NIKE AIR 3 aka AIR GARNETT 3 Review

[prayformojo]

Ok, bear with me, Ive never done a review before.....
Just got home from running 2 hours of pick-up ball in my NIKE AIR 3saka GARNETT 3 and I must say these are one of the best shoes I haveworn in years. (Background: I run a heavy rotation that includes -LeBron VI, Kobe IV, Huarache 2k5, Zoom MVP, Air Penny II, Zoom BB I,Kobe I and some scattered retro Jordans - I also have the OG KG IIIs).I am an old-timer, with lots of mileage, and a few aches & pains,but I still love the game. Been ballin for a long time and have always been into kicks.
As good as I remember the OGs -  in fact, these are BETTER! Thecushioning is sooooo nice - I wish I was better with words to describejust how nice they feel on your feet- zoom in the front and max in theback - I don't care that they don't have TUNED AIR.
Fit is true to size and traction is excellent. The tongue is wide andvery padded, wrapping around the top of your foot for extra comfort.The outer material is soft but structured, giving you a  firm but yetflexible feel to the shoe. Very nice right out of the box, no break intime. I really like how the top of the shoe seems to mold around yourankle, no odd-shaped or bulging tongue.
Seriously, these are as nice a shoe as I have ever worn. If you ball,you owe it to yourself to at least go to the mall and try them on. Andas the price continues to drop on these(got mine for $80), you willkick yourself if you don't pick up at least one pair.
Hope this helps someone and if you have a question, please ask, and I will try my best to answer it.

 

[edku822]

Decent review.  How do they feel compared to the others in your rotation?
Is the zoom as responsive as Lebron VI?  How is the flexibility compared to Kobe IV?  As stable as 2k5's?  Low to the ground like BB1's?  All purpose combination of goodness like Kobe 1's?
Thanks.

 

[duke4005]

Good to see another old-head on here. Good info. I loved the Max-Zoom combo on a number of shoes (Max Mythical being my favorite). I was wondering about the switch from Tuned to Max and how it would affect the feel. Sounds like I may have to check these at the outlets.

 

[swingshot]

There was definitely more to the OGs than just the tuned air. Whether the change in heel unit is an improvement, dis-improvement, or neutral, probably a matter of preference,
but otherwise it seems like they reproduced this pretty well.

I would've said the OGs at least run a tiny bit small... true heel to toe, but narrow.

 

[prayformojo]

Originally Posted by edku822

Decent review.  How do they feel compared to the others in your rotation?
Is the zoom as responsive as Lebron VI?  How is the flexibility compared to Kobe IV?  As stable as 2k5's?  Low to the ground like BB1's?  All purpose combination of goodness like Kobe 1's?
Thanks.

These are the favorite in my current rotation, along with the Kobe IVs.  The Air 3s are a little softer than the LeBron VIs, but not too soft. I have old/sore feet and I like my shoes to be cushioned, but not mushy. The Air 3s are not as light as the Kobe IVs, but they are as flexible, but with more firmness on the top of your foot - if that makes sense? The 2K5s are my all-time favorite ( 9 pairs), but the MAX AIR in the Air 3s feels better to me than the ZOOM in the 2K5s.( That could be due to the age of the 2K5s or the age of my feet - 39 yrs.  LOL)
Definitely not as low as the Zoom BB 1s, but that is the difference between ZOOM and MAX AIR. Lots of goodness like the Kobe 1s, but with more of a padded/molded collar, which is one of my favorite parts of the Air 3.

 

[gmac32]

I picked up a pair at the nike clearance store for 59.99 and i had to go half size down. I normally wear a 13, but had to go 12.5. Have not played in them or anything yet tho, because I am at school. Possibly this summer I will break them out. But like I said, I had to go a half size DOWN

 

[dnvtran]

Thank you for the review.  I tried these on at Finishline a couple of months ago and didn't think too much of them. Couldn't spend $80.00 on them.  They did feel a bit large as the poster above mentioned, so I'm thinking going down half a size would be good.  But after the review I will definitely reconsider the shoes, especially when they fall a little bit more in price.

Thanks again for the review!

 

[kenji714]

i think they don't even have a real carbon fiber plate and just like the OG these shoes fit longer so going down .5 size is recommended

 

[uw23]

Originally Posted by gmac32

I picked up a pair at the nike clearance store for 59.99 and i had to go half size down. I normally wear a 13, but had to go 12.5. Have not played in them or anything yet tho, because I am at school. Possibly this summer I will break them out. But like I said, I had to go a half size DOWN

I'm having a hard time tracking these down in a 12.5...seems like they're only listed in 12 or 13 (like a lot of retros). Hmmmmm.....
I remember having these in HS and the Zoom Air in the forefoot popped.I sent them back to Nike and they returned a pair of some Total AirMaxes (or something). Definite downgrade, but nostalgia is kicking in and I'm trying to track a 12.5 down.

 

[swingshot]

Originally Posted by KenJi714

i think they don't even have a real carbon fiber plate

Strictly speaking, i think the shank plate in the ogs is some sort of kevlar weave, rather than pure carbon fibre (?)

 

[keonclark7]

Can we get a pic of the midfoot shank?

 

[cbfpunch]

^ check out pickyourshoes or fnl.com to see the retro's midfoot shank.

 

[allreds]

I have a question, what do you guys mean by the zoom air being responsive?

 

[cbfpunch]

we mean when you talk to it, it will respond to you in a timely fashion. try it sometime.

 

[jlking]

Originally Posted by cbfpunch

we mean when you talk to it, it will respond to you in a timely fashion. try it sometime.

 

[offbad]

do these feel narrow at all?

just asking 'cause i've been playing in shoes with outriggers and then i got to the soldier III in my rotation and i felt awful.

 

[noblekane]

Originally Posted by offbad

do these feel narrow at all?

just asking 'cause i've been playing in shoes with outriggers and then i got to the soldier III in my rotation and i felt awful.

no not narrow at all. however the forefoot do snug u up due to the thick tongue

 

[offbad]

cool. sounds like a comfy shoe. may have to cop now that they've dropped at outlets.