UA Clutchfit Drive 2 Performance Review and Comparison

If the Curry 2 is getting Charged only cushioning, then we should all get excited. Major upgrade over the Curry One cushioning set up.
Photo courtesy of Nice Kicks and Cassy Athena
It’s hard to break into my personal top 5 but the Clutchfit Drive shared the top spot with the Drose 5 as soon as it was introduced last year. I loved everything about it, including  its looks.  With Steph getting his own shoe and no longer rocking the Clutchfit Drive in sweet PE colorways, the cool factor has definitely dropped but has the performance?
Here is a link to the CFD 2 Low
Pros: fit, traction, Charged cushioning actually works and feels great, plush ankle collar
Cons: cushioning is firmer than original CFD softer than Curry 1s, skimpy use of Clutchfit, boring design, heavier than CFD 1
Best for: UA’s version of the Hyperdunk fits almost any position, fans of plush ankle collars, firmer cushioning
Weight: 15.5 oz
For reference: all measured on my baby scale
Clutchfit Drive 1: 14 oz
Curry One: 15 oz
UA Torch: 14.5 oz
UA Lightning: 13.5 oz
The Cut
First off you’ll notice that the high collar is gone and the CFD2 is more of a traditional mid. I actually like the high collar since it isn’t restrictive  but I have no problems with the lower cut of the CFD2.
Traction 
Good ol’ full length herringbone. No story telling: the only story I want to hear is how great the traction is.
I loved the traction on the CFD 1 and Curry and these are just as good thanks to the simplistic design. The rubber and the groove design/depth/width are the same just in a different pattern.
Cushioning 
The CFD 2 features Charged foam only, a first for UA basketball and what we should expect on the Curry 2.
I was not a big fan of the Charged cushioning in the Curry One. It was a layer of Charged sitting on top of Micro G and the result was a much firmer and much less lively ride than the pure Micro G in the Clutchfit Drive. With that experience, I figured Charged must be really firm if it produced a firmer feel on the Curry One versus the Clutchfit Drive set up.
Thankfully I was somewhat wrong; the CFD 2 cushioning set up isn’t as firm as the Curry One (2 levels firmer) but instead feels more like the Curry One Low (which I thought felt 1 level firmer than the CFD 1) but with an even softer feel and more responsiveness which is a good thing in my opinion. In terms of firmness it sits between the Curry Low and Clutchfit Drive 1
Insole is Otholite not Micro G like the CFD 1 or as the product description of the CFD 2 says on UA’s website
The insole is a hair thicker than the Curry One Low’s ( bottom one is CFD2)
Being the nerd I am, I put the Micro G insole into the CFD 2 to make sure I compared apples to apples and the Charged only setup still felt softer than the Curry One but not as soft as the Micro G in the CFD 1. It makes no sense to me as to how the Curry One feels firmer despite having less Charged than the CFD 2 unless they changed the formula of Charged foam.
What does Charged Foam feel like vs Micro G? Does it work?
Trying to accurately describe what Charged foam feels like is like trying to describe how a green grape tastes different from a red grape; it can be done in words but actually trying  them would be best but I’ll try.
To me, Charged feels denser, firmer and not quite as responsive and bouncy as Micro G  but I think that was the intent. The marketing of Charged Foam states that it is an adaptive foam that feels soft while stationary or moving slowly and firms up with quick movement. With the Curry One all I felt was a firmer cushioning set up with no noticeable difference in firmness between standing and moving. With the CFD2 Charged only set up I actually noticed a difference although I was really looking for that feel. It feels firm yet plush when walking but when you put hard pressure on it like cutting or landing, that plush feeling disappears.  It isn’t game changing by any means but it could be and the foam does what it says. I would really love to learn the physics behind it.
Above: cushioning goes up to the “C” in Charged and everything above that the works to keep foot in place. It is the same thickness as what is found on the CFD 1
Below: If you wondered what Charged foam felt like to the touch, you can actually touch it now
Overall I really really like the Charged Foam only set up although I still prefer the Pure Micro G of the original Clutchfit but Charged only is growing on me a lot. Here is how I rank the set ups of the Clutchfit 2 (pure Charged), Curry 1 (part Charged/Micro G), Curry 6 low, and Clutchfit Drive 1 (pure Micro G)

1. Clutchfit Drive 1
2. Clutchfit Drive 2
3. Curry 1 low
4. Curry 1

This also coincides and ranks exactly with how soft and responsive the set ups play. This Charged only set up has really ruined the Curry One for me because now I can see what could have been.
All that being said, if the Curry 2 has this same set up, we will all be very happy. Charged reaches a happy medium for everyone and is a pretty awesome achievement. A few tweaks and UA might reach cushioning nirvana soon.
Fit 
I went with my normal size 11 and had a little less (maybe a 1/8 to 1/4 size) than my normal finger width of space at the toe box and had zero deadspace at the toe box vertically or side to side.  Under Armour tightened up the entire toe box a little from the CFD 1 so if you’re really wide footed you may want to go half a size up but if not, go true to size. I had no issues and I’m a wide footer.
I loved the CFD 1 fit because it really gave me a second skin like fit; Clutchfit sat right on top of my skin from heel to toe and really made the shoe feel like an extension of my foot. The CFD 2 still has Clutchfit but only in the windows featured at the both sides of the ankle and midfoot . Also it isn’t laying directly on top of the skin since UA made the overall  silouette of the shoe “puffier” for lack of a better word. The Clutchfit is stuck in between the padding and fuse at the ankle while the Clutchfit at the midfoot does lay on the skin. There is a lot more padding in the heel collar and tongue which bloats the shoe’s looks but provides a great fit. I felt zero heel slip with minimal break in time.  UA could have gone without any Clutchfit and I probably couldn’t tell a difference since there is so little.
Below: Nice quality Fuse materials in toe box and throughout the shoe
Below: Clutchfit in the ankle collar and midfoot. It is not one piece but rather two cut outs.
I think there is more Clutchfit on the Prodigy
Or Lightning for that matter
You can see the difference in the collars and tongue
Sadly, the pics I showed you display all the Clutchfit material you get with the CFD 2. The rest of the shoe is Fuse which does provide a little extra rigidity but that’s about it. The Fuse did not pop or flex weirdly which is a positive though.
Overall the fit is great but I still prefer that second skin feel of the CFD 1.
Support and Stability
Nothing fancy, just a nice stable flat outsole, heel counter and forefoot outrigger. No tippiness so these passed my heel test. Thanks to a lockdown fit as well these get the job done just like on the original Clutchfit Drive. Between the original and CFD2 these feel more supportive due to the tighter fit and padding. The original allowed a lot more freedom due to the ultra flexible collar.
Above: outrigger
Below: heel counter
Containment 
Clutchfit is supposed to be flexible normally  and tighten up with pressure to keep the foot locked in and I had no issues with containment on the CFD 1. Same goes for the CFD 2 but instead of Clutchfit, most of the shoe is Fuse.
My foot stayed in place on hard cuts and I didn’t feel any sliding thanks to a tighter toe box and stiffer fuse. No complaints here.
Conclusion 
The Clutchfit Drive 2 is a great shoe. It provides the same traction, great cushioning, support and containment all for $125. But looks wise, these look like they came out of a the team shoe vending machine. A big part of buying shoes is emotional and these elicit zero emotion from me. I’ve been a big UA fan since day 1 and seen a lot of blah designs but some seriously sick designs too. Yea I’ve heard the ol ” I don’t care what they look like as long as they perform” but if you had to pick between two similar performing shoes and one looks better, the prettier or cooler one almost always wins.
To go from the sleek, beautiful and innovative Clutchfit Drive 1 to a very generic shoe with no real upgrades in performance is disappointing and loses that UA feel. Having interesting and unique looking shoes with serious performance is one of the reasons I love UA
Btw if anyone sees some Anatomix Spawns at Marshall’s or Ross please hit me up I’ll pay extra. Heard they’ve been popping up for $39.99 just not at my local stores
Now these lows look a lot better but very Run the One esque
I think a better and more appropriate name for these would be the UA Charged Drive since there isn’t much Clutchfit but plenty of Charged cushioning which is the true highlight of this shoe. If they would kept last year’s upper with new color blocking or colorways with this Charged only set up, UA could have knocked it out of the park. I expect these to hit below $90 soon
Update: Look what I found on Jordan debut for $90 today 9/9/15 seller “teamsports58”. Full size run

