncing on it.
the heel of the shoe does have air in it. i put pressure on and around my heel and it was good to know that my heel felt supported by the bag. heel air forball definitely seems like something of an acquired taste.
lacing up the shoe was pretty simple and looked great while doing so lol. the crease in the shoe is pretty much in front of the jumpman logo on the toebox.
the only thing i forgot to do was simulate my ankle rolling to check how much lateral support there was but at this point i don't mind pulling the triggerdespite initial reactions upon finding out the cushioning setup.
walking around in the store with the show fully laced up felt pretty good, something i can get used to.
like i said, these are merely first impressions, my first impressions.

afterwards, i tried on a pair of the bred zk4s in 8.5. butter lol. about to scoop a pair of those too

 

[juschiang]

Thanks a lot for the first impression. Just wondering, of all the pics I've seen of the white/black-royal blue colorway, the shade of blue looks more UNCblue than royal (maybe a shade darker), but is that actually the case? Or is the "royal" blue closer to the OG college blue on the XVIIs?? It'sbeen bugging me as I'm trying to make the call between white/black-royal blue and white/black-university blue. Thanks a lot in advance!!!

 

[cbfpunch]

i'm pretty sure you'll know the difference in person. the royal blue looks royal blue, and the university blue looks university blue. don't stressit so much lol.

 

[bahunt8]

Thanks for this review. I'm thinking of getting these for ball. One of the better JB shoes in awhile imo.

 

[cbfpunch]

i'm just trying to see if i can get them for as close to $100 as possible. $125 is pretty steep for me lol.

 

[groady wang]

I tried them on today, the zoom air bag feels pretty small in the forefoot, but i also wear a size 12, overall i think its an alright shoe but the zoom air defshould be a lot bigger and not feel like a ball in the forefoot. For the thread starter if u go back to the footlocker and pick them up see if they will helpyou out and give you the military discount which is 20% which woul put you right at $100.

 

[cbfpunch]

^ thanks. i would actually try that but i never enlisted. unless i can just tell them to give it to me and no questions will be asked lol.

 

[ny giants 11]

This is not a review - you just simply tried them on.

The OG 16 had a very low profile zoom unit as well.... The unit used in the 16.5 is the EXACT same size as the one in the 16 and the 17.

 

[cbfpunch]

^ if you're talking to me then yeah, i'm well aware this isn't a review, i did simply try them on in different sizes. but i'm strongly leaningtowards getting them and soon if the opportunity arises. but once i do get them i might follow up on this thread and make a review of it. for now it's asthe thread is named, first impressions.

 

[cbfpunch]

there's a performance review up for these on nicekicks.

http://nicekicks.com/2009/11/air-jordan-16-point-5-performance-review/

 

[groady wang]

Im pretty sure hes referring to my "try on" review, I just stated my opinion after trying them on my main gripe is the zoom air, I know that the 16and 17 had low profile zoom airs in the forefoot but it still should not feel like a flat pebble under the forefoot. I love the way the shoe looks I justwouldn't necessarily get it to play ball in. Just my 2 cents. Btw the kb4s are straight crack to play ball in, i've amassed a small army of them towork and play in.

 

[sn3akerh0lic80]

Thanks for the info. Great review.

 

[johnny kilroy]

These are great ballin shoes. I have been playing in them for a couple of weeks now I posted a review on here 2 weeks ago. Also I am sure they will be on thenext F&F if you want to get them below $100.00. Here is the link to my review a couple of weeks ago. Short but to the point.

http://niketalk.com/topic/214583

 

[andfattoo]

I agree wit you "punch" the forefoot cushioning is very noticable. Im just hoping the heel cushioning softens up a good amount more. If it doesntthey are going to be a great balling shoe. They are very solid. Too bad the heel isnt soft out the box like the 16's.

 

[cbfpunch]

^ i mean the heel cushioning is just what i'd expect out of normal air cushioning, not as responsive and springy as zoom but the impact protection is thereand definitely won't bottom out on you. i'm probably gonna wait and see if they're excluded on the next 30 or 50. ain't a big deal to me butthey do look pretty damn good lol.

 

[aljayz863]

If your considering buying these for ball and beats then it's okay. Personally there nasty.