Kobe V or Lebron VII

[luxurious24]

Ok NT I haven’t been hittin the court as of much lately and I want get back at it hard and I wanted a sneaker that has the best performance and to me it’s a toss up between the Kobe’s or Lebron’s, so if you guys can let me know from your experiences which u think would be the correct choice to make I’d appreciate it.

I'm 5' 11 on a good day and I weight about 175, I'm more of a jump shooter, I rely heavily on my speed and maneuverability, thanks in advance.

 

[cid23]

hi there,i owned both of the shoe and i must say the kobe V will be more suitable for u
it suit ur style of play

 

[luxurious24]

thanks man really appreciate it, well i guess i'll get those allstars then

 

[ny giants 11]

I own both - and love both.

If you MUST have zoom air, then the K5 is the way to go.

If not, the L7 is a performance beast as well. The air max takes a few wearings to break in, but once it is, its outstanding. Still not zoom though,

 

[dakid2301]

I prefer the Kobe V but im more of a guard type so it all depends what position you play

 

[mike2389]

ZK5

by a long shot.
the weight alone gives the advantage to the ZK5's.
comfort- The kobes take no time to break in, they mold to your foot and feel so comfortable.
guards- ZK5
power forwards/centers- LBJ VII

 

[luxurious24]

ok makes sense, thanks again to all

 

[jonathanchingy]

Kobe V's for performance.
Lebrons for durability.

 

[jasongilmore]

I have to say I agree with everything that has been said so far in this thread.  I bought the Lebron's on release day, and for having an Air Max 360 like air cushioning system, they are stiff and not all that responsive. The Kobe V's on the other hand are the perfect balling shoe IMO.
Very responsive, and unlike my Lebron's my feet didn't feel like they were swimming in them. For some reason I never got the feeling my Lebron's were ever tied tight enough. Like previously stated, the Kobe's are for guards,or people with narrow feet. The Lebron's are more suited for forwards and centers, or people with wide feet. I love my Lebron's for casual wear, but when it's time to play ball, I reach for my Kobe V's.

 

[airjordan jb23]

Both are really good shoes. It depends on what you would prefer. I've heard people who love zoom air have a hard time playing in air maxes, so keep that in mind. If you are attached to zoom air, it might be a tough adjustment (according to some). Both are great though.

 

[zombiejesus12]

Originally Posted by jasongilmore

I have to say I agree with everything that has been said so far in this thread.  I bought the Lebron's on release day, and for having an Air Max 360 like air cushioning system, they are stiff and not all that responsive. The Kobe V's on the other hand are the perfect balling shoe IMO.
Very responsive, and unlike my Lebron's my feet didn't feel like they were swimming in them. For some reason I never got the feeling my Lebron's were ever tied tight enough. Like previously stated, the Kobe's are for guards,or people with narrow feet. The Lebron's are more suited for forwards and centers, or people with wide feet. I love my Lebron's for casual wear, but when it's time to play ball, I reach for my Kobe V's.

I agree with half of this...

The Kobe V is the best performance basketball shoe I've ever worn. Incredibly comfy, fits like a second skin, just the right amount of court feel and cushioning... it's a fantastic shoe. I've been wearing it as my gym shoes - for lifting, running and ball - since they dropped and not only am I impressed every time I lace them up, but they also STILL don't have any creases.

However... I'm 6'2", 230. My feet are on the wider side, as well, so for some shoes I have to size up. And I got the Kobe V in my true size. It adapted to my wide-$$% feet PERFECTLY. No problems at all.

So all that talk about the V only being good for small/light players is crap. I HATE the VII, it's so high off the ground I don't feel like I'm even using my feet. Like driving a Buick or something. They're pretty comfy, but it's seriously WAY too much cushioning for basketball, at no point did I feel like the shoe was working naturally. I felt like I had a new generation Timberland boot on, lighter and more cush but still no court feel. Basically I always knew the shoe was on my foot. But with the Kobe V, I didn't even think about them. Not once. They just work naturally.

And check the Avy. Best looking basketball shoe I've ever owned

 

[luxurious24]

^yea man i lookin to get those dk's nex month for my bday, u sold me jus now though cause my feet are kinda wide too so i was still gonna try and cop both, but i'll jus get the Vs and some bball gear

 

[borobballman]

Im just ike you 6'0'' and a jump shooter. i play in the 7's and love them. i have problems with turning my ankles so i was affraid of the kobe 5's but thats just me.