Under Armour Speed Form Amp 2.0 Performance Review

Under Armour has long been known for making great training apparel and footwear. Can the Speedform Amp 2.0 continue the roll? Read on…
That traction — it looks like a turf shoe but feels right at home in the weight room under a squat bar or hitting some jump ropes/box jumps. Anyone who has done any type of cross training knows when you are under the squat rack or leg press, you need the confidence to push with no fear of slipping, and the Amp 2.0 was solid.
Moving outside, the pattern was able to dig slightly in to grass or turf for running, but on quick lateral movements the “spikes” weren’t long enough to really grip deep grass, especially when a little moisture was present. As for court games, the Speedform Amp is not solid. The traction pattern is fine in a front-to-back movement, but laterally it needs a little help.
Durability? So far, so good. The points on the spikes have worn and slightly flattened, but there is more than enough pattern left to keep using these and feel comfortable working out. The red areas are the cushioning foam from the midsole, and it is softer than the white rubber, but those red points rarely make ground contact.
The midsole is a really thin layer of EVA, no Charged or Micro G, so it is built for explosive, quick movements. For lifting, the low ride of the midsole and the firm foam keep any ankle rolls or tipping to a minimum, which is extremely welcome when you have heavy weights up.
One thing that is important: the window under the midfoot does nothing for cushioning. It never even touches the ground in that area, so the red EVA foam found there is more to stabilize than cushion. That cutout does help with transition and flexibility, allowing the arch to move freely, while still being stiff enough to support the arch, but stability comes later.
To sum up, this cushioning is good for lifting and training but bad for running distances.
Tough call. Yes, the upper is woven, and the woven areas feel extremely nice and smooth (sometimes I rhyme slow), but most of the upper is covered in a synthetic, especially in the high-stress areas. This includes the strip over the big toe, the lateral forefoot, the midfoot saddle (there is woven under the synthetic saddle), and the lace holes. The tongue is also covered in red fuse.
It’s understandable to use fuse for strength and durability in some of these areas, but honestly, it defeats the purpose of the woven upper to cover it up. Ventilation suffers seriously because of the tongue and forefoot coverage, and the fit takes a good four to five wears to break in the fuse for it to start flexing with the foot.
The inside of the Amp 2.0 is classic SpeedForm with the insole and interior lining as all one piece. The heel padding is minimal but still enough to keep the area comfortable. Once the exterior is broken in, the interior fits like a glove and feels great on-foot.
Fit is generous, but not bad. Going back to the upper materials, the SpeedForm Amp 2.0 starts out roomy in the forefoot and feels long, but sizing down would put your toes right at the end of the shoe, and that’s a no-go.
One of the reasons, actually, the main reason, goes back to the tongue. Under Armour gave the SpeedForm Amp 2.0 a burrito wrap system which works great — once broken in. See the pattern here? Be patient. Until it does, be prepared for the shoe to not tighten and lockdown, which can lead to heel slip.
The super-wide base and solid cushioning make the SpeedForm Amp 2.0 a great choice for heavy Olympic-style lifts. The midsole under the forefoot sticks out about 3/4″ from the upper on the lateral side and the heel on both sides is about 1/2″ beyond the upper, meaning when those plates go up your shoes will keep you from wobbling. Your legs may give, but the Amp won’t.
The midfoot support piece is a little different in construction but works just as well. The midsole is cut out to provide transition and feel with dynamic movements, but inside that red foam is a serious shank plate that bends for nothing and no one. Even though that looks like the weak part of the shoe, it actually may be the strongest.
The midfoot saddle holds your foot over the shoe with no pinching or pain and works with the burrito tongue to eventually give you a locked-in fit, but again, be patient.
It’s crazy that I had never really given training shoes much thought until the last three years. Runners and lowtop basketball shoes always worked for me, and I wasn’t a novice in the gym or weight-room, but I just never saw the need. Now, with the advancement in workouts the equipment has followed bringing wider bases, stiffer cushioning, and all-terrain traction.
The Under Armour curry 6 fits perfectly into the category, providing excellent stability and support in a lightweight, well-built package. Give the upper time to form and you will be rewarded with a good fit as well. However, if you need a shoe for running and court work, there are better options out there.
For anyone needing an all-around shoe for the gym or training, the SpeedForm Amp 2.0 will fit your groove. Get carving!!!

