Air Jordan XI 11 Performance Analysis and Review

Hey guys I just wanted to say that sometimes I have weird dreams. Sometimes I dream. That he is me. You’ve got to see that’s how I dream to be. I dream I move, I dream I groove
Like Mike, if could be like Mike. Weird dream huh?
With the Concord XI coming out (again) I figured I might as well dust off my 2001 retros. They question is if you want to ball in $220 sneakers.
Pros: SEXY, traction when clean, cushioning, fit, stability, containment
Cons: traction gets iffy when rubber gets harder/older and can get slick on dusty floors, cushioning could be updated but not needed, carbon fiber makes shoe stiffer than newer shoes
Best for: any position
Buying advice: buy the colorways you like, don’t buy the XI just bc it’s a discounted colorway . Expect to pay retail for OG colorways
Weight
16.5 ounces which is half an ounce more than the X which I wrote about last week. I can almost guarantee people will say it doesn’t feel heavy while they say the X does. Numbers don’t lie, people do.
Traction
I’ve always found this traction to be good on clean floors, ok to awful on dusty floors depending on age of the shoe. Over time the rubber forms a shell and gets ultra slippery. You can remedy this by using sandpaper or wearing them outdoors to take off the old layer.
Most of the traction in the important areas is herringbone so it works but the little flat spots can pick up dust (dirt plus oxidation =yellowing) which can cause some slipping. However the herringbone is there to slow down the slide so it’s a bit of a mixed bag.
Overall, great when clean, ok on dusty floors, but can get worse with age.
Cushioning
Airsole unit.
Geez it sounds like such an old and antiquated term because in reality it is. But don’t worry it still shows up in shoes like the Lebron Witness 3 …you know 23 years after the AJ XI (yes I said this in my X review)
Cushioning feels good enough but it’s really the action on the foam you feel with a thin layer of air you feel. I actually like how the X feels a little better but that’s just preference.
Fit and Matierals
I decided to combine these two for the XI because the patent leather affects the fit.
Half a size down is the way to go for everyone except maybe the widest footers. Even today it’s hard to get a good fit with patent leather due to the nature of patent leather.
PL is NOT soft and flexible and is stiff in design. JB added the Pl for looks and strength around the shoe.
The rest of the shoe ballistic mesh similar to what you find on the LBJ II and would be considered premium nowadays. It’s flexible yet strong and not paper thin like a lot of mesh materials we see today.
Overall the fit is good with no heel slip and some a little space in the toe box (double sock to fill that space). That’s why I go down half a size.
Some might say the nylon webbing straps are predecessors to Flywire. I guess it kind of is but the straps cover more surface area to give a little more coverage (newer isn’t better). They also really help give the XI a sock like feel as it hugs the foot and ankle.
Overall, materials are nice although JB has skimped in the past but usually not too badly on the XI. Fit is also very good heel to toe although there can be some space in the toe box depending on your foot shape and preference.
Support and Stability
Support is extremely minimal on the AJ 11 bred and is really one of the first shoes I remember being a sock with a sole. It’s no wonder we see so many low top iterations now since this upper adds nothing support wise
Hey look I made XI lows!
Midfoot support is great thanks to MJ wanting and needing a full length carbon fiber for plantar fasciitis although this says its for propulsion 😆

PF, at least I have that in common with MJ.
The CF does make the shoe stiffer than today’s modern shoes but once you’re playing you don’t notice it at all. And if you do, go work out.
Stability is fine with a kinda sorta outrigger and wide outsole.
Overall not issues as the shoe plays safely and naturally.
Containment
Very good no issues here . My foot actually sits below the raised midsole a few millimeters from heel to toe. Plus the patent leather doesn’t stretch (think of it is the antithesis of mesh). Aside from setting a new trend, patent actually had a job to do.
Conclusion
Twenty three years later and a pretty much the GOAT shoe of all time, the AJ XI prints money for Jordan Brand whenever they release classic colors and even some not so classic colors. (RETRO PLUS colors for old timer collectors that remember that term ).
After 23 years shouldn’t all sneakers these days put these to shame on court? The XI has been drinking legally for a a few years now. However, year after year after year after year you see NBA players rocking the XI which tells me either
1) wear what you feel confident wearing
2) technology hasn’t improved much in over two decades or make a difference at all for professional players playing for millions of dollars per game
3) look good play good is a real thing
I choose to believe all three. What if Zoom or Boost were put into the XI? Would it make it any better ? It might feel a little better and more fun but you would’t see any improved performance. Those who think that newer and improved cushioning adds any serious “performance” benefit might want to check their jumper in the mirror. Just getting the basics of a sneaker down is good enough on any court for any skill level.
I’ve always loved looking at the XI especially the concords and my closet has been filled with probably twenty plus at one point in my life. But it isn’t a shoe I absolutely love playing with on court but it’s more than serviceable after two decades and can hold more than its own against any modern shoe. Is it the shoes ? Nope but it feels good to look good so why the hell not. I can give you 220 reasons why not but rational thinking isn’t any sneaker head’s forte.
Buy it if you love them, rock it if you want to, your skills are your skills, just know you can’t buy them off a shelf.
Overall, I love how these look and they perform well on the court even against modern shoes with the latest and greatest but they’ve never been in my rotation due to some traction issues and some slight space in the forefoot. So ironically these get a second team rating. But don’t worry I’m still going to try to cop this weekend.

