Nike Kyrie 6 Review: Your Ultimate Guard’s Shoe Improved

 After another typical Kyrie release that was the 5th model catered towards Kyrie-like low-profile guards, the latest Kyrie 6 might be looking to shake things up a bit? I know I’ve said that and a lot of us did, a few years in a row now. Regardless, I’m bringing you my Nike Kyrie 6 review after 2 months of play.

We’ll be taking a look if the same $130 price tag is still worth it, I’ll be breaking down how I felt about the shoe’s fit & comfort, all-around performance on the court and if you own a pair of Kyrie 5’s, I’ll hopefully help you make up your mind whether you should upgrade.

SPEC SHEET

 

Model: Nike Kyrie 6

Build: Mid-top

Weight: 15.95 oz / 452 g. (size 10.5 US)

Retail Price: $130

Cushion: Forefoot Air Zoom Turbo & Phylon midsole

I. COMFORT & FIT

 

Starting off with the fit and comfort, I think these are a step up from the last Kyrie shoe.

The upper has changed, and so did the way the shoe hugs my foot, especially after breaking them in for a few days.

I have wide feet, and I’ve seen some reviews indicating these run small. I went true to size with the Kyrie 5 (and regretted it), so decided to go up half a size with the 6, and this time, I wasn’t disappointed.

Sure, I did feel slightly uncomfortable during my first week of play, the upper was still stiff and the cushion didn’t feel like it should. But after I broke them in properly, even my wide foot felt pretty good in there.

I finally felt the experience that’s supposed to be the norm for a Kyrie hoop shoe – secure, mobile, and balanced just right for a guard. No gimmicks, no extra shiny stuff that sounds good on paper.

I think these will be a strong contender among the top shoes for wide footers if you go up half a size, as well as they’re just comfortable.

It seems like there’s a bit more internal padding than on the Kyrie 5, plus the ventilation of the shoe improved thanks to a more premium material combination.

For regular/narrow footers, I would advise you to try these in stores, or if you’re not able to, ordering both your true size and a half size up online, and then returning the unneeded one is an option.

Overall, these fit and feel just right. I probably wouldn’t put these into a top 3 most comfy sneakers, since you simply can’t beat the experience a shoe with a soft upper such as knit, and when done right can bring.

BUT, if you’re looking for a shoe to get the job done in a secure and mobile way that makes you forget that you’re in a shoe while playing, the Kyrie 6 definitely has you covered.

II. TRACTION

 

Looks like classic herringbone is still not back but I’m not complaining – these performed pretty much just as reliably as the Kyrie 5.

Multi-directional grip at its finest, inside or outside – I didn’t have any issues. I also didn’t even need to wipe the outsoles off.

I did so just out of a habit but just occasionally, and I feel like these will surely hold up even if you completely forget about all that wiping business and just play.

The rubber compound on the outsole is very similar to the 5th Kyrie – it’s thick and it doesn’t look too unreliable. I took these outdoors a lot and I don’t yet see any deterioration, and the performance is still a-okay.

Kyrie’s line never disappoints in this category – and the Kyrie 6 is a great shoe to take in both indoors and outdoors without breaking down for a while.

III. CUSHION

 

The cushion setup is once again very close to the last model – it’s Zoom Air Turbo in the forefoot with an injected Phylon midsole throughout the shoe.

Despite the similar setup on paper, I did feel a marginal improvement here. Our dreams finally came true?

Not really.

I still feel like this is a guard’s shoe at its core but I must admit I could actually feel the cushion’s presence more, especially in the forefoot area, which is pretty rare nowadays.

A subtle layer of thin Zoom Air Turbo paired with a quality Phylon midsole works wonders for making a perfect guard’s shoe, so court feel and responsiveness are still through the roof.

But this time you’ll get a bit more impact protection and feel like there’s actually some energy return under your feet, as opposed to the shoe feeling dead. Responsive, fast, but dead. Not the case anymore with the Kyrie 6.

My heel-to-toe transitions also felt a bit smoother thanks to improved Phylon foam this year. Despite not having a proper Zoom unit in the heel, I still felt there was just a bit more give to it than on the Kyrie 5’s, which is always welcome.

The Kyrie 6’s cushioning is more balanced and more players/playstyles will appreciate it. For a heavy forward or a center, I’d still choose something with more give, such as the Zoom Rize.

But for just about any guard, these will have all the basic elements covered, if you’re aiming for a responsive setup more than a plushy, bouncy one.

IV. SUPPORT

 

The support area is pretty much carried over from the last model – we have an internal heel counter, outriggers for lateral coverage, and the shoe’s base is nice and flat.

There’s also the midfoot strap and the lacing system gets pretty deep – there’s internal lacing in the midfoot area and adjustable cables in the forefoot.

All that combined works just as well as on any other Kyrie shoe – I felt extremely supported, lockdown is fantastic, foot containment never failed once.

It’s a mid-top, so you won’t get as much ankle mobility as you would on a compact low-top, but mobility overall didn’t feel sacrificed.

Any guards all the way to the most explosive ones will definitely find the supportive features of the Kyrie 6 up to par.

A couple of things to note – first, I didn’t feel the extra midfoot strap added anything in terms of lockdown or containment, no matter how hard I tried to strap it.

Second, the forefoot cables liked to get loose pretty quick after I laced them up tight. Nothing out of the ordinary from a basketball shoe but still would’ve liked not to be bothered by something like that.

Once I re-laced the shoe completely and made it a bit looser, the issue was pretty much gone, so perhaps I was pushing those cables to the limits, who knows?

V. BUILD & MATERIALS

 

The upper of the shoe is the biggest difference from the Kyrie 5. This time, it’s a textile material on the forefoot area and the heel area is all genuine leather.

That is a fantastic setup that’s pretty rarely seen in today’s kicks, due to the new era of synthetics used on pretty much everything now.

Due to genuine leather being genuine leather – you will have to break them in for a bit before you feel the complete experience.

I personally felt great in the shoe after 7-8 days of playing. Regular footers might break these in even faster.

I didn’t feel a drastic difference over the Kyrie 5 but it’s surely an improvement. The forefoot textile is nothing special but it’s not a dealbreaker either.

The heel area has improved ventilation over the Kyrie 5 and works very well with the supportive features due to its durable and flexible nature.

The shoe is also durable, even the forefoot area since the textile on it is sewed well, there are visible seams, and the shoe is nowhere near looking dated despite me constantly playing outdoors.

I think this is a more premium upper than the five and for that, I give props to this one since the price tag remains the same.

VI. OVERALL

 

The Kyrie 6 is a slight step-up from the Jordan 37 and I’m fully down with that – you can pretty much state that the Kyrie line is all about “what ain’t broke, don’t fix it”.

Thanks to the slight changes here and there and a nicer upper combo – the Nike Kyrie 6 is still a killer guard’s shoe, but it’s now a bit more than that, thanks to a more balanced, but still very responsive cushioning setup.

Low-profile or explosive, indoors or outdoors – the Kyrie 6 has got your back!