Nike Zoom Freak 1 Performance Review

Buckle up folks because this is a fun, if not imperfect ride with the Zoom Freak 1.
So if you read my Price Is Right post, you’d know right off the bat that Nike’s cost more than other brands and by adding a freshly crowned MVP sig to a shoe you know that $120 is really about $110-100 shoe (think Run the one or Hyperchase or Hyperlive). Tuned out already? Well sometimes/usually a $100 shoe can outplay a more expensive shoe.
For $120 you get a very solid shoe that does everything well like its namesake…except shoot 3’s. You’ll get there Giannis….baby steps or in your case, giant baby steps? And I know it isn’t the shoes but damn I’ve been on a tear since I laced these up. #freakyindeed
Pros: traction on clean floors, decent after break in on dusty floors, smooth and low to the ground yet comfortable cushioning, decent Zoom in the heel, exceptional fit, very stable, containment
Cons: traction needs break in time still not quite top tier traction, cushioning is not ultra bouncy or exciting to play in, no midfoot shank
Buying advice: they will make a lot of these because budgety sig shoes outsell/ sell more than their pricier counterparts (Econ 101). And Nike likes that cheddar
Sizing : true to size
Best for: players who value court feel, definitely not for those wanting plush cushioning
Weight
13 ounces which is about average for non Adidas. . Most lows are around 13-14.5 while adidas averages 15-17 ounces.
Is it a low or a mid?
It’s pretty much the same height as the Kobe IV which is probably why it fits and feels so good for me. I took some comparison shots next to the Kobe IV and the PG 3(which it will get compared to most often due to the price). I consider these lows but a higher cut low which is the best of both worlds and helps with the fit in the heel.
I order mids typically but if the shoe fits well and I feel safe, I really don’t care what kind of cut it is. I rarely have any issues with Nike lows and these are no different thanks to the slightly higher height which puts the top eyelet in the right spot to pull my ankle and foot down and back.
Traction
I wasn’t sure how this was going to work out but I was pleased that they stuck pretty well after break in. The first few runs were on relatively clean floors so that let me break them in before taking on dustier floors and I had zero issues on clean or lightly dusty floors.
Moving vertically (downhill, straight), I had no issues partially because the solid portion of the outsole is on the medial side (inside) which is where the majority of your foot pressure when you’re moving forward and backward.
The solid parts of the outsole are soft and flexible which helps save the overall traction.
Lateral movements were fine as well after break in and if you really want to be anal, you can feel a slight slide sometimes on the translucent part until the solid portion catches. I don’t think the transluscent portion is overly sticky but the pattern itself is very firm and thick (that’s what she said) and doesn’t flex much (that’s what..). If you ID the Freak 1, and do a full solid outsole, I think the traction will improve a little but the firmness of the Rose area doesn’t really deflect or flex much.
Overall I think the traction is good overall, not the best ever, but I’m more than happy with it. It’s not a shoe I would be afraid to play with in dusty floors but I have other shoes that do a better job with dust if need be. Wiping is required on dustier to very dusty floors but I didn’t have major issues on less dusty or pristine floors at all.
Traction Comparison: PG3> Kobe IV > Freak
Cushioning
“Double stacked heel zoom in the heel”
Oooh that sounds so sexy and bouncy and fun like Kate Upton but in reality it just feels like a normal heel Zoom unit.
A teeny tiny bit of protrusion to force the Zoom unit to push up into the foot just a teeny tiny bit more
Thanks Fastpass
At 8mm thick, which is what you typically get in a full length Zoom unit, you get a decent Zoom feel but it’s so targeted and skinny relative to the entire heel that the the bounce isn’t overly pronounced even double stacked. Keep in mind, that a few millimeter of that 16.64mm is the Zoom housing so you’re pretty much at the same place as a regular Zoom unit. Most Zoom units, full length included, are wider so you can feel the Zoom on off center heel strikes. (A typical heel unit is 10-14mm and about 20-25% wider btw). Which would you rather have ? Twin beds stacked on top of each other or a fat California King? I like the bounce and feel of the Kobe IV heel which 14-15 mm as a single and the Pg 3 forefoot more.
The rest of the cushioning is just Phylon which is very similar to the Phylon on the HDX, PG and AD Exodus but sits lower than the others at around 20-22 mm based on my Frozen ruler estimations. I’d have to say of those three it feels most similar to the Exodus although I think the Exodus feels a touch thicker and springier overall and the heel feels springier as well. *Side note* I really wish that heel on the Exodus wasn’t so rounded for my tastes because I really liked playing in it but my luck and experience with rounded heels like that are no bueno.
You can see the non ortholite insole which Is just like the Kobe IV. I think the blue Ortholites are janky (thanks Steph) and too porous
Some people will be like ohh who plays on their heels ? They should have put Zoom in the forefoot for extra oomph. Truth be told it won’t add any oomph to your step or 2 inch vertical so don’t worry about it. Giannis wore the Kobe X a lot as well as the Exodus so I guess that’s just his preference and he does just fine in heel only set ups. It would have been more fun if they put Zoom in the heel and forefoot like the HD X but for a $120 MVP you gotta expect fewer bells and whistles.
Cushioning Plushness: PG3> Kobe IV> Freak
*This doesn’t mean any one is better it’s just a reference*
Fit
True to size, it’s so simple people
I bought true to size and half a size up and half a size up left me a full thumb nail lengthwise while TTS was a finger width which is what I expected. No issues width wise either true to size since the shoe isn’t ultra narrow and the upper isn’t constricting. If you got monsteroisly wide feet go up half a size up you still won’t get any heel slip you’ll just have a little extra length. Speaking of heel fit, the heel design just locks in your foot a lot like the Kobe IV which I love.
Overall I had the right amount of toe space, zero side to side movement and an awesome heel fit.
Well done Nike
Fit Comparison: Freak=Kobe IV> PG3
Materials
I don’t care about materials as I’ve noted many many times before and these are on par with a $100 Nike shoe or Kyrie. Nothing fancy just fuse mesh etc. These definitely have a Kyrie I vibe and look to them but they are not crispy cracker like.
Inside shot
It looks stiff but is very thin, pliable yet strong with no popping or weird hot spots.
This back design is nothing more than stitching and does nothing functionally #sigshoe101 detailing.
Not really sure what the logic is here. You either cover the toe with some fuse for protection or your don’t. Can’t put a condom on halfway..or can you ? New concept, Condom strips
If you’re a materials guy and want premium feeling or looking materials, this is not your shoe.
Support and stability
Although these are lows, the heel counter and fit are so good that they feel supportive. Zero issues with stability as well since they sit low and have a solid outrigger
There is no midfoot shank which is ok for some and a no no for others
I really doubt we’ll see Malcom Brogdon wearing these next season especially since he’s not on the Bucks anymore
The flexibility is something I noticed right away and as player who gets PF on occasion I was a bit wary but rather than complain about shoes and limit myself, I’ve been doing foot strengthening and calf/Achilles stretching to actually fix the root of the problem and not look or run around looking for a bandaid coverup. Given KD’s injury I suggest everyone to google Achilles and foot stretches and strengthening. Or just exercising in general.
Overall, no issues while playing although I think they could have firmed the shoe up a touch but hey I’m not Giannis.
Comparison: Kobe IV> PG3 > Freak
All are good overall but overly flexible midfoot puts the Freak at the bottom of support.
Containment
No issues here. Raised midsole and my own moniker “fly straps” help keep the foot in place. I wonder why Flywire was left off the Freak 1? Oh it doesn’t do anything that’s right.
Comparison: tie
Conclusion
I honestly wasn’t uber enthusiastic about lacing these up based on the cushioning when I was shooting around, but for the past two weeks, I’ve been playing lights out and moving like I was twenty one again. I know it isn’t the shoes but when you have games that bring back the fun or turn back the clock and the bucket looks like a swimming pool, you can’t help reaching for the shoes you were wearing those days. The mind is a powerful thing folks.
Personal anecdotes aside, the Freak 1 is a pretty good shoe (emphasis on pretty). I can feel and see a lot of similarities to Kobe’s throughout the design especially in the heel. And while there are aspects that feel the same, this feels more inline with a Mamba Instinct or Focus or Mamba #5. Aside from the fit and stability, The Freak 1 does nothing outstandingly well but that’s okay because it does everything well enough. Sneaker tech nerdists, you can have the most advanced tech in the world but it isn’t going to put the ball in the bucket or make your run faster or jump higher.
So who is the Freak 1 for?
If you want low to the ground cushioning with good traction, fit, stability and flexibility, this is your shoe. Even with its low to the ground cushioning, it’s one of those shoes you put on and forget about.
If you want more cushioning and plush feel, you’ll probably want to gravitate more toward the PG3. Great forefoot Zoom and traction really make it a great shoe…especially on sale.
If you want a little more midfoot support, the Kobe IV is the way to go. Similar set up to the Freak but a little stiffer overall with very similar properties and feel. Yea yea they said full length Zoom but then didn’t. Did it make you score fewer points ? Didn’t think so and it’s still my favorite this year. Discounts a plenty coming soon!
If you’re into only tech specs only don’t buy any of the above and buy Adidas instead because they are having some serious fire sales. Adidas is still the most bang for the buck in terms of tech to price ratio. I guess the Dame 5 at $115 would be a good comparison with similar budget materials, budgety but goodish feeling cushioning and good traction. But with Adidas discounts coming in hot every month, you can get two for the price of one.
At $120 isn’t the cheapest shoe out there at retail but it’s the cheapest retail priced MVP shoe you’ll find. $10 cheaper than the Curry VI and that sorry HOVR foam, $20 less than Harden V3, $30 less than KD 12 retail. I guess Nike is giving Giannis the summer slot since they moved KD wayyy back to April. I personally find the silhouette sexy as well. But like all general releases these will go on discounts just like every other shoe. $120–> $100-> $80->$60-50 range. Based on my wife knowledge test, Giannis is not a household name yet so don’t expect ball busting sales numbers quite yet especially for a team in Milwaukee. As I said above there are technically better options out the at $120 but I can’t say there are many better looking shoes out right now. Looks and an MVP co-sign will always sell more than any any tech shit sheet.The 2019-2020 season is going to be  sneakers included.
Overall, this is not the best shoe performance wise but results wise for me it has me giddy. However, I know results will vary so these get a second team rating due to so so cushioning and “could be better traction” on very dusty courts.

Nike Zoom Pegasus Turbo 2 Performance Review

The Nike Zoom Pegasus Turbo 2 is now available. Last year, the 1st edition of the Pegasus Turbo won a ton of dedicated fans. Is the follow up worth your $180?

