My "Nike Air Zoom Kobe-2" REVIEW

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Nike Air Kobe-2 Review

I got chance to pick up the Kobe 2s and Over the past couple of days, I had a few good wearing on the basketball court, so heres my mini review.

Comfort & fit: 9/10

for starters, when I first slipped-on the shoes, the shoes felt like a glove on my feet. I have never had a shoe feel this comfortable, right out of the box. The whole shoe just hugs your ENTIRE foot. From the toe box area, which was smaller then the AZK1, all the way up to your upper ankle where the strap is placed.

They fit is true to size, but after reading on the forums, some people are having Achilles problem with the shoe, because of the way the shoes are shaped in that area. Going up a size up seems to remedy this problem. Personally I had this slight irritation in that area and on the inner side of my left foot where the bone is, but it went 100% away when I double socked. After wearing the shoes on the second and third time, the irritation did start to subside.

Cushioning: 7/10

So I tie the laces up, strap on the strap, get up and start playing basketball, and first thing that comes to mind WOW these FEEL different. Different in terms of court feel from all the OTHER basketball shoes. They said these shoes are LOW to the ground, they literally MENT low to the ground. These are BY FAR the most super-responsive ground feeling shoes Ive ever felt in my life! The shoes are powered by Nikes free technology, which is a lightweight, flex-grooved sole which adapts to every step you take. With the combination of low to the ground profile and free technology, they felt like I was playing bare foot on the basketball court. I could FEEEEEL when I cut to the basket. I can FEEEEEL every step I took when I ran up the court. I can FEEEEEL every motion of my forefoot. The only downfall is personally they are TOO low to the ground. I loved how the AZK1 shoes felt when you put them on. They felt like you were wearing pillows on your feet. With these, they felt more like wearing the Jordan XIV in terms of court feel.


Ankle support: 8/10

LOVE the ankle strap, they feel a lot more stable around the upper ankle part. I like the feature where you can tie the shoe laces behind the strap. They had this feature on the value version of the 2k5 (double figures), which really loved about the shoe. You feel your foot being locked down. Everything feels nice, tight and secure. Again the only complaint here is the Achilles area which can be pretty bothersome for some people. But again going either up or double socking should solve the problem. For me, after wearing the shoes the second and third time the back part of the shoes got softer, and the Achilles irritation went away.

The traction on these shoes are extraordinarily. The more you played in the shoes, the more the grip got better. AT first the rubber was still hard, so the grip wasnt at 100%, but by the end of the 2ed wear the grip got a lot better, and they feel like they BITE the ground when you make a cut to the basket, or playing defense, sliding side to side. I did not notice any court slippage. These shoes are on par with the AZK1.

Weight: 9/10

Weight wise, the shoes are lighter then the AZK1 I would say, from the feel of the shoes, it would be around the same weight or slightly lighter then the 2k5. Personally I feel that ultra light shoes lack support. This shoe is a combination of light weight and good support.

Overall: 9/10
Overall I enjoy wearing these shoes. They feel comfortable, the performance is excellent, the support is great. With a little bit more break in, these shoes will be in my top favorite shoes to play with, along with Jordan XIV, AZK1, Jordan XXI. These shoes really give your feet and fun ride.

if you have any other questions, feel free to let me know.

MiguelL:
 
Thanks for the review. I think I'm going to try out my pair tomorrow when I play...

-S
 
Thanks!

I have a question for those that own the ZKII.....I've tried them on in stores and recently ordered a pair off of NDC. One thing that I noticed is just like the ZKI, is that there is a lot of space above the toe box area. Would you guys agree? I keep hearing on how responsive these shoes are, but does that cause a problem while wearing?
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^^^ i found that because of the less cushion on the shoes, impact from a jump is more noticeable.. but its not that bothersome.

also, i found that the toe box area is stiffer and slightly smaller then the AKZ1...
 
Solid review...though I think your scores are drastically too low.

There was no way I could give any of the categories less than a 9/10...this shoe is perfectly well-rounded...and the cushioning is DEFINITELY a 10/10.
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thanks for the review, loved reading it. could you compare the fit to other shoes, light the flightposite line...is the shoe rather for wide feet overall or narrow?
SwissSole 8118 ZH
 
^^ those are after i wore them the first day.. and that was a 3 hour wear on the court.. playing pick up games...

the shoes run rather wide .. kinda wide like the lebron 3
 
Just played in mine for the first time today....

Felt good, but I couldn't really get a "lock down" fit in midsole area.

I also experienced that Achilles discomfort, but after about an hour of wear (strangely, straight out the box they felt perfect)

Ankle support is 11/10....excellent!

Gonna rest up tomorrow and give them another run on Friday. So far I am completely satisfied....these are way better than that AZI IMO, no bulkiness and just seem to fit my foot very well.
DREAMCHASERS
We live life like death ain't a thing....fear and respect we collect like kings
Relive stress with every breath I sing....and we all chase money cause we scared to chase dreams​
 
^^ i found with two socks (which i usually wear anyways) you get awsome lockdown on the shoe
 
I've worn 2 socks to play ball in ever since middle school.....lol

Thanks anyways though
DREAMCHASERS
We live life like death ain't a thing....fear and respect we collect like kings
Relive stress with every breath I sing....and we all chase money cause we scared to chase dreams​
 
Great review and pics but I disagree with cushioning. Absolutely 10 out of 10. If your able to feel low to the ground, thats exactly what a shoe should feel like!
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YEA THE BABY DANCES, TO THINK...ITS CIRCA OG XII
 
^^ cushioning is hard to rate... because personally i like the softer ride of the AZK1.. and i was expecting something similar to that... and over time with the AZK2.. the impact protection wasn't enough for me.. but i LOVE the feel of the shoes.. i just think they could of made the actual shoe feel a little bit softer.
 
Great review. Hopefully these fail terribly so I can get my $35 pair.
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nice review and quality pics man. i like low to the ground feel. so ima have to go get these on the next f and f weekend.
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LaDainianTomlinson06-07NFL MVP
 
Thanks for the review. About the cushioning, is it in the midsole or is it in the sockliner? Is the sockliner removable?
 
Nice review.

BTW, I have narrow feet and I went half size down for ZK1s.
So according to this review, should I go with my normal size??

Can someone please suggest me??
 
i guess theyare heavier than the zoom kobe i and 2k5. look at eastbay. and from my test wearing they fell heavier than the kobe i. i alos test the zoom legend which was so light.
strap works really good. the cushion is awesomm too. i dont like the traction somehow.
 
The Zoom Air is embedded in the sockliner, which is sewn on the underside to the upper, which is stitched into the outsole. Complicated to explain...but check out the latest Sole Collector if you want to go real in-depth on these.

Here's my pair for those who asked for after-play pics. According to EBW I must play "haaaaard :lol:
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n1193040024_30004739_9684.jpg

DON'T PUT UP NO BRICK​
The B.O.P.​
 
thanks for the review! planning to cop, they sound great. only thing holding me back is i dont like any of the colorways (but love the design)

dirk u look like ur levitating :lol:
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So yeah...that's why my head is never in my WDYW pics...it doesn't fit all the way in the pic...word to Yao's SLAM cover.

And everyone in that pic is 5-9 to 6-1...and I'm indeed taller. :lol:
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DON'T PUT UP NO BRICK
The B.O.P.​
 
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