Originally Posted by phildlee
Imperial...
I have added these shoes to my rotation of kicks that I ball in: which include the 2k4's, lebron iv's, kobe lites, and the xxii's.
As far as comfort goes:....I would give it a solid 9. I have wide feet, and my game is like a small forward...so I cut and drive, but also play alot of post...I would say that if you are looking for a nice lockdown ankle support type shoe, this ranks behind the lebron iv's, but in front of the huaraches. They feel bulkier than the 2k4's, but then again, the huaraches are stinkin' light. No slipping inside the shoe, and they fit pretty true to size.
Cushioning....8.5 I would say that the bron's have the best cushioning, but comes with the caveat that they are pretty heavy. The sharkley's are nice, but lack the forefoot air, but I don't mind so much. These do well for outdoor shoes as well.
Traction...another solid 9. These are right there w/ the huaraches as far as traction goes. I would have to say that this is the best inside/outdoor shoe next to the 20-5-5's. You can stop hard on these without much problem.
As far as the straps, I've only worn these about 5-6 times, but the straps seem to be sturdy enough, because they have two contact velcro points as opposed to the one for the AJ XX's. But then again, I don't know about long term, but i don't really see it having problems.
Depending on what kind of sharkley you pick up (w/ patent toe or suede) they can crease a little. The suede seems to have more give, but then again, the patent toe ones look sweet.
Hope this helps...
Overall I really love these shoes...they have both form and function....