UA Lightning 3 Performance Review

Executive Summary: This is a brief review because I’ve had a lot of time with the Curry One and these perform nearly as well with a more durable upper and slightly better cushioning.
I really wasn’t going to even bother picking these up but I tried them on at Dick’s and thought they felt better underfoot than the Curry One. People will pass on these since they are a take down model but that’s too bad for the uninformed because these are pretty good especially if you liked the Curry 1.
Here is my Curry One Review:
Curry One
Pros: traction, slightly improved cushioning, fit, stability, containment
Cons: old style synthetic upper looks plasticky, cushioning on the Curry 6 is still better
Sizing: true to size, same as Curry One
Buying advice: wait for sales or clearance stores $69 and under
Weight:
About the same as the Curry One.
Traction
Exactly the same as the Curry One. Great on clean floors but needs wiping on dirtier floors. These are about as low as I will go in terms of dirty floor traction performance. Anything worse than this and I don’t even bother.
If you’ve ever played in the Clutchfit Drive one or two, these play the same way.
Cushioning
I know they look like they are exactly the same set up but the Lightning 3 feels better to me than the Curry One. Even without this non descript sock liner (not even Ortholite) the cushioning has a little more give to it than the Curry One.
As Weartesters’ Duke0405’s interview with Dombrow stated, there is always a mix of Micro G and Charged and it changes from shoe to shoe. To me, these feel better than the Curry One Low which had an Ortholite sockliner rather than a Micro G sockliner in the Mid. It feels like a mix between the Curry One and Two cushioning.
I didn’t really like the cushioning of the Curry One because I felt it didn’t give much bounce and felt much harder than the Clutchfit Drive. The cushioning on the Lightning 3 is slightly better especially in the heel.
Materials
Obviously this is the biggest difference between the Curry One and Lightning 3 but surprisingly it doesn’t make a huge difference. I thought the upper would play super stiff since the upper looks like shiny plastic but it doesn’t have the cheap crunchy feel I expected. UA did a nice job eliminating the stiffness and weight by removing some of the synthetic and using straps instead.
There are some weird flexing spots but it didn’t affect the fit since the strap system holds the foot down in those areas.
It doesn’t conform to the foot all over like Anafoam but this upper is perfectly acceptable to me.
Fit
Exactly the same sizing as the air jordan 34 which is true to size size 11 for me
The materials do not conform to your foot like Anafoam but they don’t need to with the strap/wings in place.
There is no movement at all side to side or front to back. Even the deadspace in the toe box of Curry One has disappeared.
There is no dogbone or contours in the ankle collar like the Curry One but I didn’t even notice their absence as my foot was locked in perfectly. You can see the nice padding of the tongue as well.
Well done UA!
Support and stability
Support is about same as the Curry One, maybe a little better since the upper is slightly stiffer. The external heel clip looks short but there is an internal one as well
Also has the same plastic midfoot shank as well.
Stability is excellent just like the Curry One. It features an outrigger in the forefoot as well and easily passes my heel test.
Containment
Straps and synthetic ? Yes please
Containment is excellent on the Lightning 3.
Well done UA!
Conclusion
Want to play outdoors in the Curry One? Well here is your shoe. No need to worry about Anafoam ripping or tearing. You don’t even have to worry about depreciating a highly sought after collectible. If someone asked what you’re rocking, just say it’s the Veteran’s Day Curry One or S.Curry One (S is for Seth).
As with all take down models, these will go on sale soon and then hit Marshall’s, Ross etc. for $34.99 by next year but if you’re really itching for a Curry One like shoe, the Lightning 3 will do the job.

