Nike Air Zoom Kobe V Review - The Greatest Basketball Shoe of ALL TIME

[cbfpunch]

i guess this shoe isn't for everyone.

i've been wearing mine on and off as well. i hate these shoes because after wearing them there's no other shoe that feels the same. it's a real rotation-destroyer.
for me, traction has been awesome, ankle support is great, and the shoe is a part of my foot because it's so light. my feet get too spoiled with these on, and other shoes begin to feel like boots compared to them.

and i can't comment on the del sols fitting larger because i don't have the DK's. but i'll let you know if they fit differently than the aways after this weekend.

 

[crazy ebw]

This shoe definitely is a rotation destroyer. I don't like wearing other stuff now.

 

[dimsum9]

great review, I actually went out to cop a pair

 

[AIR J XIII]

Originally Posted by cbfpunch

i guess this shoe isn't for everyone.

i've been wearing mine on and off as well. i hate these shoes because after wearing them there's no other shoe that feels the same. it's a real rotation-destroyer.
for me, traction has been awesome, ankle support is great, and the shoe is a part of my foot because it's so light. my feet get too spoiled with these on, and other shoes begin to feel like boots compared to them.

and i can't comment on the del sols fitting larger because i don't have the DK's. but i'll let you know if they fit differently than the aways after this weekend.

THIS.

2K4s, Zoom IIs, and Zoom IVs dont really see any court time these days.

  

 

[rjt420]

great shoe for balling in. got my pair last week

 

[niquefreak94]

bold statement. . .let's see if it's true

 

[zombiejesus12]

I have to chime in to agree with the rotation-destroyer phrase.

Before this I had a half dozen or so different basketball shoes I go between, a lot of them old school - the answer IV, the question low, Kobe 1, Wade 1.5, etc. Basically I had a lot of shoes from a lot of great players' signature lines, and I wore what I felt like. I'm not playing competitive ball anyway, right? But after I got these and played in them, I lost interest in the other shoes. Everything else was too bulky, or too heavy, or had bad court feel, or had no breath-ability, or something else.

Literally nothing I've had on my feet since the Kobe V dropped have come close to it as a basketball shoe. I've actually sold or gotten rid of every other basketball shoe I had just for the court. It's not just a rotation-destroyer, it's a closet-emptier.

 

[sw00sh0re]

Ya these are AWESOME, I finally broke them in(3 sessions of hooping). Had some uncomfortableness at first but I figured it wasn't broken in yet.  

 

[blackcat23mj]

2k4 still solid performer in my book...the kobe V cushion setup is no way better than the 2k4 even when they tried to put the same 2k4 setup in the kobe v. traction of the kobe V stink...the IV traction is way better. so not sure how you can say these are the best ever...try the 2k4s at least

 

[zombiejesus12]

Originally Posted by blackcat23mj

2k4 still solid performer in my book...the kobe V cushion setup is no way better than the 2k4 even when they tried to put the same 2k4 setup in the kobe v. traction of the kobe V stink...the IV traction is way better. so not sure how you can say these are the best ever...try the 2k4s at least

I had a pair of the 2K4s, they are solid shoes. I respect your opinion, but I disagree. To answer your question "how can I say these are the best ever", let me give you some bullet points:

• 2k4 is a true mid-top shoe, bordering on hightop. That by itself is a major strike against it. I prefer to play in lows and have since my first pair of basketball shoes I copped just for ball - the Question low in '98. I think it gives my legs more mobility, and I've never had a problem with my ankles
• 2k4 cushioning is nice, true. The V doesn't has as much cush and the ride is better in the 2k4, that's WHY I like the V better - because my feet aren't completely cut off from working. You can get a pair of Air Maxes if you want to have a ultimate cushioning setup, but that's not what I want in a basketball shoe
• Basketball shoes aren't supposed to be super comfy, they're supposed to help your foot do what it does naturally while protecting it and supporting it where necessary. My feet were sore after the first few times I balled in the Vs, not because the shoe didn't fit, but because I was using muscles in my feet I hadn't before when I played ball.
• The 2k4 has a narrower last, a higher heel, and a high top. The Kobe V has a wider sole (so your toes can spread out and grip), an incredible form fitting upper, and nothing restricting your ankle. My choice is the latter.

 

[deezyvsop]

Originally Posted by prestigetgs

Originally Posted by DeezyVSOP

I don't understand why it's so difficult to grasp that some people are not going to like this shoe, or will have bad experiences with it.

That's true for every basketball shoe ever made, and it always will be.

I agree with this.  But after finally being convinced to try the Kobe 5, and being completely blown away by it after I broke it in....it is hard to read criticism about it.  I am probably wrong in this, but when I read that someone doesn't like this shoe for ball I pretty much dismiss them of not having the right size shoe or not knowing what they are talking about when it comes to bball sneakers.

