Sneaker Reviews Contest - CONGRATS TO WINNER: STORM RYDER

[Methodical Management]

You spoke; we listened. Professionally designed, premium quality NikeTalk t-shirts have arrived:

Sneaker Reviews Contest

Help your fellow members out! The NikeTalk member who creates the BEST new sneaker review between Tuesday, October 23rd and Sunday, October 28th will win a free t-shirt in his or her choice of sizes (Men's S - 3XL).

Post your reviews HERE as a reply or link to enter! ONLY posters who submit their reviews in this thread will be considered.

Our staff will announce the winner on October 29th.


Good luck everyone, and please stay tuned as we reveal the new NikeTalk t-shirt!

 

[wearinthefourfive]

Today I will give my detailed review of the Nike ID Low-Top Dunks. I bought these shoes around Christmas time last year (deadstock picture below), and I have worn them to pieces, so I have the knowledge of them to give a very detailed response to the various aspects of the shoe, varying from comfortability, to stability, and finally overall quality.

These shoes are as comfortable as a brick with the weight of a feather (if that is imaginable). When you walk around in these, they run so loose around your foot that you can barely tell that you have anything on, giving you the feeling like you are treading around your house in your Kid Robot PJ's and some Jordan Brand socks. Sure this sounds like it's all gravy, but who wants to walk up and down through the mall searching for the nearest Champs Sports in just socks? After spending more of an hour on my feet while wearing these shoes, my heels and the balls of my feet begin to ache and burn like that time I got athletes foot. This could also be due to the fact that the soles of these "dunks" may be made out of recycled cardboard. For the sake of Niketalk, I decided to go the extra mile (literally) and run a few laps around my school track in my Nike Dunk ID's. Eight minutes later (speedster, I know) I could barely make it to the car with the blistering pain in the bottoms of my feet. These shoes most likely get a 5/10 for comfortability, and that is only for short usage, and not for any athletic activities.

Stability in these kicks is as existent as self-worth in that ***** who lets you and your five dudes run a train on her. I can't mow my lawn without thinking that I'm going to roll an ankle while making a U-Turn on the edge of the grass. These are as soft as Yao Ming in the post, and as flimsy as T-Macs game in the second round of playoffs. Just for kicks and giggles, I decided to wear these in a pickup game of basketball not to long ago (

(Oh, and I wear a XL

TEAM XBOX360

TTARD 25​

 

[yuckiebrian]

lol yer going to win by default? too bad im too lazy to make something up like that good job hope u enjoy your tee

 

[birdsiview]

My size 10 Timberland Steel Toe's have served me well on and off the court for the last 4.5 years. Timberlands truly are "The workmen's shoe" and should be America's Shoe as well.

On the court they are supportive and intimidating. Nothing takes the heart out of your opponent more than seeing you running up and down the court in Timberlands! I now drive the lane with confidence in my steel toe's. They provide 3 inches to my height and the padding makes sure that I will never have to worry about any rolled ankles. There's nothing that compares to balling in some worn in Timberlands!

Off the court, what can I say? I get the ladies. Plain and simple, nothing impresses a busty, sexy lady like a pair of old beaten Timberlands. Women are attracted to men that work hard and can provide them with a warm log cabin. My woman will never go cold with the piles of wood I have chopped down in my Timberlands!

Overall, this shoe is a hit. It has been a classic for years, with it's stylish and practical make. I nearly played division II basketball because of them before being suspended indefinitely for kicking someone in the shin with them. I now wear them everyday, whether out in the forest chopping tree's down or just picking up something to eat at Popeye's. I recommend Timberland Steel Toe's to everyone out there that is looking for something to play basketball, or any other sport in, and also needs a shoe they can wear comfortably everyday.

10 out of 10.

SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS

XVI . XIX . XXIII . XXIV . XXIX

​

 

[goosebear10]

Nike Uptempo Motion Nash

The Nike Uptempo Motion like the Nike Zoom Brave was another of Nike's limited releases.With the home white/orange/grey colorway being a Canada only release and the away black/white/purple release being Asia only.The Asia only colorway also received zoom air cushioning while the home colorway got heel and forefoot encapsulated air.It features Nike's chassis system for stability and support.Ill get into that more as the review progresses.I was disappointed that the shoe lacked zoom air especially since Nash's previous game shoe was the excellent Nike Zoom Drive.

When I first picked up the shoe I was surprised that it isn't the lightest shoe.Not that it is the Lebron IV, I was just surprised that it wasn't lighter especially since it looks light with it's high speed low drag design.The Uptempo Motion doesn't feature a dynamic fit sleeve but I didn't have any problems with seams or fit.The material used inside the shoe was very comfortable with plenty of padding around the collar.The collar slopes down from the top laces down to the Achilles tendon for maximum freedom nearly bringing the range of motion to that of a low top without sacrificing ankle support.The Nike Chassis System cradles your foot with TPU supports that cup the wearer's foot.Coupled with additional material stitched over the upper providing additional support that works in conjunction with the the rest of the upper and heel counter offering excellent support and stability.Overall ankle support is decent,due to the fairly low cut of the shoe.The Uptempo Motion's lacing system pulls the upper securely around the foot with a second lace hole at the top to really cinch in the ankle.The midsole is also internalized furthering the attempt to lower the profile of the shoe even without zoom air.

As I stated at the beginning of the review,the home colorway didn't get the zoom air package the away colorway got.This was the shoe's biggest drawback where you have a shoe built to be low profile and perfect for the naturally low profile and responsive cushioning but instead was implemented with the standard Nike Air units.Asia seems to be getting many of the great exclusives in colorways and shoes lately with multiple colorways of the Nike Zoom Kobe 2 and Nike Zoom Brave.Fortunately the lack of Zoom Air didn't completely kill the shoe.I think it was one of those expectation type of deals where you know the shoe doesn't have Zoom Air but know it should.The cushioning performed well in terms of shock absorption but when making cuts and attacking the basket I was expecting the responsive cushioning I get from the Zoom Air.If it was a cost issue I would have paid another $10-15.00 to get zoom air in the shoe.

The outsole features multi-directional herringbone and a big ol' Swoosh right down the middle of the forefoot.Maybe if the Swoosh was in the midfoot where the outsole doesn't actually touch the playing surface rather than up in the forefoot area where traction and surface area is most needed for acceleration or quick change of direction.On clean hardwood I didn't have any problems,but naturally on the concrete tile I felt a bit of slippage in the forefoot area.I think another problem the shoe has in terms of traction is that the rubber compound used was fairly stiff.Perhaps a softer compound would have allowed the outsole to better grip and "bite" the playing surface batter.That being said the stiffer rubber compound should make the shoe an excellent performer on outdoor courts.

While the shoe was an above average performer I truly feel as if the lack of Zoom Air truly hurt the overall feel of the shoe.Maybe I'm just spoiled from playing in excellent Zoom Air based shoes and to have to transition back to a standard Air cushioning system kind of "buzz-killed" it for me.I love how the shoe gives plenty of freedom in the Achilles area simulating a low top shoe.And for whatever reason I really liked the material used inside the shoe making it perfect for no-show socks and a summer outdoor hoops shoe.

Comfort and Fit-4/5
Cushioning-3/5
Ankle Support-3/5
Traction-3.5/5
Overall-3.5/5

Overall nothing spectacular but it does get the job done.There are a number of other shoes I would probably bring out before these again.Maybe if I can track down a pair of the Zoom Air based Asia exclusives I will update the review and compare.But being that the shoe was a Canada/Asia exclusive,and fairly hard to get,look elsewhere unless you're a die hard Steve Nash fan.

check out my blog unds'ed/

 

[airjordan jb23]

Nike Shox VC V
The last of the VC line.
By: AIRJORDAN JB23

with, the shoe is just flat out comfortable as soon as you slip them on. You feel a sense of letting out a nice cool "Ahhh..." when putting these on your feet. Laced up high & tight, these will make you feel liek you can soar like Vince Carter, until you actually jump & realize the only difference between you & him wearing them, is that you come down much faster when taking off.