PUMA Clyde Hardwood Performance Review

Throwback milk crate traction patterns were used at the midfoot and heel of the PUMA Clyde Hardwood while herringbone was placed in the forefoot. Add in that the rubber compound used on these things was tacky as hell, and you’ve got yourself a banger in terms of traction.
I don’t think I’ve had traction this good and this consistent since the Nike Kobe 9. Yeah, it’s been a while.
One downside to having rubber as tacky as the kind used on the Clyde Hardwood is that dust finds its way to the outsole. At least the bottom of it. On the worst conditioned court I had to wipe regularly to maintain the type of super-grip that the shoe offers. The rubber wraps up the toe and every once in a while my toe would drag on this same dusty floor and then grip the court so hard it’d trip me up a bit.
On every other court I played on I never had to wipe the soles at all. For whatever reason, the combination of pattern and rubber compound just gripped — and gripped hard in most cases.
Damn near Kobe 9 level traction.

I loved how the pattern takes a more aggressive approach in the forefoot where needed most while the heel is taken care of mostly by the compound in the moments it’s needed.
Slashing, off-ball cuts and change of direction, hard plants or rolls into jump shots – the outsole did its part with little to no lag. Switching off screens? Did its job. Keeping shifty guys at bay? Did its job. The times I couldn’t stay between my opponent and the hoop, it was defensive error, definitely not the traction.
Everywhere I played – outdoors included – was a near flawless experience except for one badly finished floor, which is unfortunately the most convenient court for me to test at. Even there, it took a bad finish and a ton of dust build up to really have a negative effect on the Clyde Hardwood. Overall, these are one of the most trustworthy outsoles I’ve used this year.

 

The cushion is the one area that I wish was a bit better. It’s not horrible, but it is as basic as it gets.
ProFoam is a marketing term for PUMA’s EVA. Much like Micro G, Phylon, or 3D Ultralite (for those wanting to take it back a couple of decades), ProFoam is a standard foam that offers a responsive ride that’s low to the ground. Great for those wanting a low profile setup without a bunch of mushy cushion under-foot. Mushy cushion can sometimes lead to a slight delay in a players timing as they feel they’re sinking into the platform rather than being propelled by it. It all depends on what you want and need out of your footwear.
I don’t mind the setup at all. Never had shin splints or any type of fatigue or pain during or after play. However, I don’t quite understand why it was caged with additional TPU layers. These layers help cage the foot in, which I love, but the foam isn’t unstable at all so I don’t really see the need for so much extra TPU/rubber.
This wound up creating a bottom heavy ride that may be bothersome for those easily affected by a few extra ounces. For those wanting a stable, low profile ride, these should perform well for you.
Comparing the Clyde Hardwood to a recent shoe we’ve tested and reviewed, the Under Armour Curry 7, the Curry 7 offered a similar feel in terms of cushion, but left me with a desire for something a bit more premium feeling everywhere else. That’s where the PUMA Clyde Hardwood starts to shine.

Man, did it scare me how firm it felt underfoot. It scared me so much so that I went back home to further investigate what exactly PROFOAM is, and yeah…its EVA. Heavily caged EVA.
I was initially disappointed, but this is WearTesters right? Staying on brand, I weathered a light storm of break-in, and the midsole isn’t all that bad – though not great either. If you are looking for pure response, decent-but-not-amazing comfort, and a stable platform, these will work for you. If you are like me and prefer a little more cushioned feel, you still may be okay with these.
The same way the Puma Legacy somehow kept my legs and feet feeling fresh enough through hours of play, the Clyde Hardwoods did the same with even less tech. Go figure.

I absolutely love the material setup.
The forefoot is pretty traditional in terms of modern performance footwear. Textiles and synthetics are the primary offering. However, things get switched up to my type of traditional, 90’s era materials, with genuine leather used from the midfoot to the heel.
This type of build offers that premium feeling that I feel is lacking from footwear today. But it does it in a way where those looking for lightweight mesh/textile builds will still be able to get what they desire. The upper isn’t heavy or restrictive. Its just a great feeling build that moves like a second skin to the foot. Support is where you need it while mobility is where you’d want it.
The only thing I could complain about is that I’d have liked a bit more leather on the shoe, but this is also coming from a guy that still prefers to play in something like the Kobe 1 Protro over most modern releases.