Super light shoes that can handle long distances are now a trend in the performance running category. Another example is the Reebok FloatRide Run Fast. These type of shoes are aimed at track/speed workouts and race days.
Last year, with the introduction of ZoomX in the Nike Zoom VaporFly 4%, Nike was able to shed a lot of weight and not compromise on cushion. The Nike Pegasus Turbo brought ZoomX, Nike’s lightest foam, to everyday training and the Nike Zoom Pegasus Turbo 2 continues the tradition. We were able to test both the male and female models of the Pegasus Turbo 2. We ran a bunch of miles in them, relaced them, had conversations with other runners that use them, and even bled in them. So enjoy this one, cause we worked hard for it:
Jodi: This was my first experience with ZoomX foam and I gotta say, I like it. It makes for a fast and responsive shoe. When I go for a run, yes I have my watch tracking me because I enjoy collecting the data, but I don’t ever do speed training. I know my typical average pace, so I just pick a distance and head out. Time and time again, the air jordan 1 surprised me when I got back to my house. Each time, my brain exclaimed “yo girl that time was fast.” Some might call this a placebo effect, but in all honesty, I run because it’s a way of life for me. I love it and I do everything possible not to feel bogged down by it (which means I avoid speed work). So to see my times decrease naturally was really interesting. One note of caution though. The cushion gets very thin towards the toe area and any rogue rocks I encountered hurt like a mother.
Drew: The Pegasus Turbo 2 is so light that I didn’t expect the cushion to be this good. In hand, it doesn’t feel as substantial as everyday runners like the Salming Greyhound. But the cushion on the Turbo 2 works well. Several times, I ran 7+ miles in them and felt great the next day. While the cushion seems to scream “race day only,” the ZoomX is good enough for it to be used as an everyday runner. The only complaint I had was that the ZoomX doesn’t rebound as fast as other foams. The cushion needs a solid 48 hours recovery time before you can run in the shoes again. It’s generally recommended you use all foam cushioning systems every other day to assure the foam completely rebounds. With a lot of sneakers you can fudge a bit on that advice. With the Pegasus Turbo 2, I’d recommend that as a rule.
Jodi: For anyone who follows the WearTesters Instagram account, you already know, these are the shoes that made me bleed my own blood. I had plenty of people, including my own dad, make jokes about how grippy the traction must be. The traction IS solid, but it is in no way to blame for my inability to avoid a sandbag left in the middle of a sidewalk. Accidents happen right?
The traction is actually pretty interesting. Its a ton of mini pentagons all over the outsole, but only made out of rubber on the forefoot and heel. All the rest is left as foam, which cuts down on the weight. I ran on every surface I could find around my neighborhood and running trails, wet and dry, and never worried about slipping.
Drew: Who leaves a sandbag in the middle of a sidewalk? My conspiracy detector is beeping like crazy right now. Is another sneaker blog gunning for the WearTesters team? Hhmm. What was I doing? Oh, review. Where was I, yes, traction. Jodi pretty much said it all in regards to the traction’s performance. The only comment I have to add is about durability. I’m really grinding down the mini pentagons on the outsole and I don’t have confidence the outsole will make it to 300 miles on asphalt. Keep that in mind if the majority of your running is on roads or streets. I’ll probably keep these off to the side for races and rubber track speed workouts to preserve their lifespan.
Jodi: I feel the lockdown for this particular shoe is very interesting. It literally has double the amount of eyelets then any of my other current runners have. This is a shoe that does not want to give you up. Because of my foot shape, I didn’t utilize those extra eyelets and I noticed some heel slippage at the start of my runs, but it quickly became something I didn’t notice anymore. There is an internal heel counter and mini heel pillows built in to help out.
Drew: The lofted mesh upper features no flywire like last year’s model but the sidewalls are still surprisingly stiff. Maybe it was the double lace loop structure but I felt secure on top of the midsole. The TPU heel counter is hidden but super stiff. Your heel isn’t going anywhere. A shoe this light rarely if ever packs this much support. I really like what the design team did.
Jodi: The upper is made up of two very breathable layers of engineered mesh with a super stretchy tongue. And thanks to my lovely concrete swan dive I can tell you that it’s all super durable. The only part on my shoe that experienced any damage was the collar lining that ripped when I fell. There’s plastic underneath the eye stays to prevent ripping when tugging on the laces.
Drew: The collar feels a little cheap but the rest of the materials on the Pegasus Turbo 2 are what you’d expect on a runner that’s trying to be as light as possible. The thin, stretchy tongue is a premium touch. The lofted mesh and synthetic upper is light and airy but super strong. It’s minimal but your get materials commensurate with the type of shoe.
Jodi: Speaking of laces, I do not love them. For one, thanks to my wide, high arched feet, I needed to re-lace the shoes after my initial try on. They have double holes down both sides of the shoes, and when Nike sent them out all of the holes were being utilized. I decided to use only the inner holes so that I could have a little more wiggle room when it came to tying and then double knotting my laces. The lace holes are very sturdy and shaped in such a way that you can’t just rip the laces out. It’s a bit time consuming to lace them up. Once I finished the relace, I realized the laces do NOT stretch. So even if you double knot them, if they aren’t perfectly taught, there is a chance they’ll come loose. Even then, because they don’t stretch there can be some discomfort if you don’t tie them just right. Writing all that out has me sounding very much like Goldilocks (of Three Bears fame). My apologies. But if you’re a runner, you know. Anything that is mildly irritating at the beginning of a run becomes 10x more so as the run continues.
Drew: Jodi and I had different fit issues. For Jodi’s issue, Sneaker Debut follower Ben Johnson came to the same conclusion as her and relaced them while completely switching the laces to avoid having excess lace. The laces worked well enough for me in the initial configuration but the tongue kept sliding to the side (despite a mid-tongue lace stay). This is something that frustrates me and often causes me to kick shoes to the curb. Luckily, the Pegasus Turbo design team included a couple lace holes on the outside of the mid tongue that line up with the lace design. I undertook the painstaking relacing process and used one of those holes on the edge of the tongue. After that, no tongue slippage! It did cramp the stretchiness of the tongue a bit but it was worth it.
My biggest complaint in fit was the collar. Compared to the original Pegasus Turbo’s sculpted and padded collar, the Turbo 2 isn’t in the same league. While the collar features an elongated ankle pillow on each side of the foot (which were much appreciated), the overall collar was stiff and unforgiving. Wearing no shows with the Pegasus Turbo 2 is a no go. You’ll need running socks with a heel tab to avoid blisters.
Overall, I loved the forefoot and midfoot fit once the tongue slippage issue was fixed. It’s too bad the collar couldn’t quite complete the triple crown.
Jodi: Given my very rocky start with the Nike Zoom Pegasus Turbo 2 I have to say I think it’s a fantastic runner. It’s an easy go to whether doing a mid week training run or my sacred Saturday long run. The only thing intimidating about it is the price.
Drew: The Pegasus Turbo 2 has small issues here and there but it won’t have trouble selling due to the legions of fans of the original. For me, I’m keeping the Pegasus Turbo 2 around as a speed and race day shoe. It’s also in the early lead for the shoe I’ll be wearing when I run a ½ marathon in December (this one, if you want to join me). It’s a hard sell at $180 but if you’ve got the budget for multiple targeted running shoes, you should certainly be trying on and considering the Nike Zoom Pegasus Turbo 2.

Salming Greyhound Performance Review

The Salming Greyhound is the flagship running shoe from a Swedish brand originally founded by an ice-hockey player. Salming focuses on floorball, handball, and running. I was told they make world class handball equipment so let’s see what they can do with running shoes.
We got introduced to the Salming brand recently when one of their employees reached out. He explained that he loved our reviews and wanted us to try Salming. Pretty soon we had the Salming Greyhound in hand. We tested them from the male and female perspective. Each of us ran 60+ miles in them and wore them in a variety of other circumstances such as weight lifting and every day casual wear.
Jodi: The real winner here is the cushion. Salming calls its midsole foam Recoil PLUS. According to their website, it’s the company’s most reactive cushioning compound and offers 20% more energy return. This being my first experience with the brand, I can’t tell you how it compares to the old stuff. I can tell you that the cushion is ridiculously comfortable without being overly mushy. I might even say I enjoyed it more than Jordan 13 Lakers. *gasp*
Drew: This was the biggest, most pleasant surprise of the year for me. A lot of companies say their running shoes are built for hard-surface running. Very few actually deliver a shoe that makes sidewalk and city running feel like running on a rubber track. Recoil PLUS easily stands alongside React and Boost as the best foam cushions on the market. The day after long runs my feet, ankles, knees, and back felt great. This is the #1 feature on the Greyhound. Recoil PLUS foam provides one of the best cushioned rides money can buy.
Jodi: At first glance, the traction looked questionable. It turned out to be solid. It’s almost completely flat with minimal cutouts located mostly where your foot flexes in the forefoot. I found that when I would run across wet pavement those cutouts became almost like suction cups. Super grippy and secure.
Drew: Salming’s use of a Vibram outsole paid big dividends. Jodi’s right, it doesn’t look like much, but it does its job well. The Vibram rubber compound is super grippy. It uses the cutouts (that on most shoes are only for foam expansion) as an integral part of the traction pattern. I ran in the rain, on sand, roads, trails, and slippery concrete without any issues. And the outsole barely looks used after 60+ miles. It’s built to last. I hope Nike and Adidas are taking notes.
Jodi: There’s an internal heel counter with plenty of padding that wraps nicely around your heel. Other then that, the rest of the support comes from the upper material.
Drew: The generous and stiff heel counter does a good job. Almost too good. It took a couple runs for the heel area on my right foot to get pliable enough to stop digging into my achilles. Nothing socks with a heel tab couldn’t fix, but they definitely erred on the side of keeping that heel area super stiff. I imagine this was done to balance out the extremely elastic cushion of the midsole. The upper kept my foot on top of the midsole and maintained its structure even as flexibility increased over time.
Jodi: The upper is built by turning 3 layers into one piece. This creates an interesting shell that doesn’t really stretch. I found this out the hard way on my first run. I wore socks that were too thick and that poor choice caused my wide feet to suffocate a bit as the swelling kicked in. Since then, I’ve used only my thinnest running socks and I’ve had zero complaints. Well almost. I received the white colorway. You can actually see where my sweat has discolored the shoe (mainly in the creases). Actually, I’m surprised by how much discoloration has occurred. The shoe is super ventilated with holes upon holes upon holes. Even the tongue and insole have been punctured. With all that free air conditioning I’m getting, why are my feet still so dang sweaty?
Drew: I have the same question as Jodi, how does foam sandwiched between two layers of mesh restrict airflow so much? I live in Florida and sweat is a way of life. The Greyhound though, took it to a whole new level. Anything longer than 4 miles meant my socks and even the insole were soaked.
There’s also an unnecessary fuse top cap. Toe caps like this appear often in basketball shoes for durability. On a running shoe…I have no idea why it’s there. There’s not an efficient runner alive that drags their toes while they run. My best guess is that it helps the toebox maintain its shape.
Listen, the Greyhound’s upper still does the job. If you’re in a more moderate climate you won’t even notice the lack of airflow. In a perfect world, I’d want a more flexible upper attached to the great midsole/outsole combo. Hopefully, Salming’s design team can make that happen next year with the follow up model.
Jodi: As far as fit goes, I kind of covered it when discussing materials. This shoe is built like a traditional runner. I couldn’t just jam my feet in there like a slip on. I should also note that I have a wide foot, high arch situation. So finding that perfect fit in a shoe isn’t always easy, hence the sock debacle in my initial test run. Once I figured out what socks I should wear to give me enough wiggle room, I was golden. The forefoot area had plenty of space for my feet to spread out, and I actually found there was some volume in the toe box above my foot.
Drew: The upper’s stiffness works really well for support but I think some runners will feel the Salming Greyhound is too stiff. For me, the Greyhound ended up getting some nice flex grooves on the upper that have made it much more comfortable over time. Think about how much flexibility you need from a shoe before you buy the Greyhound. If you only run in knits, the Greyhound may not be for you. The Greyhound’s upper is similar to the upper found on the Brooks Beast ‘18.
Apart from the stiff upper, the shoe feels very traditional with a nice wide toe box and a standard lacing system. It fits true to size and even has nice touches like pull tabs on the heel and tongue to help you slide into the shoe.
Jodi: Honestly I love this shoe. It’s definitely in my current top three. You do need to keep in mind that this shoe is tailor-made to be a road warrior. They put everything they have into making this a comfortable ride when pounding the streets. I wouldn’t pick it to go on a trail run. I’d be worried about the cushion being a little bit too plush and rolling an ankle. But, if you’re like me and you find yourself running primarily on asphalt and concrete, I’d recommend these in a heartbeat.
Drew: If you’re doing a lot of mileage on concrete or asphalt, the Salming Greyhound is a great shoe to have in your closet. The price tag is what you’d expect from a shoe of this type. The plush midsole with Recoil PLUS cushioning and the Vibram outsole make this a big winner in urban environments. It’s durable from top to bottom and will last 300-500 miles. For me, this was a great introduction to Salming and now I’m looking forward to checking out their entire running line.Salming Greyhound