Staright to what I felt the VC IV lacked was ankle support, these definitly improved in that catagory. When in need of an ankle brace in the IV's for additional support, these did not require them at all. The shoe feels soft from the toe all the way up to the ankle & in the game of basketball, ankle support is very important. The shoe is definitly made for the guard position, so when guards have to deal with defensive sliding & quick cuts, these definitly provide that extra support & care for your ankles.

What was featured in the VC Shox 2 & 3 was the full legnth shox, to the 4's that was reduced to 6, then continued to stay with 6 on the VC V's. The shox provide landing comfort & good stability & feel in the heel area. I know personally that the heel area can be sensitive, so im in need of either Zoom Air or Shox when wearing shoes. The Shox as in other Nike basketball sneakers, are great, but with the featured mid foot Zoom Air, its a great touch to what already is a great shoe. The Zoom Air is just another reason to when landing on the ground is just so sweet, along with the mix of Shox in the hell & Zoom in the fore foot, the comfort just doesn't want to leave your foot, so you may feel depressed when taking the shoe off, but its normal. The good thing is you can pick up a pair for casual use, which leads me to my next point.

Casual use for this shoe is very good as well. While I mentioned that the Shox & Zoom in the mid area is soft, these are very good to just wear around whatever you plan on doing. With the clean colorways put out, you can look sharp & feel comfort at the same time.

Colorways of this shoe are simple, but great. Colorways featured include the Black/White colorway, White/red/navy colorway, white/carolina blue colorway, all star colorway, & the white/blue/maize HS Bucs colorway from Vince's former HS.

youtube.com/watch?v=LPRZgiF95Uc


Back to performance real quick, two more things that are important with basketball sneakers are traction & fit. The traction on these are great. Personally I play at the 3 guard and while up top moving around defensivly, I could stop on a dime with these. & a bonus, while stopping on that Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the shoe allowed no movement whatsoever. Lock down fit featured means lock down fit. You'll be locked down more than ... *fill in corny analogy here* ... no movement whatsoever in the shoe, and as any player will tell you, not easy to find in a shoe, but a huge plus.

The fit of the shoe as mentioned features the lock down fit, but also runs true to size & overall comfort mixed in with these 2 offer a great all around fit. Easiest way to sum it up for you.

The shoe also features a sort of strap on the mid range of the lacing area. (pictured below) This allows further lockdown fit for no movement in that area. The lacing when fully tied, allows what seems a tight but yet very soft feel, truely a great addition & a big plus for the shoe.

New Jersey NetsMore Than A Game#1 Marcus Williams#2 Josh Boone#5 Jason Kidd - C#6 Robert Hite#7 Bostjan Nachbar#11 Darrell Armstrong#30 Malik Allen#9 Mile Ilic#12 Nenad Krstic#15 Vince Carter#21 Antoine Wright#22 Bernard Robinson#24 Richard Jefferson#20 Jamaal Magloire#35 Jason Collins#51 Sean Williams

 

[gusyouout]

Adidas Mens C-Billups Review (White/Black/Gold)

Technology: Torsion System, CMEVA midsole, and adiPRENE+ in the forefoot.

Sizing: Fit true to size, I usually wear a size 10 in Nikes, Jordans, Reebok, New Balance, and other Adidas shoes and the sizing on these was no different.

Weight: 15.2 oz

Overviewed playing ball, the movement wasnt enough to distract my game. The heel fit was very good, sturdy with no movement within the shoe. The ankle support was sufficient for me, but overall was average.