Materials are, simply put, a near perfect balance of old and new. Good leather in the rear, supportive knit up front, and a few hits of suede – what’s to complain about? All I can think of as a nitpick is of course the white knit upper gets destroyed almost as soon as you take them on the court to really play, so that takes away from the otherwise seamless transition off court.
But seriously, the Clyde Hardwood is awesome with materials. Even the significantly less premium touches like the felt overlay panels are twice as good as fuse for comfort. The plastic caging the entire lateral side of the midsole doesn’t give like a Yeezy 350 V2 per se, but like the midsole, it breaks in and flexes well to aid transition. Puma gives you just about everything you could hope for here.

 

I was warming up in the pair PUMA had gifted, but when I was beginning to loosen up a bit, it felt like the shoe was too long. When I initially tried them on I had mentioned that they were snug, but also had a slight bit of length to them. That snug feeling went away while warming up, and I was left with a bit of additional length that I don’t like in my shoes. Especially shoes with softer textiles being used in the forefoot.
I went to my local retail and found a pair in a 1/2 size down, tried them on, and felt the length after that was perfect. Just enough give to the materials so my toes wound’t get beaten to death on-court, but enough of a snug fit to feel nice and contained.
Lockdown was solid overall. The rear section of the shoe really stands out here as there is nothing better than a nicely broken-in leather shoe. It hugs and wraps around any foot shape beautifully and once you’re laced up you’re good-to-go. I found the textile forefoot to be a bit different as the more I wore them the more I could feel the materials stretch a bit. This caused me to really yank on the forefoot lacing, which worked, but there isn’t quite enough padded between the foot and the nylon lacing cables to protect the foot and pinky toe.

I know Nightwing feels these guys run a little long and went a half size down. For me, I had no issues. I may have a little more space near the toe than I started out with, but not enough to make me feel I should’ve considered sizing down.
Even if length were an issue for me, what I really like is the lacing starts far up in the forefoot, and I could feel the nylon cabling hug the foot nice and snug if I needed extra lockdown.
Since we have two people that to my knowledge aren’t heavily leaned towards either side of the width spectrum, but we both did not go true to size, I’m not going to make any recommendations other than to try these on first if you have the option to – the shoe appears widely available. No one knows what will be comfortable for your feet better than you.

Once I had a pair that I felt fit my feet perfectly, the support fell in line quickly. I’m glad I went down 1/2 size so everything remained one-to-one with my foot even after breaking them in.
The base itself is flat, and very old school, so there were no issues there. Torsional support was pretty much covered due to the extensive TPU midsole cage. Heel support was solid as well.

Find a good fit and all should be well in the world for you support-wise. As mentioned, there are nylon cables for the first few sets of eyelets to lock you down in the forefoot, along with plastic along the lateral side to give a little support along the sidewall. I loved the use of the external heel clip for reinforcement in that area and the Clyde Hardwood just has an overall nice, relatively flat platform for you to sit upon. No disappointments here either.

I thought PUMA did a solid job with its first outing — the PUMA Clyde Court — but they really nailed it with the Clyde Hardwood.
They were able to blend the old with the new in a way that should be ideal to most players. If you prefer softer textiles — they’ve got that. If you prefer genuine leathers and suedes — they’ve got that.
Traction is beastly while cushion is basic. Overall, a very solid pair of sneakers that work well on the court and look great off the court.

Sorry to use a baseball metaphor, but Puma really knocked it out the park with the Clyde Hardwood. What better way to represent the model’s legacy than producing one of the best-looking shoes out with the performance to go with it?
If you are nervous about the initial feel of the Clyde Hardwood underfoot as I was, I would just remind you things changed rather quickly for me once I was able to put even a little bit of good wear into them. If you get to that point, I feel there is just enough to satisfy the needs of all types of players.
If we weren’t in the age of hype, everyday releases, and excessive judgment, I’d like to think these would go down as an all-time classic – just like the original Puma Clyde.

Air Jordan XXXIV 34 Performance Analysis and Review

Finally an ambassador worthy of the JB buzz machine

 

But does the new Jordan match the hype of the new face of JB?

Let’s face it, love or hate JB, you pay attention to the launch of the latest Jordans. Throw in all the influencer marketing on YouTube and you can’t really avoid it. Are they always aesthetically pleasing ? Not every shoe during MJ’s playing date were hot but most non MJ playing year have fallen on the the meh side of things. I think these look great but of course nobody is reading this for my style tips so on with the review !