adidas DON Issue 1 Performance Review

Does adidas and Donovan Mitchell stick the landing with the D.O.N. Issue 1?
Traction looked like it was going to do well, but my experience was one of the most disappointing I’ve had thus far in 2019.
One thing to note is that nearly everyone I’ve spoken to, or read comments from, that has been playing in the air jordan has loved the traction… except me. I’m not sure if the rubber on my pair is poor, the floors I play on are worse than I thought, or, perhaps something else entirely. However, in cases like this, I’d listen to the majority versus the minority. If there are 20 people giving their thoughts on the D.O.N. Issue 1 and 19 of them are saying the traction is good, then the traction is likely going to be good. In my case, I am just here telling you my experience, and that was that the traction is the one area of the shoe I didn’t care for.
Now, they’re not horrible in terms of coverage, but I just had too much slipping. Especially when I needed the traction the most. I’d be wiping the outsoles every chance I had and when I wouldn’t have an opportunity to wipe that’s when I’d end up sliding out.
If I were to blame anything for causing the issue it’d be the herringbone pattern being a bit too tightly spaced together. Anything on the floor found its way into the grooves on the sole and that’s what would cause me to wipe so frequently. It could also be the rubber compound as the shoe just lacked that tacky bite that a lot of shoes offer when they’re on a clean surface. These, even when on a clean surface, these just didn’t have the bite that I enjoy.
Again, this is my experience. I understand that it may be different than everyone else’s, but all I can do is express my experience and no-one else’s. I can’t get myself to lie just because the masses have experienced great traction. Even some of our other WearTesters members have been loving the traction. I wish I was able to say the same, but I cannot, unfortunately.
I know that Boost is life, but I really like Bounce. Like, I really like Bounce.
To my surprise, I found the D.O.N. Issue 1 to be one of the most comfortable iterations of Bounce I’ve experienced. It wasn’t too thick. Nor was it too thin. It felt like the perfect amount of “bounce” along with court feel and stability. Every time I wear them my first initial thought is always, “hot damn, these are comfortable.” Every. Single. Time.
If you like court feel and stability, but you don’t want to give up any of that plush feel under-foot then you may want to consider trying the D.O.N. Issue 1 out. They really are a well rounded shoe in terms of comfort & impact protection without sacrificing stability and court feel.
Textiles and mesh are the primary material options for most of the colorways, while some will feature synthetic leather. If you wanted a bit more support from the materials themselves then opting for a pair with the synthetic leather build will be your best option. Personally, I found the textile and mesh build to be perfectly fine.
This setup requires very little break-in time while still remaining snug and supportive once laced up. There is a layer of nylon and neoprene under the main build so the upper should be fairly durable and resilient against stretching.
The midsole shape and sculpting does most of the heavy lifting in terms of supporting and caging the foot upon movements so you shouldn’t be having any regretful feelings if you happen to go with one of the textile versions of the shoe instead of the synthetic leather versions. Obviously, it comes down to preferences, but I think most will enjoy these just the way they are.
I found the D.O.N. Issue 1 to fit true to size. I do have another pair that are 1/2 size smaller than my usual true size because I wasn’t sure what these would fit like when I bought them, but going with my true size was what offered me my ideal fit. Going down 1/2 size still offered just enough length in the toe for my liking (I tend to like a snug fit) but the midfoot was a bit too tight and cramped. Try them on in-store if possible, just to be safe, but going true to size is what worked best for me.
Lockdown is perfect. I know the ankle collar looks really low while the rest of the shoe looks bulky and exaggerated, but the fit/lockdown I found to be amazing. Astonishing. Spectacular. Thwip. Thwip. Quip. Quip.
Support, like a many of adidas’ current basketball line, is very good. The base of the shoe is flat and super wide/exaggerated, but almost has an old FYW feel to them. So they move well with the foot despite the bulkiness. The midsole sculpting, as mentioned above, really cups and cages your foot in place. Lateral coverage. Linear coverage. Torsional coverage. It’s all there and ready for action.
I actually loved the D.O.N. Issue 1 with the exception of the traction. Yes, I have thought about trying out the other pair I have to see if maybe the one pair I’ve been using is somehow defective, but I don’t think it’s that important. Again, if the masses are saying they’ve had good traction then your chances of having good traction are pretty high. Plus, I am keeping the extra pair to give away to one of our Gold Team members within our Discord community.
I will say that I enjoyed the shoe a lot outdoors. No slipping or anything, so I may end up using these as my outdoor hoop shoe. They’re fairly light, breathable, and have a lot of stability — a feature I’ve come to love in my basketball shoes.
Despite my traction issues, I think the rest of the shoe has a lot of great attributes along with a reasonable initial retail price. If you happen to try them our yourself and wind up having good to great traction then I think you’ll have found yourself a really awesome basketball shoe.

Nike Kyrie Low 2 Performance Reviews

Sparking his interest upon first look, Jalique Gabay weighs in on the Nike Kyrie Low 2.
I don’t want to make a habit of naming traction patterns but when it comes to naming these nubs, I’ll go with The Starry Night. The swirls emulate multiple pivot points which I personally didn’t find useful, but I can appreciate the coverage in all directions.
Performance is silent, but solid. No bark, but real bite. Though you won’t hear the rubber doing its job against the floor, it is doing what it’s supposed to. Wiping during games was no more frequent than the average sneaker for me and it only took a light wipe to keep me feeling secure for quite some time.
The nubs held up surprisingly well given the rubber is so soft, but I still wouldn’t recommen
Comfort in a sneaker is an all-around effort, but the first place I personally seek comfort is underfoot — that was probably my least favorite part of this low top. Don’t get me wrong, the cushion is tolerable – I lasted all day in some rigorous activities both on and off court and never was in a rush to take them off. The Phylon used isn’t as light or soft as some recent performers from Nike and Jordan but it is certainly more forgiving than past Kyrie models — in my opinion.
My real desire would be some consistency with the Zoom units in both the heel and forefoot. Up front, I broke my pair in enough to know there is something there but honestly, I find it underwhelming. The heel Zoom, on the other hand, has been great from start to finish but even then, I felt some discrepancy between my right and left foot.
I do have significant differences physically between each foot — and I have felt the effects of that in shoes before, but nothing like this. In my left heel, the Zoom unit is noticeable, but the right side is bouncy to the point it feels like an unlocked unit is there. I know that’s a weird thing to complain about, but it really messed with me mentally. Hopefully its just a one-off thing that doesn’t affect anyone else who wears the Kyrie Low 2. On the plus side, most considering this model are probably expecting responsiveness, and you definitely get plenty of that. Also, you do get some impact protection, even if it doesn’t seem like it in the moment.
The upper is comprised of a textile that balances just about everything you would like or expect in materials for a basketball sneaker. It is supportive, yet flexible and holds up well through the rigors we know hoop shoes can be put through. Did I mention that even with all the overlays, hardly any break-in is needed.
Though I’m still yet to decide on how necessary some of the TPU and other plastic overlays are, the truth is they only really added to the durability and support of the sneaker and didn’t really take anything important away, so I count it as another strong aspect of the shoe.
Man, I loved the fit of the Kyrie Low, especially after a minimal break-in. It does run snug but otherwise near one-to-one except for no wiggle room over the big-toe which I where have preferred a little bit. Otherwise, these Kyrie’s are near perfect for my feet. For those with wider feet, I say go ahead and see how a half size up feels – these are now on shelves in quite a few places in my area, which is not usually the case (I don’t even recall seeing the original Kyrie Low as often as I have seen this one already).
This is a darn stable low and I really don’t have any negatives to speak of. The TPU panels added security, the base is wide enough while still feeling minimal, and I had no significant issues with heel slip.
In my experience with Kyrie signatures, this has always been a strong point with the line despite the various rounded outsoles you’ll find in them. Granted, I play a very linear style (working on diversifying my game a bit), but still, the Kyrie Low 2 should bring you peace of mind.
Out of the Kyrie 2, 3, 4, and now the Low 2 I’ve played in, I’m willing to say the last is my favorite. It simply checks the most boxes for someone like me, even in the cushion department which is not the Kyrie Low 2’s strong point.
At a retail of $110 the nike freak 1 is on point and plenty should enjoy a lot about it, especially guards that may not seek a substantial amount of impact protection over quickness. Even though I love a good cushion, I still wouldn’t mind recommending the model to anyone with it on their radar.