Traction was good, and I mostly played outdoors in these. The shoe has a circular traction pattern, except for the area where the outrigger is which provides some speed nubs. Although the traction was good, I am a little worried about the longevity of the outsole for outdoor basketball. The traction works ok on less than pristine surfaces and does a good job on clean surfaces. There are no worries about durability of the outsole if you only play indoors.

This shoe has the same outsole and general shape as the Adidas Team MAC 3. The Adidas C-Billups really reminded me of the Adidas Pro Model S shoes in terms of overall performance; the ventilation and cushioning seem to be very similar. If you were a fan of the Adidas Team Mac 3s or Adidas Pro Model S shoes, then youd be a fan of these. These shoes are perfect if you want an average shoe for balling. The price is very affordable, the cushioning good, the fit good, the ankle protection average, stability excellent, and the ventilation superb. Overall it was a good shoe and nothing to really complain about.


Overall Score

GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS

Azubuike - Barnes - Belinelli - Biedrins - Croshere - Davis - Ellis

Harrington - Hudson - Jackson - Lasme - O'Bryant - Perovic - Pietrus - Wright​

 

[dwyanewadeog]

Vibram Five Fingers Review

TeamWolfShirts
"Thanks EverythingWolf!"​

 

[greenredgreen]

jf is GOD.Wonder what it is that makes the world turn slower. Wonder what it is that makes me feel so mad. Everyone that talks to me, I so wish wouldn't. I wouldn't even care, except I feel so bad.last.fm

 

[size twelve]

Back in the days before there were big man shoes and guard shoes, we simply had basketball shoes. Despite the athlete's name attached to it, the Nike Zoom LeBron Soldier is a throwback to an earlier era - a time when people actually laced up their shoes and went out to play ball, instead of consigning them to a life of saran wrap and custom display cases. If you wanna look fly, this probably isn't the shoe for you. It's a shoe in which to put in some work on the court, a hoop shoe to actually hoop in.


Bereft of such gaudy adornments as patent leather, 3M piping, clear soles, an exposed cushioning syster, or a touch of animal print, the Soldier has been dropped in team colorways at an affordable cost. There were a few special makeups dropped online only, or only in certain stores, but for the most part, you will see this shoe on hardwood or asphalt, and one of the best things about the Soldiers is that they perform well on either surface. Many shoes these days are built too flimsy for the outdoor pounding (not just cosmetically, but structurally as well), but the Soldier lives up to its name by being tough and versatile enough to handle any surface or condition.


Built on a solid foundation, the Soldier is shaped like the human foot - mostly flat-bottomed, with a slight arch in the middle and rounded edges. It has a very natural feel, and the combination of Zoom Air cushioning and a traditiional herringbone outsole, it provides responsiveness, traction, and a ride that is well cushioned without feeling clunky. While the side strap serves as mainly a cosmetic detail, the middle strap serves its purpose by holding your laces in place (nothing worse than having to retie in the middle of the game), while being simple to strap on before the game. Both straps have logos emblazoned on them, but the Swoosh is bigger and more noticeable than the LJ23. The laces are flat, and the shoe can be laced either wide or narrow around the ankle, depending on how you like your shoe to fit. There's also an extra layer of foam built into the ankle collar, for comfort and support.

The colorway I tested was the white/black/gold AP release - which features a leather lining and a full grain leather upper. Both served me well as I played, and although ventilation has been mentioned as a concern, the Soldiers did well for me in tropical conditions. Partly due to the color blocking, and partly due to the nature of the ride, the Soldiers really reminded me of the Taxi Jordan XIIs, a shoe I loved in my younger days, and balled in for years. It's just a real basic shoe to hoop in, that does its job well, and is long lasting to boot. As a post player with quickness and size, who plays more outdoor than indoor, all year round, I'm used to burning through shoes quick (within a month of serious ball), but the Soldiers take a beating and keep going. Whether on hardwood or concrete, they give me the cushioning, traction, support, and perhaps most importantly - the confidence in my shoes to just go out there and play my game, without being worried about my feet. Plus, they work across positions too - as I've seen pro players from quick point guards to athletic centers hoop in the Soldiers, and end up coming back to playing in them even after being issued new kicks.


