Kobe 7 "SYSTEM" reviews

[in transit]

DFABIX wrote:

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I think with all these "passers" I'll probably at least get a few pairs.....
I woke up OLD the other day and realized, I need a lot more protection and wrapping around my whole body than ever before....
these ankle thingamajigs are perfect for an old man like me.


 Whassup' old fella'! Being one myself, I can say that the wraps do lock in heat, keeping the ankles warm, but they offer no protection whatsoever. The shoe itself is cool, a little clunkier than last years model, but the top laces come up to the point of a low/mid shoe, instead of the quarter highs that are being passed off as hightops today, or the really low lows that are considered oxfords. My ankles felt secure in spite of the ankle wrap, as I said, does nothing in regard to support. The wrap slides and shifts a bit as you are running, and the material can cut off circulation at the foot at times. However, I did experience some slipping from forward to back, with my toes jamming in the toebox. If you are looking for more ankle support, just get the 140 version, then get a real ankle brace like the Adidas speed wrap. The removable insole was probably inspired by Kobe wearing orthotics these days, as I was told that he is by someone from another site. As you know, you have to take out the insole, in order to fit a custom orthotic inside a shoe. If you do not, the orthotic will be sit on top of the insole, placing the shoe a bit too high off the ground, making it tippy, taking the foot too far out of neutral, which can lead to ankle inversion/eversions, also leading to lower back and knee issues.

I think, but I am not too sure, that this may be the reason that Kobe kept spraining is ankles last year, if he was indeed wearing an orthotic in the VI.

Good luck Old fella'!

 

[kobeoverbron]

I've searched the Sneaker Reviews section and I haven't seen a thread yet.

Initial thoughts after wearing them for two days (haven't balled yet):

-cushioning is very very good. the Lunarlon on these are amazing and the zoom felt on point.
-ankle padding is generous and the heel lockdown was good. no slipping whatsoever.
-the upper is very similar to the 6 except for the fact that they tend to show creasing on the toe box more easily and evidently.
-the fit is a lot like the zk5 but softer and a bit more forgiving. it's not as roomy as the zk6 though but the shape forefoot really molds well.
-heel to toe transition seems really fluid especially with the play strong.
-the phylon portion on the midsole creases VERY easily especially at the back. but that's expected.
-it's surprisingly low to the ground and light. Kinda like the zk6 in terms of ground feel.

Overall, it's the right direction I think because you can't go lighter and lower every year. They went a bit heavier BUT we get good
cushioning and padding so it's not really a sacrifice. I expect them to go a bit higher moving forward but the weight shouldn't really
change since this is industry standard now and Kobe wants it really light.

Will post more reviews after several on court wears.
Any on court reviews from other people?

 

[swooshallday]

thanks for the brief review! waiting for your performance review

 

[seth320]

great stuff, thanks

 

[i3]

Traction?

 

[itzraza786]

Is the ankle support good enough to prevent injury? or is it more a comfort support?

 

[kobeoverbron]

will play in these later. will post my thoughts after. please everyone else chime in if you've played in these...

 

[kobeoverbron]

Played 3 games, just got back.

1st game in the Attack Strong:
AMAZING, just like Zoom Air only better. It's almost as responsive as Zoom but it's plush and it's very
comfortable. Good for the knees and your feet. Heel to toe transition is on point on these and you
feel like your just bouncing around the court.

The sleeves are nice as well giving you that stable feel as well as comfort.

2nd and 3rd game in the Attack Fast:
My god, they felt like cardboard once I played in them right after the Attack Strong. It's not even fair,
don't try the Attack Strong if you want to play in these because your experience will totally suck. LOL

I will give a fair review though, the Zoom bags feel like Zoom, kinda like the zk5 feel. It's lower to the
ground but stiffer as I've mentioned. I don't see the point in wearing these now if you have the Attack
Strong insert.


Pros:
-traction is good, the herringbone is placed where you needed it. Played in a dusty court and my feet were
right where they were supposed to be.
-cushioning is good, both inserts provide what you need the full length Cushlon/Lunarlon tech is much much better
though
-forefoot lockdown is fantastic. just like the zk5 only softer and it molds to your feet better.
-when landing, the heel is excellently cushioned, superb impact protection.
-No hotspots. The shoe is very very good in terms of fit. I have wide feet so it's been a problem
for me. But this things molded to my feet almost instantly.