adidas Harden B/E 3 Performance Review

Full disclosure, this adidas Harden B/E 3 pair didn’t make it as far other sneakers in testing, but far enough to come to a fair conclusion. So, what happened exactly?
Different variations of herringbone throughout is great, but the semi-translucent rubber of the colorway tested did no favors for traction. On clean floors, the positive results were consistent, however, if any dirt or dust is present expect to wipe frequently because it will accumulate quickly.
A solid rubber colorway may alleviate the issue, but from what I experienced, it just wasn’t great. From a durability perspective, the fraying process didn’t take long at all, so I’m not sold on it for outdoor use.
The Harden B/E 3 comes with a hefty slab of Bounce which wasn’t the greatest implementation of the foam, but at the same time it’s the shoe’s strongest feature — in my experience. It doesn’t provide a ton of rebound, but it also isn’t mushy so response doesn’t suffer. In transition, Bounce always seems to provide smooth transition for me and this FTW-esque tooling only made it better. For such a puffy looking base, mobility was not an issue at all.
It was hard to love the upper of the Harden B/E 3. On the back half, you have a huge panel for hook and loop on the lateral side along with some sort of screened textile on the medial panel. Up front is more of an open-cell-like mesh covered by a very stretchy textile shroud.
This all resulted in good heel containment, but hardly any from midfoot forward. I recall comments stating the B/E 3’s resemblance to house shoes (or Deebo slippers, as we called them growing up around my way) and that’s exactly how it felt up front. They’re hella soft and comfortable, but not really reasonable for the sport they were made for.
Oh yeah, these get hot as hell under the shroud, just like rocking Deebo slippers outside in the summer would.
Side note — Doesn’t the toe down of this colorway look like Venom just straight sat on Spider Man for no good reason? Okay, I’m sorry…
Because of the lack of structure up front, trying the B/E 3 true to size was a joke. I immediately asked for a half-size down, then even tried to check out a whole size down, but none were available at the time. I ended up going with the half down and still needed to stack a second set of insoles to get a better fit which did work a bit, but not enough unfortunately.
Getting good lockdown was a task with the lacing system. Not only do you have the shroud’s elastic band to combat and get under, once you lace up further you then have a strap to keep out of the way to finish up adjustments.
Overall fit was just bad from the get go, and the air jordan  gets in its own way towards making it any better.
Questionable material choice and bad fit/lockdown – you know where this is going. I will say the back half of the shoe was secure as far as keeping the heel in place (partially due to the strap system, but it was the opposite of what the front half provided. For a sport you should play on the forefoot near all the time, it sure wasn’t something I felt at ease doing with the lack of structure up front.
Strange enough, the midsole itself provides more stability on the medial side to me, and regardless you sit atop all of it without good caging or some kind of reinforcement. I still did my best to make it work but a few too many close calls coming off the footbed and things were never the same for me. Fortunately, I wasn’t hurt and I’m not necessarily putting the “dangerous” stamp on this pair – but from that point the lack of security in the shoe became too limiting.
Again, I didn’t put the same amount of time into testing the nike freak 1 as I typically would, but the fact is the little good in the shoe wasn’t going to change drastically and the negatives were surely not going to get any better at the point of testing.
Aesthetically, these weren’t turning many heads in a positive way and, unfortunately, I wouldn’t suggest performance to be a saving grace for the adidas Harden B/E 3. Though $100 is more pocket-friendly than many, there are other pairs around the price point that just will perform better, including some options I’ve already moved on to…

Nike Free RN 5.0 Performance Review

This year’s Nike Free RN 5.0 is a significant departure from the Nike Free RN 2018. It’s still made for shorter runs but this year’s updates have made it a better all around tool for your shorter runs and gym workouts.

First, an upfront clarification. This is not an everyday runner. Anyone using it as an everyday runner will hate running and probably end up injured. However, it’s great shoe to have in your running arsenal. It’s built to deliver natural motion on low mileage, sprint heavy days. And if you’re using it on a rubber track, beach, artificial turf, or grass you’ll really like the Free RN 5.0’s flexibility and close-to-the-ground feel.

We had a chance to review the Nike Free RN 5.0 from both the female and male perspective and will include both opinions below. We each put 25+ miles in them and wore them in a variety of other circumstances such as weight lifting and every day casual wear. Heel to toe drop is 6mm (14mm forefoot, 20mm heel).

Jodi’s take: They aren’t a shoe I can do long distances in due to the fact there is zero cushion. 4 miles and under is their sweet spot. As someone who has been running for over 10 years now, I see the shoes in my rotation more as tools. I used the Free RN 5.0 as my shoe for those days where I wanted to make sure I didn’t over do it.

Drew’s take: The product description on Nike’s website says “Low foam density lets your foot feel connected to the ground.” I agree that 1) my foot felt connected to the ground and 2) there is foam. But…it doesn’t feel low density. The foam has very little give and feels denser than the 2017 and 2018 Free 5.0s. It’s not necessarily a bad thing, it just means you’ll want to use these on softer surfaces. My beach runs in these were awesome, my runs on concrete not so much. You need a softer, more forgiving surface to balance out the lack of cushion. If you’ve got that, you’re good. If it’s only city pavement for your runs, I’d suggest a different shoe.
Jodi: The Free RN 5.0 has a strong water shoe vibe. The upper is almost suffocating when I pull them on each time. I thought it was weird that the 3.0 version doesn’t have any laces at all, but after wearing the 5.0 I can attest that the shoes really don’t need laces. I haven’t had to retie them once since the initial wear (something I always appreciate). Once I get going they feel like a second skin. The only thing I don’t like about the upper is the fuse line along the heel that serves as a sort of heel cup. It gives the back of my foot a weird pressure as I’m getting ready to head out the door. Luckily it disappears completely once I’m running but I would never want to wear them casually.

Drew: My foot is narrow so I don’t get the suffocating feeling the Jodi gets when wearing the Free RN 5.0. I’ve worn them multiple times casually and haven’t had any irritation. I didn’t like going sockless in them but the super low no shows (such as these from Strideline) work well and those are the socks I rock while lifting. Just like Jodi, I’ve been able to avoid messing with the laces ever since I tied them the first time. At this point, they’re extremely well-fitting slip-ons. Which, let’s be honest, is a cool side benefit. Having no heel counter makes the back of shoe look weird (as does the overextended heel of the sole) but it doesn’t make any functional difference. They do have achilles pillows, which, if I’m not mistaken, is a first for the Free line.

Jodi: While I don’t love the look, the way they have rounded everything under and around your foot so it really feels like you are running with no shoes is really neat. You can literally roll the shoe into a ball. Looking at the wear on the outsole, I can see that it helps me land further back in my stride. I still get that forefoot landing, but (maybe because of the non-existent cushioning) my body/feet are disbursing the load more.

Drew: There’s no legitimate support from the upper. The support is entirely handled by the exaggerated and rounded lines of the sole. It’s good for straight line running and provides a stable base for squats and deadlifts. If you take these trail running you’re begging for a fat, black and blue sprained ankle.
Jodi: Traction isn’t an issue. I’ve run thru a bunch of sprinklers trying to keep cool. Going from dry pavement to wet grass and back hasn’t been a problem.

Drew: Hold on. Give me a second to finish laughing about the mental image I have of people looking out their windows just to see Mrs. Wing charging through their sprinklers. If you’re in the greater Sacramento area, keep an eye on your front lawn when those sprinklers are going. You never know what you might see. Ok, I think I’m good. Back to the review. Per usual, Nike freak 1 foam sole grips just fine across various surfaces. There is a change in the flex grooves this year. For the most part they’re super tight and several don’t go very deep. I didn’t get any big rocks in them like in year’s past (smh remembering the Free Run 2). The little rubber pieces at the big toe and outside heel don’t do much of anything although they should theoretically improve durability. As with any foam-bottomed sneaker, you won’t be getting 300-500 miles out of them before they break down. But again, if you’re putting that much distance on them you’re asking for an injury so keep them for 150-200 miles worth of (short) runs and you’ll get your money’s worth.
Jodi: It’s mesh, cloth, fuse, and foam. The materials serve their purpose by disappearing while you run.

