question about zoom air vs regular air

[jlking]

With the recent debate about which has the better performance the Lebron VIIs or the Kobe Vs, it got me to think about the specific cushioning each shoe has. The Lebron VIIs have a 360 air bag and the Kobe Vs have heel and forefoot zoom. So I've been reading a lot about zoom air and regular air and now I'm a little confused about zoom air and regular air/air max. Zoom air is more responsive than just regular air, because it's springy and it returns energy back up to your feet faster for the quicker step, but it also sends energy back to your knees. Is this bad for your knees in the long run, like are you going to develop any bone diseases as you get older. I know with air or air max the air absorbs the impact, so your knees don't. S what I'm asking is, if zoom air is bad for your legs??

 

[dneou20]

it doesn't necessarily send it back to your knees (zoom)
it just doesn't necessarily carry as much impact protection as an air max bag
but zoom is usually geared towards the smaller players and air/airmax towards the bigger players
being heavier, a player would more likely benefit more from air max than zoom

 

[fenixconnexion.]

I cant really answer your question, but i am curious myself.
from my experience, zoom air > ______
for those who have hooped in Jordan XVIII and XIX, the double stack zoom air is

 

[ny giants 11]

Zoom is borderline perfect. Depending upon the outsole rubber used on the shoe, the air bag can bottom out.

 

[jlking]

Originally Posted by DNeou20

it doesn't necessarily send it back to your knees (zoom)
it just doesn't necessarily carry as much impact protection as an air max bag
but zoom is usually geared towards the smaller players and air/airmax towards the bigger players
being heavier, a player would more likely benefit more from air max than zoom

so with lighter players zoom/air/airmax is fine, but with big men air/airmax is the safer route??

 

[acbboyz84]

Originally Posted by JLking

Originally Posted by DNeou20

it doesn't necessarily send it back to your knees (zoom)
it just doesn't necessarily carry as much impact protection as an air max bag
but zoom is usually geared towards the smaller players and air/airmax towards the bigger players
being heavier, a player would more likely benefit more from air max than zoom

so with lighter players zoom/air/airmax is fine, but with big men air/airmax is the safer route??

It also depend on the person. I've seen a lot of big dudes (above 240 lbs) wearing Zoom and Adidas , etc for the longest and never see them develop any problem. Some people just have good flexible joints and some people just have bad, fragile joints etc. Just go with whatever you feel most comfortable with when playing. 

 

[jlking]

overall there's nothing linked to zoom air and knee problems down the road

???

 

[mister friendly]

Originally Posted by JLking

overall there's nothing linked to zoom air and knee problems down the road

???

I probably a little early to tell. Zoom Air only came out in like 1997.

 

[billy hoyle]

zoom air is the only thing i wear on my feet

 

[swingshot]

Originally Posted by Mister Friendly

I probably a little early to tell. Zoom Air only came out in like 1997.

It was 1995, and was initially called "Tensile Air"

it wasn't actually named "Zoom Air" until 1996.

Many would probably disagree about it being too early to tell.

 

[mister friendly]

I think it is early to tell because Zoom Air didnt start in being put in alot shoes til around 1997. So you figure the youngest athletes to begin consistently wearing Zoom Air shoes were in middle school in 1997 so that puts them in their mid to late twenties. It really hard to tell into people get into ages older than that.

Even so it would be hard to measure unless you had one group only wear Air or Air Max based shoes and another group only wear Zoom Air shoes for like 10-15 years. But who actually does that?

 

[andfattoo]

personally i dont think zoom would cause knee problems, but if you have pre-existing knee problems, speaking for myself, it doesn really help. The impact impact protection helps a ton for my knees and im not considered a "big guy"......(6'4" 205lbs). Some zoom set ups arent as bad as other when it comes to my knees (i.e. lebron IVs), but it depends on the shoe. I can usually tell which shoes i can ball in without pain from just trying them on.