wow. it's amazing what this post became. i hope you can all realize that it's not just the one scapegoated individual that turns the nike forum into anelementary shoving match. i could also do without the propaganda machinery, but i guess it's cool, it's not that hard to read between the lines andsift out the nuggets of wisdom here and there. anyway, as someone who actually plays ball - i never felt any sort of energy return from shox. at least not in a good way. the first time i played in BB4s,they killed my shins and calves. maybe, as prof k wrote, the first iterations of shox were tuned more for the needs of pro players than the average baller.however, after breaking them in, they worked okay, almost as if the shox adjusted to my weight over time. in a full-length implementation such as the VC2 or the shox elite (i think? it was jermaine o'neal's first finishline exclusive shoe), shox give me alot of stability, at the sacrifice of a bit of court feel. i haven't ever had the misfortune of landing on the edge of the shox plate, but i could see howthat could potentially lead to a very bad ankle sprain. however, insofar as my own experience goes, those two models are pretty good for balling. while the VC2is a sentimental favorite, i think the elite is the superior shoe, with a softer shox ride, and with the mesh cutouts providing some much needed ventilationand a slightly lighter shoe. my favorite shox shoe has got to be the stunners though. yes they're a bit on the heavy side, and yes, they're kinda ugly.. but as a performance shoe,they work well for me, whether indoors or outdoors. i think the combination of a zoom forefoot and shox heel is butter, and the one piece bootie feel as wellas the lace cover (so as not to have my laces flapping around and potentially coming undone during the game) work for me. the strap doesn't, so much, asit's kinda narrow, but i just take it out of the loops and strap it by itself, and they work. anyway, i'd like to see some more implementations of shox, not just in team shoes where they switch out the cushioning setup from zoom to max to shox, butsomething just for the shox. shoes like the horribly failed tuskegee VC3s have shown that shox isn't really for casual wear, but for people that actuallyhoop. so yeah, give us something to play in, and it will definitely be appreciated. might not sell through at retail in all sizes.. but do any nike basketballshoes anymore these days?
, sorry clutch. i think the only 2 problems i have with the VC2 as far as playability are the narrowness in the forefoot (sometimes i endup with blisters - but i got some wide feet), and ventilation (when i finish playing, my feet are soaked in sweat). oh, and the other problem is that i missedout on the white/reds and gundams.. i got the white/silvers, the white/navys, and the SVSMs though, i guess that's good enough for now.
^ i definitely had problems with narrowness and pinching initally but they broke in eventually and it got so so good. as far as breathability, the shoes i wore for ball before those were the Air Zoom GP III. when you have sweat and moisture literally consensing on the clearparts of your shoes, most subsequent shoes dont seem too bad. the white/red are the only ones i have. i got on them sort of late in the first place so they're werent too many around, if i had only known . the money i would pay for a legitimately ds pair in 10.5 . id ask if you had any but your SN kind of tells the story.
Let me provide some more information that should shed some more light on this topic, and hopefully answer a lot of your questions . SHOX are comprised of very high-density polyurethane foam columns that are formed and placed for sport specific applications. For basketball, the columns arecurved outward and scored on the inner sides, which allows the columns to deflect such that the heel is kept flat to the ground. The concept is simple. Foam columns between flexible plates(called moderator plates) provide a responsive, cushioned ride. The columns are individually tunedto the specific sport that it will be used for. Early prototypes relied on cumbersome metal springs and carbon fiber plates, but Nike engineers turned toinnovations employed by the likes of NASA and Formula One(racing company), recreating the columns using materials that withstand the needs of top athletes -and stand up to the most rigorous testing of any product in our company's history. Like I've stated before, Nike SHOX began with the late Harvard professor Thomas McMahon, a track fan who discovered that putting springs on the undersideof an indoor track improved performance and prevented injuries. Nike seized upon this idea, convinced that springs on shoes could have the same effect for anindividual. After 16 years of research - and dozens of prototypes and thousands of test miles - wereleased Nike SHOX to the public in November of 2000. Even for a company that introduces hundreds of footwear innovations each year, this was a milestone: thecompany's first major new footwear technology since Air cushioning hit the scene 29 years ago. Hopefully this info. will give you all a greater sense of respect, understanding, and inspiration for the technology and innovation that we strive to bring toour athletes and consumers on a consistent and high-quality level. We, more importantly our engineers, designers, coaches, scientists, chemists, PHD andBachelor's degree holders and everyone else involved in innovation, research and design would like everyone to understand that we don't spend all theseyears on creating and studying "gimmicks".
^ i see that you thought i was addressing someone else before, make no mistake, i am refering to you. ENOUGH, every single one of your post reeks of a smug 'we here at nike' attitude, when you refuse to give any information as to your title (which youcertainly insinuate is a high one) or what it is that you do there. It's very possible that you do in fact work for nike, but so do thousands of others whohave absolutely no effect on the product that is released. Again by your constant use of the word 'we' you are implying that you do, but in reality youcome off as an over zealous nike enthusiast that has delusions of grandeur about their position within the company. It's insanely overbearing, and youneed to tone it down.
Do I ask you what your job title is at your place of employment? Surely you could understand that I would like to keep my job secure with Nike and protect myidentity. I never made any indications as to the "level" of my position with Nike. Instead of complaining I think you should be appreciativethat someone from Nike is taking the time to come here and address people's questions, concerns, or comments. If you don't like the information, simplymove on. P.S., ask yourself how much of MenofOregon's posted information is credible.
Obviously you haven't read the posts/questions very well. FYI, not everyone on this board is like you and has the vast, superior knowledge on the different technologies of Nike. It's my obligation as an employeeto inform the public. That's in my "contract" sir. If the information is "widely known" as you say then why would others be on here seeking answers? The title of this thread sir is `Shox discussion thread'. I think it would only make sense to maybe ....talk about SHOX?...?????
Can't we all just get along? And bring back the Shox Monster running shoe? Please? Oh yeah the VC 2s are great for doings squats. Discuss
^Shox monster you say? These are still available in a few sizes on eastbay. Here's the link. http://www.eastbay.com/catalog/prod...-home/model_nbr--78330/sku--14307411/node--0/