Nike hyperdunk 2011 review

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Nike hyperdunk 2011

When we first got our hands on the Nike hyperdunk in 2008,it was a giant step as it introduced us to lunar foam and flywire.Both technologies have naturally evolved however after the Nike hyperize,lunar foam was abandoned and zoom air was used in the forefoot.The hyperdunk 2010 featured a zoom air met unit that covered the ball of the foot under the big toe.While an improvement for responsiveness on pivots,it left a bit to be desired for overall forefoot cushioning.The hyperdunk 2011 uses a full forefoot zoom air unit as well as different sized air units for different levels of cushioning.The other change has been the uses of flywire.Originally woven into synthetic panels then changed to skinwire that was molded into the upper.Both had some breathability issues and skinwire was a little unforgiving for those with wider feet.The hyperdunk 2011 now uses a combination of skinwire as well as panels of flywire woven into a more breathable synthetic upper.With these improvements let's see if the Nike hyperdunk 2011 takes off or gets grounded.

A staple of the hyperdunk series is the light weight and that characteristic continues with the hyperdunk 2011.The materials used in the 2011 feel lighter compared to the full synthetic upper used in the 2010.The breathability of the 2011 is excellent taking lessons learned from the hyperfuse without sacrificing the overall structure of the shoe.One issue I had with the 2011 was that the upper is relatively flimsy.The flywire does a pretty good job of keeping my foot from exceeding the limits of the upper but it makes for a bit of a looser fit rather than locking my foot in place and experiencing some movement in the shoe.Inside the shoe are two padded lobes that fill the gaps from the natural space created by the ankle bone.With hardly any interior padding,these padded lobes help keep the heel in place when the shoe is tightened.

Cushioning in the 2011 is full forefoot and heel zoom air units.The heel unit is a 12mm bag that provides maximum cushioning.The forefoot features a 4mm bag that provides a low profile forefoot feel.The simple addition of the full forefoot zoom air would have been enough to make the cushioning great,but the addition of the larger zoom unit in the heel pushes the 2011 over the top for cushioning.

The hyperdunk 2011 features full herringbone traction for excellent grip.the rubber used in the outsole is a soft compound enhancing the shoe's traction.no problems with traction on any surfaces the shoe was reviewed on.A carbon fiber midfoot shank provides excellent midfoot support as well as a wedge of denser foam to keep the shoe from caving in at the midfoot on hard cuts.A forefoot outrigger also adds lateral stability.Ankle support is marginal with the upper being a thin synthetic material with fly wire
woven in.The heel counter and support is better than the 2010 but the way the molded heel is shaped left some room for the heel to move a little. I would have preferred my heel to be completely locked down.

Overall the hyperdunk 2011 steps up from the previous year and then goes even further.The combination of traction,cushioning and light weight with just enough support make for a great shoe.The different zoom air units make for a great responsive ride and the improved breathability were major pluses.The fit wasn't as snug as I would have liked even with a widish foot I still had some movement in the shoe.

Comfort and Fit-3.25/5
Cushioning-4.5/5
Ankle Support-2.75/5
Traction-4.25/5
Overall-4.5/5

If you're looking for light weight,responsive,well cushioned,great traction and breathable shoe,the Hyperdunk 2011 is tough to beat.Ankle support is a bit marginal and the fit isn't as snug in certain spots but the pluses certainly outweigh the negatives and in an overwhelming fashion.Definitely a part of the rotation on non review days.

Check the reviews at http://www.undsed.blogspot.com and http://www.undsed.tumblr.com
 
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 goosebear10 finally posted an actual review instead of just a link to his website 
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Goosebear - How do HD 2011 compare to Hyperfuse 2011 in terms of on-court performance?
 
Wait, what? How does the shoe earn a 4.5 when you only gave the shoe a 4.5 in one category? You say all very good things about the comfort, but then the heel fit brings it all the way down to a 3.25. Okay then....
 
Overall score isn't an average score of all categories. The combination of weight,traction,cushioning and how the shoe performed on court warranted the 4.5 overall.The sum of the whole was greater than the parts.Hyperfuse 2011 is still in evaluation..traction and cushioning are similar to the hyperfuse but fit is still being worked at..
 
Bought these and played in them today. Might be a little too soft cushioning for my liking. I've worn the past 2 Kobe's over the past two years and I'm used to feeling the court. With these it feels like I'm an inch off the ground. The traction was also absolutely awful, but I think the court might have just been real dusty. Either way it didn't matter how many times I whiped off the bottom of my shoes I still couldn't get any type of grip. Might return them and get another pair of the Kobe VI's, Hyperfuse 2011's or D-Rose's.
 
sold mine and just bought another pair of kobe VI. traction is !+!$ and it feels like i'm floating... it's too high off the ground for my liking.
 
Originally Posted by mikedamz

sold mine and just bought another pair of kobe VI. traction is !+!$ and it feels like i'm floating... it's too high off the ground for my liking.

Damn we had literally the EXACT same scenario.
 
^ agreed, imo 08 hyperdunk > 2011 > 2010. the 2011 are too high off the floor imo.
 
cant agree with that. the 2008 hyperdunks were crap.

traction was terrible, and the lunarfoam bottomed out in my pair in under 3 weeks. the upper was thick plastic and had you fighting the shoe the entire time it was on. i wore these shoes for 3 weeks then gave them away in 2008.
 
From my experience in the hyperdunk 2011 and from others as well , there have been complaints of the achilles tendon hurting after the game. This doesn't happen to me in my other shoes.
 
Originally Posted by Buc Em

Originally Posted by mikedamz

sold mine and just bought another pair of kobe VI. traction is !+!$ and it feels like i'm floating... it's too high off the ground for my liking.

Damn we had literally the EXACT same scenario.

True dat! I tried these for about 3 weeks, traction wasreally bad once you went outside the narrow threads in the forefoot. So basicallyif your trying to make a cut to the basket and your not on an NBA floor yourgoing on your ear!

I found the fit really bad also - too narrow and when the laces were locked Icould barley feel my toes!

I also found like all these carbon plate shoes the cushioning was non existentand whatever rubber is in the sole its rock hard. It may be durable but its notfit for long hours on the bball court unless tendonitis is your thing!
 
I thought the cushioning on these were excellent. The zoom air in the heel and forefoot do the job well. The problem I have and many have noted this as well is that this shoe causes some pain in the achilles tendon when worn for long periods of time. The traction on this shoe is above average. The ankle support is above average.
 
Originally Posted by squall325

^have you tried sizing up? coz it fits me well.


Good for you.... the shoe runs narrow I tried going up asize but my feet flopped around in the toebox in the bigger size. The flimsyupper makes the laces dig into your foot when laced tight so even if I was ableto tolerate the toebox in the bigger size my feel wouldn’t get any blood flowto keep the shoe on my foot.

If you have even a moderately wide foot stay away from these.
 
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