No matter what position or how or where you play, if you need a pair of shoes for basketball, try the Soldier on for size (fits true for me). It's a shoe built to hoop in and hoop in hard - that provides heavyweight cushioning and support without being heavy or clunky at all. Play in these and you can just concentrate on play your game, and playing your game well. On court at least.. off the court, well, that's on you, kid.

..with so much personality,
what do you want from me?
i could be by myself and enjoy the company..
but i'd ratherher
​

 

[storm ryder]

Nike Zoom BB

Zooming Forward

Zoom Air technology has been around longer than Nike Talk. Zoom Air was first introduced in 1995 in the Air Penny One and was called Tensile-Air. The technology itself has changed very little since, but its implementations and improvements have been impressive to say the least. There was Vis-Zoom Air, Full-Length Zoom Air, Zoom Air Sockliners, Double-Stacked Zoom Air, Articulated Zoom Air and so on. Designer Andreas Harlow introduces the latest iteration of Zoom Air and it comes in the Zoom BB, a pure performance, racing inspired, lightweight and supportive basketball shoe.

Racing is a sport of milliseconds, where a slip of the pedal, a tap too much on the gas or brake, a turn too much of the wheel could be the difference between the chequered flag and being out of the podium. The same can be applied to basketball. One slip of the foot and your defender could get right by you. One hesitation or one step too far either way can be the difference between a score and a stop. Nike created the Zoom BB to help you respond quicker and give you confidence to make the plays that the quickest players on the court make.

The upper of the Zoom BB is very reminiscent of a racing boot. High cut, low profile, double lasted and minimal. The most unique feature about the full-grain leather upper is probably its cut. The ankle support offered is not that of your traditional, almost too low-cut point guard shoe. The ankle is molded and perforated on the lateral side and bulges right where your anklebone is. Not only does that help give the Zoom BB a nice snug fit, but it also helps in the overall agile feel of the shoe considering its high cut. The inner is also nicely padded with a smooth fabric all the way around and an inner bootie with a mesh top provides a seamless and snug feel while doing its job ventilating heat out of the shoe. On the medial side there is another set of perforations that visually look very similar to the ones at the ankle and at the toecap, a good job by Nike to use some visual themes throughout the shoe.

It seems like the only seam on the whole upper is the one that splits the upper from the toecap. The seam is butted also to give a clean look. The toecap is also perforated to help disperse heat from the toes. On the lateral side of the upper, there is a pad of leather stitched into the toecap area right where the pinkie toe would be. That half circle leather pad coincides with the lateral outrigger and really helps give the feeling of a bit more support on the side of the foot. Nike went with a tradition lacing system that does a great job of keeping your feet locked in.

There are a set of 3 eyelets at the uppermost part of the ankle that give the wearer a custom fit at the ankle. The eyelets are coated on the inner part to help prevent against stretch when lacing the shoe tight. For guards who dont need the extra support, go down one set of eyelets to the TPU eyelet. The TPU eyelet is great because the TPU allows it to cover a large area and it is placed in such a way to allow the wearer to use it as their last eyelet while still providing a great, supportive, locked-down feel. The shoe is a bit tough to get on at first but unlace the shoe all the way down and get a finger in the back of the heel to help get your foot in. I found the pull tab at the back of the shoe to be a bit too far down to actually be of any use. The upper is detailed with contrast double stitching around the laces and around the top and back of the shoe. There is also an external TPU heel counter which augments the internal heel counter and helps keep the heel stable and locked in. There is a bit of a sharp or rough edge where the Achilles tendon sits. Although I havent had any problems with chafing or blistering, I would suggest wearing socks that cover at least to the back part of the shoe.