 

[kenji714]

Kobe V would suit you better. Also if you don't have money then get the Kobe IV or Hyperdunk Low. They're up there right next to the Kobe V in term of performance.

 

[oreomamba21]

Kobe V>Lebron VII. The air max on the Lebron VIIs is not comfortable at all...way to hard.

 

[nermindee]

kobe V easily... but you wont really understand what everyone above me is saying till you actually go out and get a pair then ball in it.

 

[madore]

I'm a 5'10'' 165lbs jump shooter and for the constant impact I'm putting on my knees from jumping I prefer the Lebrons. They are really going somewhere with the 360 max tech.

 

[bionic3]

So I've just finished three weeks of play alternating both Kobe V (Chaos and Away) and LeBron VII (Black/White/Gold). I have to say I loved them both, but give the slight edge to the Kobe V. If I had to rate each shoe it would be a 9 for LeBron VII and 9.5 for Kobe V.

I'm 6'2 230 and play basketball on a semi-regular basis for over 15 years now (3-4 days a week, with 1-2 hours each day) so I started with the LeBron VII for obvious impact protection. Wearing the shoe I loved nearly everything about it. The fit is great, no adjustment needed once laced up, they stay laced tight (no loosening as in previous LeBron models III and VI). Surprisingly, the ankle support is great here too even though the ankle area of the shoe does not fit exactly to form at the highest point. By this I mean it does not wrap the ankle at the top like say the Hyperdunk/Hyperize. In a max air shoe being higher off the ground this would normally concern me, but the base ankle support with the sturdy internal heel counter really keeps you locked in. I think this is done almost better than any max air basketball shoe Nike has ever produced.

In terms of weight, this is in my opnion the lightest max air basketball shoe to come from Nike. It beats the 360 BB easily and is noticeably lighter than the Hypermax. This was the area I was looking for the Lebron VII to make the most progress in opposed to previous offerings from Nike, and they delivered.

With the cushioning, the LeBron did a good job here, but I would say not as good as other areas of the shoe. From just a protection aspect the shoe is terrific, the design team also took max air implementation to another level by what they did in the forefoot minimizing the bag so first foot takeoff is improved. They finally figured out forefoot cushioning does not need to have the bulk as heel max air, but be flexible and responsive above all else. As a start, I believe mission accomplished here. The LeBron VII's forefoot during play in this sense feels like a slightly more springy Phylon implementation as best I can describe it; there is court feel and flexibility at the ball of the foot never before encountered with a max air basketball shoe.

The one thing that holds the Lebron VII back is the break in time on the max air bag. At my weight (230 lbs) I expected this shoe to break in after 2-3 good wearings (1-2 hours of indoor court play). Before being broken in too much of the impact response was coming up through my legs and knees, not a big problem, but it will give you soreness which could last into the next day. I noticed as I got into my 6th wearing that the shoe started to soften up and in the 7th wearing the shoe started to feel really cush and exceptional as most reviews have raved about. I've worn the shoe now 11 times and will actively keep this in my rotation. So I'm now at the point where I see the value in my purchase, but worry that other owners would have given up hope after 3-5 wearings. I would just say stick with these and they will turn out fine; with the caveat that players at a lesser weight may never see the true cushioning benefit.

Kobe V

I alternated between this and the Lebron VII in the past three weeks. I think like anyone who has worn this shoe, I can say there is simply nothing like it. The fit is out of this world. The weight is scary good. The styling is instant classic!

In terms of traction, I was apprehensive about the EKG traction pattern. However while not the excetional herringbone, it more than does the trick. I gripped the floor well in both my Chaos and Away models. Others may have the Dark Knights, and reported slipping, but I stayed away from that shoe since it has a translucent outsole, which has led to slipping personally in the past on Jordan XIX, XX2, and 16.5. I just can't do shoes with translucent soles any more. From a fashion standpoint I understand the validity of translucent soles, but performance/durability wise they just suck.

The upper material is really slick showing none or hardly any creasing after several wears. I've gotten in now 5 wearings total (3 with the Aways which is where my feeback in this area is from) and the shoe still looks awesome. Again, the weight just can't be beat; its really kinda scary how light these really are. The next gen Flywire implementation feel strong, but even better feels glove-like right out of the box which no Flywire shoe has been able to achive before.

