outdoor shoes for bball?

[cbfpunch]

couldn't find my old thread on this and i didn't feel like gravedigging but this is something a bit different.

i know as soon as the cold weather breaks in a few months i'm going to hit the outdoor courts when i can. i'm tired of trying to break into my zoomsoldier 3s (which i wear true to size but is a half size too small for my feet cuz of the narrow toebox) and i can't afford to lose a few days tending tothe rubbed pinky toes after i play in them.
so i've been contemplating on getting a new pair of good bball shoes out there that are widely accessible to purchase, relatively modern, and under $100.what i had my eye on was the zoom sharkalaids in the blacked out cw, and the blue chip 2. i know the blue chip has never been regarded as an outdoor bball shoebut the outsole for it makes it seem like it will actually fare well on the blacktop. correct me if i'm mistaken lol.
i read some reviews for the sharkalaids and most of them said they were good, some said the toebox is too narrow, one said it fits true to size. the claims ofit have a narrow toebox is deterring me from pulling the trigger on it. i tried them on in a store and i wasn't exactly sure about them. with my zoomsolider 3 i wasn't sure with the toebox width until it was too late, the shoes were already worn and had battle scars on them lol.
are there any potentially good outdoor bball shoes releasing this coming year during the warmer seasons that i should wait for instead of the 2 aforementionedshoes? btw, i don't think i would be able to get any of those asia exclusive lbj (ambassador) or kobe (dream season) shoes.
also, are there any shoes that weren't specifically made for outdoors that actually hold up very well outdoors? i thought about getting a pair of kobe 4sfor $60 at NTNY but realized that the rubber compound is actually too soft for outdoor play.

so to sum it up:
- looking for a good pair of outdoor bball shoes that's easy to get, came out within the past 2 years, and under $100
- too potential options are nike zoom sharkalaid, and nike blue chip 2
- are there any future outdoor bball shoes i should hold out for?
- are there any other shoes that hold up great outdoors?

the blacked out sharkalaids

blue chip 2 outsole

 

[hardaway33]

20.5.5's... They were my tanks for the past 2 summers, most durable outsole I have ever played in. Check eBay

 

[cbfpunch]

thanks, i always hear a lot of good things about the 20-5-5 and the solider 1 but sadly they aren't widely available for me to just go pickup in-store oronline. checked ebay like you suggested and they don't have my size.

 

[kojinman]

the air raids are good to ball in, but also kind of heavy.

 

[jlking]

Jordan Elements, wasn't they originally designed to be able to be outside in, for the streetball tournament overseas? It's like $90 right now on fnl,and they have most sizes 8-13. They also have a review of them at ISS

 

[cbfpunch]

^ i saw the elements in person and didn't like that it had fake carbon fiber in the midfoot. and i'm not particularly crazy about the icy solethat'll yellow on me after some time. but thanks for the suggestion.

 

[mt3130]

the sharklaids fit just like the sharkley and the phenom. those are two other options taht are essentially the same shoe.

i found them to be a little wide at the forefoot, and true to size.

the soles are very durable, zoom air in the heel is nice, but the shoe could use a little help as far as forefoot cushion goes.

 

[wsupjs]

Just wait until you can find some 20-5-5's on eBay. They pop up all the time on there. In my opinion they are the best outdoor shoe you can get for themoney.

 

[hardaway33]

Originally Posted by wsupjs

Just wait until you can find some 20-5-5's on eBay. They pop up all the time on there. In my opinion they are the best outdoor shoe you can get for the money.

I told him the same thing! The best zoom I have felt, ventilation is second to none, and is extremely durable.

 

[cbfpunch]

lol thanks, i will check ebay more frequently for 20-5-5's.

so nobody has any more opinions for the shoes i listed?

 

[45nique15]

Try the lebron 4 if you dont mind the weight...plus their super comfy after you break them in a bit

 

[cbfpunch]

^ thanks, i was interested in the lebron 4 for a while but i think i would mind the weight after a while. just like i started the mind the weight of the VC3.

 

[45nique15]

^ after a while you'll get use to it...thats what happened to me...... now I love mine.

 

[scshift]

I wear zoom MVP Xs for outdoor/indoor, they're amazing shoes but they medial collar is starting to tear... i think it's because i took them off usingthe shoe. But they had great traction, cushioning and were real lightweight.

If you want a durable shoe though, look into the foamposite lite. it's ridiculously tough, with the foam shell, XDR sole, and fore/heel zoom air (no lunarbottoming out). It's expensive, but will last a long time, especially since foam doesn't stretch like leather. This does mean a low chance of break inthough, in case it isn't comfortable right away.

 

[cbfpunch]

^ i see where you're coming from and the foam lites do look good on paper for outdoor ballin but i heard some bad reviews about them: poor ankle support,too narrow, and they feel like they tighten to a point where it cuts of circulation. plus, i'm not a big fan of that painted heel counter part that seemsto chip easily. but thanks for the suggestion.

 

[scshift]

i have lebron v lows that served me well for over a year.

the earlier ones are very durable, but i don't really like lebron and his new shoes are overpriced, so i don't recommend them anymore.

one shoe you should look into are the nike dream seasons, they're asia exclusives, but if you manage to find a pair, they'd be really unique and i heargreat for streetball.

 

[cbfpunch]

^ yeah i would like nothing more than to get a pair of dream seasons or even the dream season 2s but i don't have anyone going to asia soon so i don'twanna trouble myself or pay top dollar on ebay.

 

[scshift]

they have dream season 2s? i thought they only made 1, in summer 2009 (i saw them release when i was in hong kong)

but yeah, they were over 100 there, now they're like $130 on ebay... although i did once see some size 10s for around $90, and i believe 12.5s are slightlycheaper also

 

[cbfpunch]

^ yeah this summer nike is going to release the dream season 2 overseas. i would definitely bite on the dream season 1 or 2s but i'm not too big onordering shoes i never tried on before.

 

[ap27]

Not sure how much they are on eBay now, or if they're readily available, but I use Kobe II Strengths outdoors now and I'm pretty happy with them...

If you want something cheap, easy to use, recent, and somewhat accessible, I've heard nothing but good things about the Huarache 09's...Maybe you canfind a place to try them on, see if they're durable enough for outdoor use, and just pick them up off eBay for like 50-70 shipped?

 

[cbfpunch]

^ i have a pair of huarahce 09s already. been thinking about using them for outdoor ballin but they've been really good to me indoors, even on dustycourts. perhaps i'll use the 09s outdoors if i can't find something else. i'm looking forward to the huarache 2010s! thanks for the reply.