That's kind of disturbing.  Why are those the only options, either people agree that this shoe is great for ball or they just don't know what they're talking about?  Why can't it be that people have different preferences for shoes, different foot shape and size, different style of play and so on?

I'm not criticizing the Kobe V, I haven't even played in them.  But this idea goes beyond any particular basketball shoe, no matter how great it might be.

I talk up certain shoes all the time that I know many people don't like.  What's the big deal?

 

[grittyman20]

the ZK5 is an extremely light weight shoe, but everyone is not going to feel comfortable playing in them...it's hilarious that some people think that there's something wrong with you if you don't like this shoe

 

[crazy ebw]

But, if they don't like these, they ARE wrong...

 

[deezyvsop]

Having an opinion that doesn't agree with yours and being wrong are not the same thing.

 

[zombiejesus12]

Originally Posted by DeezyVSOP

Having an opinion that doesn't agree with yours and being wrong are not the same thing.

That would normally be true. Like if we were talking about regular basketball shoes - maybe the J 2010, or the Supernatural Creators - then that would absolutely be the case. The problem is that we're talking about the Kobe V. Did you see the title of this thread? That's not an opinion, it's a true fact. The Kobe V is the best basketball shoe ever made.

And dude up there who's complaining about the shoe being too light - is that a joke? Why would you want a shoe to be heavy if it can do a better job of support and still be light? Do you wear weights on your ankles if you think a shoe is too light? Do you gain weight because you think being too light throws off your game?

Get outta here with that crap

 

[grittyman20]

Originally Posted by ZombieJesus12

Did you see the title of this thread? That's not an opinion, it's a true fact. The Kobe V is the best basketball shoe ever made.

at an opinion being fact.

Why would you want a shoe to be heavy if it can do a better job of support and still be light?

who said I wanted a shoe to be heavy? The Kobe 5 does not offer better support of a HEAVIER shoe like a Lebron VII PS or a KD2...it just doesn't.

Do you gain weight because you think being too light throws off your game?

Get outta here with that crap

do you even understood what you wrote here? If I was a light weight, frail type of ball player then I'd definitely try to gain some muscle (or weight) to support my game.

Fan boys

 

 

[deezyvsop]

Originally Posted by ZombieJesus12

Originally Posted by DeezyVSOP

Having an opinion that doesn't agree with yours and being wrong are not the same thing.

That would normally be true. Like if we were talking about regular basketball shoes - maybe the J 2010, or the Supernatural Creators - then that would absolutely be the case. The problem is that we're talking about the Kobe V. Did you see the title of this thread? That's not an opinion, it's a true fact. The Kobe V is the best basketball shoe ever made.

True fact is redundant.  Facts are by definition true.

And it's still opinion.  "Greatness" is a subjectively quantified term.  It's the greatest basketball shoe of all time, from your perspective.  That's debatable.

Now if the characteristic was something like weight, or durability, then we could say it is the lightest basketball shoe of all time, or the most durable basketball shoe of all time.  Those things would not be debatable.

Kobe Bryant (or Michael Jordan or Bill Russell) is the greatest basketball player of all time - opinion, open to interpretation
Kobe Bryant has won 4 NBA championships, 2+2 = 4, California is in the United States - facts, not open to interpretation

 

[crazy ebw]

Yeah I see where you're trying to go, but the fact is, these literally ARE the best basketball shoes ever made. It's a FACT. Lebron VII offers more support?

Do you even know what support is and how it works?

 

[mister friendly]

Originally Posted by grittyman20

Why would you want a shoe to be heavy if it can do a better job of support and still be light?

who said I wanted a shoe to be heavy? The Kobe 5 does not offer better support of a HEAVIER shoe like a Lebron VII PS or a KD2...it just doesn't.

Actually the Kobe V has just as much Zoom as the Lebron VII PS does and it HAS more Zoom then the KD2. The KD2 only have forefoot Zoom.

I know you may say the Kobe V is a lowtop so it has less upport but the outrigger on these shoes are outstanding and gives the shoe balance.
  

 

[zombiejesus12]

^Seconded.

Hey, VSOP and grittyman - you dudes need to look up the phrase "tongue in cheek".

 

[zombiejesus12]

^Seconded.

Hey, VSOP and grittyman - you dudes need to look up the phrase "tongue in cheek".

 

[grittyman20]

The cushioning is fine.

The ankle support is weak.

The Lebron PS VII provides better ankle support than the ZK5.

 

[grittyman20]

The cushioning is fine.

The ankle support is weak.

The Lebron PS VII provides better ankle support than the ZK5.

 

[cbfpunch]

i think ppl need to get their definition of ankle support straight

 

[si3n4]

The Kobe Vs are great shoes. The fit, comfort, lockdown, and stability of these are amazing. However, I PREFER to wear other shoes for basketball - especially for long runs. I find the traction and cushioning to be little lacking in these for my needs. I can totally understand why so many people love these shoes. They just don't quite work for my body mechanics.