The racing inspiration is evident in the midsole and outsole of the Zoom BB. Zoom BB features top-loaded full-length Zoom Air in a 6mm bag, which provides a very low to the ground ride and unmatched court feel. Instead of lasting the upper to a hard material, Nike lasted the Zoom BB directly to a soft layer of polyester (or nylon) and the Zoom Air bag sits directly underneath it. It gives the wearer a sensation that the Zoom Air is directly underneath the foot. By using this configuration of Zoom Air, Nike managed to make the Zoom BB VERY responsive. Impact protection is surprisingly good considering the thinness of the cushioning platform. The sockliner is beefed up with Poron inserts at the heel and forefoot and does a great job of adding to the overall cushioning feel. Nike also uses a layer of TPU or Pebax to anchor the shoe. The TPU or Pebax is visible on the lateral side directly on top of the outsole and also on the medial side only under the arch area. Im not too sure what the purpose of the layer of TPU or Pebax is, but I think it helps in the torsional rigidity of the shoe while helping to maintain the overall flexibility of the shoe.

Although there is a lack of any sort of Free technology or even flex grooves cut into the outsole and midsole, the shoe has a very natural feel and does not seem restrictive at all. The responsiveness and low profile feel would all be a waste without great traction. Nike uses a high-abrasion rubber compound with an exaggerated herringbone traction pattern. There is a small pivot circle at the forefoot that uses a traditional herringbone pattern for increased grip at that key area. The outsole is beautifully engineered to give the shoe a natural but stable feel as the medial side (inside part) of the shoe is rounded along the edge even at the heel. While the lateral side (outside part) of the shoe features a large forefoot outrigger for increased stability and even the heel is slightly flared for a more stable ride. This shoe is definitely stable enough for the big fellas, but I would worry about the cushioning bottoming out for players that are VERY heavy for their size. Keep that in mind when buying or trying the shoe on.

Like a good racing shoe would help the driver to heel-toe seamlessly through corners, the Nike Zoom BB helps you get around defenders, or lock your man down. I think the calling card of a good shoe, is one that you dont have to think about. The Zoom BB does just that, the Zoom BB allows you to just play. Its full-grain leather upper provides amazing fit, while the molded ankle and relatively high cut give the wearer a lot of comfort and as much support or as much freedom they need. The cushioning of the shoe is really the highlight of the shoe. I cant remember when I ever wore a shoe that was so low to the ground but springy and cushioned at the same time. To top it all off, the outsole grips very aggressively and gives a surefooted, stable yet natural feel with its perfectly placed lateral outrigger, and its curves along the medial side of the shoe. The shoe reminds me of a combination of the Air Jordan XIV and the Zoom Kobe 1 but with more ankle support. Just as low to the ground as the XIV and grips just as well too but doesnt have the amount of interior padding or lateral support as the Kobe 1 but has better ankle support and feels just as springy and responsive.

Instead of going over-the-top with straps or visual technology, Nike simply tweaked what they had already. With the Zoom BB, Andreas Harlow and Nike created a great platform and a shoe that could be one of the greatest performance shoes yet.

Colorway Tested:Dark Obsidian/Pimento-Ink Blue
Grading:
Cushioning- 10/10
Ankle Support- 9.5/10
Traction- 10/10
Fit/Comfort- 9.5/10
Lateral Support- 9/10

Overall: 48/50 (96%) = A+

Player Profile:
Height: 63
Weight: 210 lbs
Position: 3-5

*All pictures from eBay member: kixpress*

 

[ijapino]

Winners will be announced sometime today. Staff votes needed to be tallied up.

I don't know yet if members who entered after the deadline are still eligible. I'll inform you guys later on...
Niketalkin' since December 15th, 1999!

HELP REPORT eBay Fake Listings!

 

[brilliant]

STORM RYDER steez@niketalk.com

 

[birdsiview]

Robbed

SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS

XVI . XIX . XXIII . XXIV . XXIX

​