Pros: traction, cushioning, fit, support, stability, containment

Cons: some wiping required on dustier floors, arch support may cause pain, pricey, materials are meh

Best for: any position

Sizing advice: true to size or half a size up. I really advise going in store to try on. Half size up would be the safest bet.

Buying advice: like all shoes these days these are sitting. Wait for discounts as these will get down to the $100-120 level like all Jordans these days. But can you hold off after watching Zion highlights is the real question.

Weight

15 ounces vs 15 ounces. Way to go JB!

Jordan brand touts these as one of the lightest Jordans ever and they are average weight for a mid despite the tech spec “upgrades”. “One of the lightest” is about as generic and broad of a sentence as you can get without lying. Most of the weight is on the bottom since the upper is so minimal. But hey if a someone thinks they are uber light so be it!

Traction

Thank you JB

Thin flexible and slightly modified herringbone really works well. It doesn’t squeak like crazy (nor does it matter). Just a good reliable pattern slightly angle to give a little more stopping power side to side.

It is not the best ever but it’s definitely up there and works well on all floor conditions. Some slight wiping on really dusty floors but not much at all. Well done JB!

Cushioning

Really lots of surface area coverage in the forefoot, and just a standard smallish rectangle in the heel. I’m sure Fastpass.cn will have a break down if they haven’t yet.

Even though it’s smallish you can feel the Zoom directly with your hands and obviously your heel. Much smaller than the Kobe IV heel and shorter than the Zoom Freak 1 heel.

You can see how wide and fairly thick the Zoom is. I’m guessing 8- 10 mm which is standard…thanks for the view Eclipse plate

And here you can see how much it covers toe to almost midfoot.

It is NOT AJ 28 level (or 29 31 32 or 33 or melo m8-11) but it doesn’t need to be.  It just feels like Zoom should feel almost right out of the box thanks to a softer foam carrier similar to the PG3. No need to add in protrusions or speed plates to artificially increase Zoom feel if the bags are nice and big. I could feel the Zoom in the heel pretty easily even though it isn’t the biggest (that’s what she said? ) since it’s directly underfoot. The forefoot feels fairly good after break in but it is under a few millimeters of foam so it isn’t surprising that the Zoom feel is muted. I suspect this is what the Zoom Rise and Alpha Dunks sort of feel like (Ill get around to those soon I hope, the Rize is already on sale for 104 on Nike).

If you’re looking for plush or KD 9-10 level you’ll be disappointed but if you want a very well balanced and fun overall set up, you’ll really like these. Guards and bigs should really enjoy the cushioning even if there are better feeling set ups. FWIW the Kd12 feels better underfoot to me but not by much.

Well done JB !

Fit

The AJ 34 features L.A.C.E.S technology

Leave

All Marketing

Crap

Elsewhere

Sucka

I told you Fast Fit would be gone after the 33.

Anyways,, regarding sizing I suggest true to size or half a size up depending on your foot shape. The shape of your toes will really determine how the forefoot of the shoe fits you and if you should size up at all. I had my normal finger width of space at the toe box with true to size. No movement side to side or heel slip thanks to the mid cut. I highly recommend buying two sizes and or trying them on in store because the fit can be too tight in the forefoot. 

No issues with the fit at all thanks to the assistive nature of L.A.C.E.S. or what I like to call laces.

Materials

Quad axial upper? Mesh? It’s just mesh with lines.

I haven’t looked hard into what JB calls this stuff but it is very similar to the KD 12 upper without the padding underneath.

Interior view. You can really see how minimal the upper is.

This stuff looks cheap AF but plays fine. It’s strongish and flexible but never really looks smoothed out and always looks bumpy. It just looks unfinished to me but oh well. Maybe that’s the look they wanted ? Flyknit would have felt better but mesh is cheaper and materials don’t really matter. JB says they wanted it stripped down for performance but we all know it’s material changes are stripped down for profit. Money talks, so marketing tells the story.

Support and Stability

Like most shoes these days the higher cut doesn’t do much. Add in the thinness of the upper and you really get zero support from the upper.

The higher cut is really just there to allow the laces to run higher and pull the heel back and down.

Midfoot Support
Peekaboo!

Midfoot support is good, very good in fact thanks to the Eclipse plate. Per JB

Aerodynamic Support

Eclipse plate made from molded TPU provides stability and support that engages during side-to-side movements. It’s hollowed out to let you see into and through the sole, giving insight to the Zoom Air cushioning within while reducing the shoe’s overall weight.