Drew: A stretchy mesh is the base of the entire upper. I’d like to see them use it on more runners because it’s got a nice feel to it. The shoe gets “support” from synthetic suede overlays that feel like felt. The synthetic suede overlays cap the end of the toe and are placed at all the high wear areas. There are various pieces of fuse which seem to be largely used to hold the pieces of the shoe together. Well, except for a superfluous piece covering the inside of the big toe. That one looks cool but it’s not doing anything functional.
Jodi: The Free line has come a long way since I first tried them 7 years ago. Or maybe my line of thinking about them has changed. Instead of purchasing a running shoe to be my one and only runner for the next 6 months, I now have a small rotation. I have my shoe for when I feel light and springy, a shoe that is great for long runs, and another that I know is Mr. Reliable. And now I have the Free that I use to help keep me in check. I use it for the days that I still want to get a run in, but want to make sure I don’t get carried away and rack up the miles.

Drew: The bottom line is that the Nike Free RN 5.0 is a perfect sprinting and weightlifting shoe. You’d mess them up doing some of the rugged CrossFit type exercises but they can handle anything else in the gym. You’d hate them for trail or long runs, but on the track, beach, or treadmill they’re exactly what you need. I like the hardly there feel and that you’re forced to use your stabilizer muscles. Also, since a lot of people don’t like the look (personally I don’t mind it), the Nike Free RN 5.0 is going to get discounted and be a great pickup for 25-50% off.

Nike Zoom Freak 1 Performance Review

It’s not the worst traction, but it’s also not the best. When I play in shoes like this the best term I can use to describe it is inconsistent.
Sometimes the traction was good. Like, very good. Other times I’d be spending more time wiping my outsoles than playing the game. What made them inconsistent is that these situations would happen on every court I played on. They’d work well on some dirty floors, then poorly on other dirty floors. Great on some clean floors, then poorly on other clean floors. It was a guessing game each night as to what type of coverage I would receive out of the shoe and for that I just feel the shoe could’ve, and should’ve done better.
In an age when we have performance reviews on 20 year old basketball shoes that out-perform modern day basketball shoes it leaves one scratching their head as to how they could have gotten things so right before and so… inconsistent — as time moves on.
Obviously, I’d recommend going with a pair of the Zoom Freak 1s that offer solid rubber throughout. Unfortunately, most of the cool colorways will be using the translucent/solid rubber combination.
The cushion setup is strange for a larger player as the Zoom Freak 1 setup offers no cushion in the forefoot while the heel is double-stacked Zoom Air — the rectangle style Zoom Air.
It would have made more sense to have placed one Zoom unit in the forefoot and one in the heel rather than stacking the two in the rear, but that is from a consumer perspective and not the player’s perspective. Giannis wears Kobe’s and seems to favor court feel over cushion. His signature Zoom Freak 1 is setup just like that. Court feel in front and a bit of cushion in the back.
They feel more like a guard shoe rather than a big man shoe, and that seems to prove my theory that there are no shoes made for positions (anymore). It’s mostly about player preference. Each player is different and their preferences might differ as well. A big man that moves like Shaq may want more cushion than court feel, while a big man like Giannis may be a bit thinner in terms of build thus prefers court feel.
Whatever the player’s reason is for having his/her own preferences on the court aren’t important. Its more about knowing what your preferences are that matters. You’re likely here because you want to know if this shoe will meet your needs on the court and not Giannis’ needs.
If you need/prefer court feel then this is a shoe that will give you that. If you want something that is a bit more balanced from heel to toe in terms of cushion and court feel then there are some better options out there that will provide that for you.
Despite someone’s preferences, I feel the price should really reflect what is in the shoe rather than who’s name is attached to the shoe. Giannis is a great player, and current NBA MVP, but $120 for this setup is just too much. $80-110 would have been a bit more reasonable for what you’re getting.
We’ve been seeing this same textile material used across multiple Nike Basketball models. From the Nike Kyrie Low 2 to the Nike LeBron 16 Low.
It’s been durable with each shoe it’s been used on and requires little-to-no break-in time. While it’s not premium in any way, it works well and gets the job done. It does so while being very lightweight, so if weight reduction in your footwear is important to you then you may want to look at the models I’ve mentioned that offer the material.
The Nike Zoom Freak 1 fits true to size, but very snug both length wise and width wise. I’d highly recommend trying these on in-store just to make sure they offer the wiggle room you prefer.
Personally, I like my shoes pretty tight as it is and these give me just that. They’re a bit tighter than I’d like to start but once they’re broken in they fit like a glove. In the video review I compared them a bit to the Nike Zoom Kobe 6. The more I wore those the better they ended up feeling, and that’s how I felt here. Although, I do feel the heel portion on the Zoom Freak 1 is a bit better overall in terms of containment and lockdown.
Support for the Zoom Freak 1 is solid. Not outstanding, but it is solid.
The midsole sculpt keeps your foot on the footbed — which is exactly where you want it. The fit aids in that as well and with them being as snug/secure as they are I had no issued at all. The base is nice and flat while they offer a small outrigger. This area didn’t promote quite as much stability as something like the adidas D.O.N. Issue 1 or Dame 5, but each of those have an much more exaggerated base, and some may find those models to be a bit on the clunky/chunky side in terms of stability. The Zoom Freak 1 was more like the KD12 where the shoe is shaped more like a foot, but has just enough width to add some stability into the mix.
There is a bit of drama regarding the lack of a shank plate, but setups like this that have a solid flat platform from heel to toe don’t always require one. We’ve seen setups like this many times from Nike, and other brands, and it rarely causes any issues. The one time where there was an issue was with the Air Jordan XX8 as the decoupled midsole setup had some heavier players arches begin to fall at the midfoot. That is where the tendril on the Air Jordan XX9 came into play as it prevented the arch from falling while still offering the wearer the mobility that a decoupled setup brings. When you have a shoe with flat tooling like this the weight of the wearer cannot collapse the midfoot since it already rests on the floor. This specific tooling setup also has a lot of rubber wrapping around the medial and lateral side preventing the foot from over-twisting — similar to the KD12.
The issue of the Zoom Freak 1 lacking a shank plate is really a non-issue. If the midfoot was sculpted in a way where there was an arch in the shoe then yes, they’d need a shank to prevent the midfoot from collapsing. In this case, however, most players should be fine.
The Nike Zoom Freak 1 is a good shoe, but I don’t find them to be a great shoe. One-to-one fit and court feel are its best attributes and if those are the two most important aspects of a basketball shoe for you then you may end up loving these.
Personally, I don’t mind the court feel and I loved the fit. But good traction is something I really want in a shoe. I feel great traction gives you a bit more confidence in your movements.
Nike has put themselves in a tight spot. They have so many models at varying prices. Some offering more for less. Consumers will begin, and have been, comparing each model, its tech specs and their prices to one another. Then they’ll get confused as to why Russell Westbrook’s Why Not Zer0.1 retailed at $120 and offered full-length Zoom Air while the Freak 1 barely has any cushion at all.
At this point it should come down to preference. Make sure you know what you want in a basketball shoe. Then apply the information provided within reviews to sift through the dozens of options available each year to ensure you’re choosing the right shoe for you. Or you can just try everything and see what you like.
I hope our Nike Zoom Freak 1 performance review helped you out and if you end up with a pair I’d love to know your thoughts based on your experiences in the comment section below.

