Kyrie 5 Performance Review:
I've played in the black magic CW for about 5 days at 1-1.5 hrs each day. Here are my thoughts - as always, feedback is welcomed!
Traction:
Like most Kyrie shoes, these do not disappoint. The outsole pattern incorporates some story-telling but not at the expense of sound traction. These do not have the outsole traction peeling up into the toebox on the lateral and medial sides as much as the 4s and 3s do, but it still has that rounded feel to it when playing on the balls of your feet and cutting/changing directions. I loved the traction on the 5s and would not complain about anything, and I play on decent courts - not squeaky clean but not filthy, either. The occasional mid-game swipe was all that was needed and I was good to go. I don't think these would hold up well for outdoor use as the tread does not seem as thick, nor rigid, as previous models did.
Cushion:
This is maybe my 2nd favorite part of the shoe (I'll get to my favorite in a bit). The zoom turbo unit can be felt right out of the box (at least for me) and the heel-to-toe transition with the turbo is amazing. For those who play on their forefeet, this is a nice change from the predecessors in having this new zoom setup in the forefoot as opposed to in the heel. The best part about the zoom turbo unit is that you do not sacrifice court feel with zoom in the front - something that cannot be said for other shoes with similar set-ups in terms of zoom placement. On liftoff, and upon landing, the shoe feels great while never sacrificing the court feel quicker players love. It's a real treat to play in and gets better as you break in the outsole more and more.
Fit/Support:
So as referenced earlier, THIS is my favorite part of the 5s. I like to couple fit and support in to one category since they go in hand-in-hand, and these shoes are monsters in this category. The flytrap set-up on the midfoot is a pain in the *** when you first wear these, as they seem to constrict the upper severely. Hence break-in times. Most people don't remember, but the old leather kicks took weeks sometimes to get that buttery feel, and these are nowhere near like the shoes of the past, but it took a solid 3 days of playing in them to break in. The flytrap loosens up as the upper loosens up, and that only comes with time. Once that's done, the flytrap is merely a complex flywire set-up that secures your foot really, really well. At first, it was weird - I thought I didn't have long enough laces when lacing through the top-hole for playing. After breaking them in and re-tying my laces, I was able to get the flytrap to really harness the flywire such that my feet did not move a bit when laced. I loved that seamless feel while running and a true 1-to-1 fit with the shoe. Because of this, and the low center of gravity giving that great court-feel, the shoe's support was stellar. I never once worried about an ankle roll since you're not sitting too high off the ground, and the heel-to-toe transition I touched on earlier was incredible because of the fit and support going together so well. These are a real treat to hoop in. My one caveat for the masses - these are narrow as hell. I have skinny feet and getting these on my feet were a pain due to the narrowness and the flytrap constriction at first. Once I wore them a few days, they get so much better and easier to put on. I definitely recommend trying them on (if possible) but don't let the initial struggles of getting them on foot discourage you. These will loosen up.
The details and design of the shoe look great, but I think for $130, you really get a bargain. I am sure with more colors coming out these will go on discount and I will definitely grab another pair at that time. The only negative aspect is that wide-footers might find these to be a pain, and the break-in is not that fun. Once you get past that period, these really are great shoes to ball in. I don't do a number system or anything like that, I just give my experience playing in kicks and hope it helps people who might not be able to try them on before purchasing. Any questions, send em my way!