OK I can agree with that aside from the Aerodynamic part
Midfoot and back there is almost no flex which is great for PF sufferers. There is actual arch support due to the shape of the plate which depending on your foot shape and tolerance for pain is a good thing .

Medial side shot of the Eclipse Plate

Most shoes these days have zero arch support and my flat feet could barely stand it at the beginning but over time it molded a little bit more to my arches plus my mind and feet got used to it. If you have flat feet and you’re a puss have a low tolerance to pain or change, you’ll probably hate these especially the first few times out.

Stability

Stability is good with no rolling and it easily passed my heel test thanks to a flat outsole, wide forefoot and the super stable eclipse plate. No issues at all with stability.

Containment

Containment is good but the “wall” in the toe box is oddly placed a little too far forward but this allows a little more natural flexing at the forefoot. Thankfully the mesh is strong and doesn’t flex much on hard cuts so no issues here. We wouldn’t want Zion to pull a PG again!

Stats and Fatigue

New category! Decided to throw this in as a section and I can say I played well in these. Shot lights out last run and averaged about average for me during league games (around 15-18 on average). No issues with fatigue although the arch support was killing me the first few days. I played and shot better in the Freak 1 but it ain’t the shoes kids.

Fun Factor

Another new section I decided to add. Real Zoom, good fit and great traction? Really fun shoe and you don’t really notice you’re wearing them. Isn’t that what we all want?

Conclusion

Finally a new Jordan that features heel and for foot Zoom

Finally a new Jordan that doesn’t have Zoom that pops

Finally a new Jordan that does everything well

Finally a new face for the JB SIG LINE that gets fans excited again.

I liked the 28 but but wasn’t in love with it. I guess I never really felt fully connected to it while I played. It also sat a little high and was prone to Zoom failure.

The 29 had some containment issues and the heel was tippy and no there was no heel Zoom

30 was actually pretty good for me but traction could be better and I like heel Zoom

31 poor containment on the mids and iffy traction

32 not bad a little clunky

33 not bad a little clunky and ugly

1999 retro vs 2019 AJ 34..oh maybe that’s why the put the lines on the mesh #odetotheJV

The 34 does everything well and while I don’t see much of theAJ IV lineage (are they still doing that ? I see more AJ XXI than IV)I think it’s a fresh, good looking shoe that you forget about while you’re playing which is pretty much what every sneaker should strive for. It isn’t the best at anything in particular but overall it works great. Surprisingly (or not) these remind me a lot of a sneaker in my rotation; the tried and true seven year old. Lebron Soldier VI. As cool as the AJ 34 is, I get more Zoom feel and more support in a lighter package at 13 ounces for a fraction of the price. I’m not knocking the 34, it is a great shoe but it isn’t any better than what I have already (keep in mind I love the Soldier VI) I’ve said it time and time again that newer doesn’t mean better. If you’re in the market for a pair of hoop shoes, the AJ34 is a very safe bet because it performs well in every category except price. But we all know the Price Is Right rules right ?
First Team rating

 