With the weight, and being low cut, I was very curious how the Kobe V could improve, if at all, on the Kobe IV. In terms of ankle support and lockdown, this is where the Kobe V clearly separates itself. The dual internal and external heel counter alleviated all of my fears about a low top shoe. I felt locked in, no movement at all, and being a lower shoe, on a more stable base. Like a sport car over a SUV a lower base hugs in turns better. As are the complaints of a max air shoe and being too high off the ground thus potentially rolling your ankle, I had none of those concerns in the Kobe V. I've not worn a shoe like this since the And1 Mad Game Select years ago, and estimate the Kobe V is about 2-3 ounces lighter. So you are not only solidly locked in but have a light, skin-like upper to caress your foot during play.

With the cushioning, I knew I was going to face the biggest challenge at my size with this shoe. Like others I wish this shoe had full length Zoom, but maybe Kobe and the team are saving that for the Kobe VI and beyond. Right off the bat I replaced the standard insole with my normal Spenco Polysorb Total Support insole. After the first two wearings my legs and knees were absolutely killing me and I thought I may have done damage to my knees specifically. So I went out and looked for an insole with more cushioning and purchased the Sof Sole Airr (yes, two "r"). In the store, these insoles were really cush on top of the air bags in the heel and arch, so I thought if this doesn't do the trick in the Kobe V and alleviate my aches/pain, nothing will. Well putting these in my Kobe Vs passed the test with flying colors! First off the responsiveness I needed at my size was enhanced from the forefoot zoom air already present in the shoe itself. Second, the heel impact now was just what I needed and right away, no break in time. Also with the more voluminous insole I thought it might crowd the shoe too much and force me to go up from my usual size 14. Not at all! Then the best of all, once the pain from my first two wearings subsided (again I cannot underscore how jacked up I felt), no soreness or knee pain returned. I now was feeling that cush protected feel that I expected, even better than my LeBron VIIs, with no negative feedback response leading to aches/pain through my legs and knees. Again on this specific point I had to accommodate due to my size, not the ability of the shoe to function for the audience it was intended for guards/small forwards. Even though I am bigger, I have to try a shoe like this since the tech and reviews have been so overwhelmingly positive.

So overall, I'm now wearing my Kobe Vs about 2-3 to 1 over my LeBron VII. I've been going with the Lebrons if I feel I'll get more than 2 consistent hours of play. Again, I think both of these shoes are wonderful, wonderful shoes; much better from Nike than we've seen in some time.

In many ways these two shoes remind me of the golden era of the 90's when Nike consistently put out great shoes. I will say that I feel bad for the LeBron VII that while it is a terrific shoe, the Kobe V in my opinion breaks the mold and is in the outta-this-world category. I don't mean this to say the LeBron VII is much less of a shoe, but itmay not get its full due since it released in the same year as the KobeV. Any other year the LeBron VII would flat out be the king!

In terms of setting the market for low cut basketball shoes the Kobe IV accomplished that feat easily, and the Kobe V was able to build on that, but in a way that was unexpectedly great and nearly flawless in implementation; while the EKG traction patter is wonderful, it left doubters who would have been more readily on board to ditch their Kobe IVs and go with the Vs right away. The Kobe V in my estimation is like the iPhone 3G, it takes that bold leap beyond the Kobe IV (akin to the 1st gen iPhone) with well received new features with no step back in fit/performance/weight/cushioing/style. Honestly if there were no other Kobes made, I would declare this shoe the top shoe of the decade if not all time. I really, really appreciate the effort Kobe, the design team, and Nike for really pushing hard to come out with a truly inspirational product here. It been some time from Nike and its about time we as consumers can get their best when they give top effort and put lots of creativity into a product like this. Even making this shoe available on Nike ID is brilliant and was just another way to appeal to the masses. I would love to see this taken further with more variables in customization similar to the upcoming Trainer 1 ID.

So I'm excited about both shoes, and really looking to the Kobe design team to again knock my socks off next year with their latest, greatest creation!

 

[hardaway33]

^^ Great review. Very detailed.

 

[dwilliams 8]

Kobe V or Nike Air zoom 96

Im not sure which to go with for an outdoor basketball shoe? I want the Kobes a bit more but just cant find a decent price like 75-100 for a pair on the other hand the Nike Air Zoom 96 I found for like 60 I've heard great reviews on both just want to know which is the better outdoor basketball sneaker in your opinions to help make my decision thanks.

 

[madore]

Work at a Footlocker, tried both on and ended up buying the Bron's and I'm a SG!

 

[kobe xx]

Speed is all the Vs but whatever you like.

 

[wrctiatobe]

kobe 5 for me

 

[methrer1a]

LeBron>Kobe

 

[skinsfan61687]

i like the kobes myself