Nike Zoom GP Retro Performance Review

Why does Nike Retro keep winning the performance battles? It could be because of shoes like the Zoom GP. Read on for our full Nike Zoom GP Retro Performance Review.
Herringbone, herringbone, herringbone. Yeah, we know, you get tired of hearing it, but we get just as tired of saying it – herringbone WORKS almost every time. It isn’t hard – you can vary the pattern a bit, put an area with a different direction, but it still works. The Zoom GP is covered all across the forefoot and right under the heel – your main points of contact – while the midfoot is raised from the floor and is just white rubber. The forefoot is segmented with large flex grooves running across and front-to-back, which originally was mirrored by the segmented Zoom unit, but since that Zoom unit is not found here, the sole being split does really help with flexibility. The traction is freaking awesome – not much else to say, but I will.
The grip from front to back, lateral, and every move in between is perfect – no slipping, no sliding, biting traction that never fails. I tried these on four different floors, from bad 24 Hour courts to a pristine high school court, and not once did it fail. The grooves are wide enough to push out the dust and the rubber is solid, so outdoors should be good as well. They seriously, SERIOUSLY, don’t make them like this any more.
Zoom Air in the heel. Zoom Air in the forefoot, Nike actually gives us the same cushioning as the original, with one slight adjustment – where the 1999 version had a huge Zoom unit that was segmented into four sections (think of the Kyrie 5 Zoom Turbo and the KD12 – yeah, it ain’t new). the retro has a full oval forefoot unit that is responsive and low. The original was one of the lowest riding, court-feel shoes ever but still had great impact protection. The Zoom GP retro is exactly the same – fast, responsive, bouncy – a true quick guard’s shoe. Playing defense and drives to the lane feel easier as the traction and cushioning take over and push through.
In the heel we get a thick Zoom unit, and we know it is Zoom because it says it right there on the sole (love the old-school logos). I do heel-strike when coming off screens and planting for jumpers and the Zoom here was absorbing and bouncing back off of every move. Couple the Zoom with the Phylon midsole and you get everything a guard or small forward could want in a shoe – quick response with more than adequate impact protection.
Again, nice job Nike. The leather quality is amazing given what we normally get (although there have been some great pairs lately, like the Maestro II and the Jordan 11 ‘Orlando’) – thick, soft, and durable. This is everything a sneaker used to be. The leather is so good it’s almost a shame to have to talk about anything else – and yes, the panel over the medial ankle “monkey paw” is a vinyl synthetic, but so was the original, so it matches.
The midfoot features a legit, real carbon fiber shank plate and that thick 90’s rubber traction. The inner 3/4 sleeve is a ventilated neoprene that hugs the foot just like a brace while the ankle is thickly padded, especially on the monkey paw side.
One thing to note. The OG Black/White-Canyon Gold  colorway features a soft synthetic build — like felt. Not exactly what we consider premium like the pair we tested for review and the ‘Sonics’ edition. Just a heads up for anyone wanting a pair, but with a quality build. Go for the OG White/Black or ‘Sonics’ — at least until we see more colorways release.
It is amazing that 20 years ago Nike pioneered a technology for basketball that is still basically in use today. While the ratchet system on the Zoom GP isn’t the exact same as the Jordan 33, it is close enough that the similarities can’t be ignored. Both feature non-traditional lacing systems that provide supreme fit, but the Zoom GP still has a lacing system under the shroud. Once laced (the lacing pulls the shroud over the tongue/sleeve), the strap of the ratchet goes into the buckle, and the latch tightens the shoe down. Once tightened, there is no movement at all from front to back or side to side. Lockdown is complete and no matter how hard I played, the ratchet never came loose, meaning fit was great from start to finish.
As for sizing, go true to size. I’m normally a 10.5 in every shoe (except some adidas) and the 10.5 left me with about a thumbs-width in length to the end of the toebox. Wide-footers could probably get away with TTS, but may want to go up a half. Don’t worry – the lacing, strap, and padding will still lock you in.
Let’s be honest – this is a low-riding, fast guard shoe that feels like a lowtop. Support is… well, it’s great. Starting at the bottom, the sole is wide, especially in the forefoot, with an almost full-length outrigger/angled midsole for lateral stability, to keep your foot upright and solid, and it works. The angle gives you a solid block to push off of when sliding lateral and staying in front of your man on defense or to get shifty on your drives, never slipping out and keeping your foot in contact with the floor and moving.
There is no raised sidewall for containment but that is no issue – the way the ratchet pulls the upper around your foot keeps any lateral movement to a minimum and you can actually feel the upper working while playing, holding tight on every motion. The midfoot is protected by the carbon fiber shank, keeping the midsole from bending and flexing in any way that would injure your foot. Put that together with the low ride and you have a solid, stable shoe.
Moving into the rear/heel area, the lockdown keeps all heel movement away, nowhere near your foot, and the sculpted padding and thickness of the ankle collar work with one of Nike’s forgotten technologies – the monkey paw we talked about earlier. If you don’t know, the monkey paw is a TPU structure hidden on the medial ankle panel that spreads like fingers from the sole to the upper lining. This structure is meant to keep your ankle from inverting, or “rolling”, while playing, and whether it works or not or made me think it worked, I had crazy confidence in every move. Bring this one back, Nike.
Every once in a while Nike gives us a retro that is so close to the original it is scary, and the Zoom GP is that shoe. From the materials to the cushioning to just the overall shape and feel, the Zoom GP is a foot rocket made for quick, driving guards and forwards. If you need a shoe that covers every aspect of performance, look no further. Even today, placed against shoes that are considered the “pinnacle of modern performance”, the Zoom GP more than holds it’s own.
It’s really kind of crazy – this may be my favorite performer of 2019 and it is a 20 years old shoe. Last year most “Best Of” lists had the Kobe 1 Protro as a top 3-5 performer, and it was 12 years old. Does this mean Nike isn’t making better shoes now, years later? Or that Nike was so far ahead of their time that the rest of the basketball world is just catching up? Maybe it is that all of us reviewers are just nostalgic and love the old-school construction and materials of the late-90’s and early 2000’s. I will say this – in 1999 the Zoom GP was my favorite shoe to play in and 20 years later nothing has changed.

Nike Air Zoom Vomero 14 Performance Review

Nike improved a classic model by going next-level with the cushioning. Read on for our Nike Air Zoom Vomero 14 Performance Review.
Someone at Nike must have sat down and thought, how do I pack as much cushioning as possible into one of our classic running shoes? There’s no other way to explain the Nike Air Zoom Vomero 14. I’m glad this theoretical Nike employee ended up pairing React with a full-length Zoom Air unit because it results in a wonderful running experience for your feet, ankles, knees, and back.
For this review, I ran over 100 miles in the Nike Air Zoom Vomero 14, including a 10k race through downtown Orlando. Let’s review how the Jordan shoes performed over all those miles…
As I mentioned above, the cushion setup is wonderful. Super soft landings every time. Bouncy React surrounding the pillow-like Zoom Air bag. Although my experience was great, I did experience some unevenness with the foam in my right forefoot on the initial few wears. This was echoed by Instagram DMs from readers who experienced the same with their pairs. Essentially, the React seemed to pile up right around the front end of the full-length Zoom bag. It felt like three or four small bumps under my middle toes. It was annoying, but it dissipated 2 miles into each run. The bumps returned for the first five or so runs in the shoes but always went away as the shoes heated up (as weird as that sounds). After those first five runs, the bumps went away completely. Not everyone I talked with experienced this issue, but if you’re trying it on in store, you’ll want to make sure your pair doesn’t have that issue. I’m fairly confident that even if your pair has the issue, it will go away, but it’s better not to have to deal with it.
It’s a fairly standard fit for Nike running shoes. True to size with sufficient room in the toe box for toe spreading, then narrowing through the midfoot and heel. The heel features two nicely sized achilles pillows. The rear collar of the shoe flairs out to (1) avoid any blistering due to seams along the collar and (2) look trendy because flaring out the rear shoe collar is super-in right now (not that I or anyone here at WearTesters minds when something that is performance oriented is fashionable — that’s actually the best-case scenario for us). The tongue is thin but cushioned enough that you shouldn’t feel any lace pressure. The laces are a rougher fabric that stays tied, but it makes tightening the laces a bit of a pain. They’re not the stretchy laces that have become more popular on running models. I would’ve preferred those laces on these shoes. The lacing system itself is Dynamic Fit. Your midfoot is secured from the connection of the lacing system to the midsole. It’s that hug that Dynamic Fit has provided since Nike first began using it 5–6 years ago. The mesh upper stretches a bit, so wide footers should feel confident in getting their normal size. Offset is on the high side, similar to most Nike runners, at 10mm. You’ll sit at 22mm in the heel and 12mm in the forefoot.
A standard internal heel counter is included, but the real source of the support is sitting slightly below the top of the React midsole carrier. The midsole wraps up in three places: the medial, lateral, and back sides of the heel. Basically, your heels sits inside a three-sided roll cage that keeps you upright on uneven ground. Combine that with a widened base on both the lateral and medial side of the forefoot and you get better support than most neutral-cushioned running shoes. I think they increased the support in case the React/Zoom Air cushioning combo was too soft for some runners. Whatever the reason, you get more support than usual.
The divided outsole features a repeating hexagon pattern below the inside of your foot and a parallel-line pattern along the lateral side. The two sides of the outsole are separated by a large flex groove that allows the React to expand on every footfall and gives the wearer a lot of flexibility that’s useful on trail runs and other uneven terrains like cobblestone. The rubber on the lateral side is fairly stiff. Even after almost 100 miles it’s not breaking down very much. It’s also reinforced near the heel to up the durability for all the heel strikers. The hexagonal pattern on the inside of the foot is made with a softer rubber, but each hexagon is fairly thick. I’ve worn about 1/3 of the way through with almost 100 miles of running and a bunch of walking on asphalt and concrete. The hexagons do really well gripping the pavement and multiple runs in driving rainstorms didn’t change that. Slippage was nonexistent and I had secure footing amid a lot of water.
Mesh everything. It’s the number one material in the running world and the Nike Zoom Freak 1 doesn’t stray from the formula. The mesh is much finer and not as open-celled as a lot of running shoes on the market. The finer mesh provides a cleaner, silkier upper while still offering a solid amount of breathability. The upper is seamless, which severely reduces the likelihood of hot spots. The materials are made for step-in comfort. If putting them on and immediately being able to run 5+ miles was the target, Nike nailed it.
At $140, the Vomero 14 brings the best cushioning in Nike’s running line and firmly competes with running classics like Mizuno Wave Inspire, Asics Gel Nimbus, and Brooks Glycerin. The Vomero 14 features an impressive cushioning setup. If your decision for your everyday running shoe places a high premium on cushioning, the Nike Air Zoom Vomero 14 should be on your short list of candidates.