New Balance Fresh Foam More Performance Review

With the New Balance Fresh Foam More, New Balance has jumped into the thick midsole craze. Does New Balance’s Fresh Foam work in larger doses? I’ve got the answer.
The recent large volume midsole craze is driven by Hoka. Recently, we’ve reviewed the Hoka Bondi 6, Hoka Rincon, and Hoka Arahi 3. Nike has also jumped into the game in a big way with shoes like the Nike Zoom Fly 3 and the controversial Nike Vaporfly Next%. In all of those shoes, the larger volume midsole wasn’t a gimmick. The midsole design contributing to making the ride smoother and snappier while maintaining a very effective cushion setup. Because of the successes from other brands, I had high hopes for New Balance’s latest model.
I ran 70+ miles in the New Balance Fresh Foam More including speed workouts, trail runs, treadmill training, long runs, running over the Golden Gate bridge, and several flights.
Cushion
The Fresh Foam More’s exaggerated midsole offers a fantastic ride. Every step is really smooth. The shoe gives you a nice rocker feeling so landing seems to propel you to and through toe off. In my experience, this worked whether you land on your heel, midfoot, or toes. The shoe quickly became one of my go to running shoes because it made me feel like I was exerting less effort in each of my strides.
Fresh Foam doesn’t do it for me in small amounts. I’ve owned New Balances with a thin slab of Fresh Foam and those shoes just didn’t provide the impact protection I wanted. However, a huge amount of Fresh Foam works great. The impact protection is among the best in recent running shoes and I believe it has a lot to do with New Balance’s midsole design. New Balance has given the foam lots of places to expand with small holes along the lateral side of the midsole and a depression in the heel portion of the outsole to allow for an extra bit of plushness during heel strikes. And even with all that cushion, the Fresh Foam More is still lighter than the average neutral everyday running shoe.
Traction
The traction of the Fresh Foam More is a good news, bad news situation. The hexagon-patterned outsole grips well across rainy roads and sandy trails but it won’t last long. New Balance uses what it calls Ground Contact Foam for the outsole. While Ground Contact Form is denser than the Fresh Foam midsole, it’s still foam and that means durability issues. New Balance opted not to protect the foam with rubber to save weight. While it’s nice the Fresh Foam More is so light, I still wish there was rubber on the outsole in high wear areas like the toe and heel. After 70 miles the outsoles are already looking extremely worn. Based on the way the Fresh Foam More wears down, I only expect them to last 150-200 miles.
Support
Interestingly, the New Balance Fresh Foam More carries a 4mm drop. Most everyday running shoes end up in the 8mm to 10mm range. A 4mm drop is more typically found in Cross Training shoes. The reason is the added stability the lesser drop provides. Weightlifters don’t want to slide forward in their shoes as they lift heavy weights. Instead, they want a flat, stable platform. The 4mm drop in the Fresh Foam More works the same way. The runner stays put on top of the midsole and that’s great for stability.
In addition, the heel and half of the midfoot sit inside the midsole. This means you’re not moving off the footbed. Most instability on roads or trails that cause your weight to shift left or right won’t be cause for alarm. The higher midsole walls keep you upright. It’s the perfect addition for a shoe with such a large volume midsole and provides extra peace of mind.
On top of the above, air jordan 34 provides a wide base for the forefoot. The forefoot’s wide base allows full toe splay and extra support when tackling uneven terrain. You also get a typical internal plastic heel counter that helps the heel stay upright. Altogether, this is one of the more stable neutral running shoes I’ve tested. I do know many people that utilize Stability shoes are also looking for a neutral runner that may fit their needs. The New Balance Fresh Foam More is definitely worth considering even if you’re an overpronator.
Materials
The upper is a very typical mix of engineered and regular mesh. The engineered mesh is reinforced at the toe for protection, durability, and to give your toes a little more room. For durability, New Balance placed fuse overlays on the lace loops. The laces themselves are stretchy with a really cool 3M dash pattern. The upper is very breathable as the mesh pattern allows air to flow easily throughout the shoe. Finally, the holographic 3M “N” New Balance logo is awesome. It’s just for looks but it makes me smile each time I put on the shoe.
Fit
The New Balance Fresh Foam More fits true to size. I went with my normal size and had my preferred thumbnail worth of room.
The upper has no visible seams except behind the heel (which you can’t feel as you’re protected by the heel counter and layers of padding). The comfortable but not too thick collar features 2 achilles pillows and 2 ankle pillows that help prevent ankle area blisters and add extra comfort without the extra weight of a beefy cushioned collar. The middle lace loop on each side of the shoe connects to the tongue and keeps it in place. New Balance calls these Tongue Wings. It’s the best implementation of tongue stay tech I’ve ever seen. The tongue doesn’t move or slip to the side. As someone who often gets tongue slip, I really appreciate the thought that went into the Tongue Wings (even though the name needs a little work lol).
Overall
The New Balance Fresh Foam More delivers a large volume midsole and a well rounded shoe. The cushioning is great, the ride is smooth, and the support is top of class. You also get a few nice touches like Tongue Wings and the holographic 3M logo. The outsole durability isn’t what I would expect from a shoe this price but that’s the main drawback on an otherwise exciting shoe. Hopefully New Balance continues to make running shoes with large volume midsoles because their first effort was a success.

Adidas Harden V4 Volume 4 Performance Analysis and Review

Is this how I feel about the harden Vol 4? Read on..or just scroll to the bottom you bum.

Pros: traction when clean, cushioning fit stability containment

Cons: outsole rubber is very sticky picks up dust and needs to be wiped to stay tacky, some initial pain from strap they goes away. Can easily over tighten laces due to lots padding

Best for : any position

Sizing advice: these look huge on foot but lots of interior padding so go true to size or half size up.