Cons:
-Heel lockdown left room for improvement. zk5 > zk7 > zk6 in terms of heel lockdown. It's not super good but it's not
bad either. The inserts' sleeve and the lack of an internal bootie system I think caused this because the heel counter,
padding and phylon design were doing their job. I think it's the sleeves.
-lace pressure on the top eyelet caused pain. I blame the lack of sufficient padding offered by the torch sleeve used
in the previous models. The current sleeve is soft, stretchy, it's good actually apart from the fact that it's really thin.
Even when I used the attack fast insole which has the leather tongue, it still hurt from time to time. They failed in that
department.



tons of pro just two cons.
overall these things are beasts you just have to find a way to work around the lace pressure on the top eyelet. I already
double socked and it still bothers me.

 

[azp]

good review...gonna try and get some playing time in mine too

 

[mastergrim8]

I wonder how the 'play strong' midsole holds up overtime [bottoming out]

 

[dnvtran]

Great review 'kobeoverbron'!  How do you feel about the Attack Strong strap system to the conventional tongue of the Attack Fast?  Restrictive at all?  If you could sway it like you can on NikeID would you? 

Thanks.

 

[schwollo]

I concur with the above reviews . The sleeve is a gimmick and feels like a cheap sleeve. Under armour got it right with their Juke.

 

[kobeoverbron]

I can see at least 30 games or so in the attach strong. it feels sturdy and more dense than
the lunar found in the zk4. It feels like it's gonna hold up well.

@dnvtran - the high cuff felt better. it felt more secure in general. comfort wise it's better to ball
in. but when it comes to the lace pressure you feel, it feels the same for both the low and high cut cuff.

I would def try the low cut cuff and full length cushlon you can do on Nike ID.

torch sleeve >>>>>>>>>>> magical cuffs on the 7.

performance wise the zk7 is a beast, I still put it in front of the zk6.

zk7= 4.5/5
zk6= 4.3/5
zk5 and zk4 = 4/5

that's just how I feel about the sneaks. gonna be different for everybody.

too many pros than cons for the zk7...

 

[dnvtran]

Thanks Kobeoverbron!

 

[lynchpin33]

good review and I have two requests:
-can you compare this shoe to the Kobe 4, (Kobe 5 was too low in ankle, Kobe 6 was too flimsy for me)

- can you compare this shoe to the Jordan 2011 another shoe with a removeable insole

thanks in advance..

 

[kobeoverbron]

Originally Posted by lynchpin33

good review and I have two requests:
-can you compare this shoe to the Kobe 4, (Kobe 5 was too low in ankle, Kobe 6 was too flimsy for me)

- can you compare this shoe to the Jordan 2011 another shoe with a removeable insole

thanks in advance..

The kobe iv was amazing. traction is perfect, fit was perfect. The only thing negative about it is the
bottoming out of the Lunar Foam in the forefoot. You won't have that problem in the 7.
For me the 7 is better than the 4 simply because it was an improved version of the 4,5 and 6. Taking
the best things about them and creating a monster.

Sorry but I didn't get to wear the 2011s on the court so I can't say what's up.

Sad thing about the kobe 7 is durability. The midsole separated on my Xmas pair after someone stepped on me.
will be selling it tomorrow...

 

[kobeoverbron]

I will buy a couple more pairs on discount though. will wait it out. I refuse to pay premium dough
for something that will break down after a handful of games.

 

[mastergrim8]

@KobeoverLebron, please take some pics of where the midsole seperated.

 

[pr baller 23]

These do not perform well right out of the box! They feel blocky and the traction isn't very good to start. I like the look of the sleeve best, but I like the insole that has the regular tongue for playing in. The shoe at this moment isn't giving me confidents when I cut or play tough Defense! I am slipping all over the places, and I am playing on a cleanly swept floor! I am hoping once I beat the cushioning down, that it will feel more like an extension of my foot, but as of right now, I am not happy with the performance of these. I also notice they are heavier then the Kobe 4-6's which sucks because I love the lower lighter quicker concept!!! I really hope that the Kobe 8's get back to trying to be as minimal as possible!

 

[isw50]

awesome review man thanks

 

[i3]

Thanks man!

Can you compare to the 2K4?

 

[kobeoverbron]

2k4>>>

 

[wildcat1451]

question: can you swap the tongue with the attack strong insole? or swap the bootie to the attack fast insole? i hope you get what I'm saying, sorry if its a bit confusing. i just want to use the tongue setup but i would love to wear the attack strong insole, but without the bootie.

 

[azp]

no the tongues are attached to the soles. it's interesting to see the different opinion's on these shoes

 

[i3]

Originally Posted by kobeoverbron

2k4>>>

Ha.. 8 years later still going strong

Time for some ID's