Buying Advice: wait as always especially with uber discount combo of Harden and Adidas. Adidas has a 20%-30% off sale almost every month and get ready for a bunch of Adidas shoes from China at the outlets. Fair is $100, bottom around $50.

Weight

 

Adidas touts these as the lightest Harden ever and they are …but then again every Harden have been over 16 ounces. The V4 is slightly lighter than past Hardens At 15.5 ounces which is on heavier side for a low but at least a marketing claim is the the truth for once.

Traction

Fibonacci where art thou? Oh the silly marketing stories people make up and believe and push. So much for tracking the Beard’s movements to “optimize” performance. 

I found the traction on these excellent when clean or freshly wiped although there are some slick spots around the medial edges thanks to zero texture as seen above. On dusty floors I didn’t have any major issues although it would pick up dust but I wasn’t on skates and a wipe would get it back on track. There is definitely more flexibility with the grooves on this pattern than what we saw on the V1/2 and the rubber is tacky so that all contributes to how well it worked for me.

Overall these are great on clean NBA floors and good enough on dusty floors so that’s good enough for me. I’d rank these #2 behind the V3 overall followed by the V2 and V1.

Cushioning

Lightstrike strikes again and will probably keep striking from here on out.

Adidas and Harden decided to take a step back or side step (pun intended) by moving away from Boost and using Lightstrike instead. Supposedly Lightstrike is used in place of Boost to save weight and while the shoe is lighter we can’t tell if it’s due to less actual foam or the the actual weight of the foam (I’m guessing the latter).

Normal foam strobel board and plenty of padding around the ankle

Lightstrike is very comfortable and I didn’t miss Boost at all during play but it’s just another foam. Wasn’t one of the benefits of eTPU (Boost) durability and extended life since it didn’t flatten out ? I do not expect Lightstrike to keep that fresh feel for long but then again I rotate my shoes a lot. Overall Lightstrike reminds me of fresh Lunarlon with a little Micro G in it. It’s a great feeling foam that plays low to the ground. I guess it’s worth the $10 price cut ? If you love Boost I suggest stocking up on Vol 3 bc I have a feeling Adidas hoops is moving away from Boost just like they have moved away from premium materials. Adidas’s sales numbers rose mostly due to running and apparel not b-ball shoe sales.

Fit

Portrait mode on iPhone 11..

I suggest true to size or half a size up.

These look huge on foot but that’s due to a lot of materials and padding. They run slightly long (not crazylight or marquee boost long) but just a tad. The shoe fits very snugly and due to all the padding you can easily over tighten the laces like I did the first time out.

suggested that back with the CLB16

There is zero heel slip almost right out of the box thanks to properly placed top eyelets, a slightly higher overall cut and plenty of internal padding.

There is zero movement inside the shoe also thanks to plenty of padding so you are locked in in every direction. It’s almost uncomfortable at first because shoes have gotten away from padding and I over tightened the laces the first time I played in these. There is a strap that digs slightly but into the bottom of the ankle but they goes away fairly quickly. It does make the midfoot fit a little tighter than the rest but overtime that strap will loosen up for any foot shape.

Well done Adidas, I’ll take my cut for the design in the form of a retweet ..oh wait I need Twitter.

Materials

Mesh and suede panels. Sure ?

Nothing offensive or outstanding about the materials, pretty much par for the price. I think a lot of people loved the perceived value of the Harden V1 but as usual as the Harden line has gone from new to oldish in three years, materials have gotten cheaper feeling. Still no issues with materials. No pinching or weird flexing so

Support and Stability 

Support is actually kind of there due tor he higher cut and firm heel counter

I think stability is where the V4 really shines. Just wide everywhere without feeling unnatural.

It does take a wear or two to get used to the width but geez it’s worth the safety. It’s somewhat set up like the old Feet You Wear (or BYW) which some may like but it’s not overly flexible especially midfoot and back for midfoot support and it allows a nice balance between stability and flexibility.

Well done Adidas!

Containment No issues here
Conclusion
Other than some small slick spots with the traction, I really have nothing bad to say about the Harden V4. Outstanding traction when clean, great fit out of the box, very stable and safe feeling plus it’s $10 less than last years? Geez Adidas, if only retail was the bottom of the V4 pricing…
Although Boost is gone on the V4, I really didn’t miss it and Lightstrike provides plenty of feedback and bounce to make running up and down the court fun. I really don’t like the styling of the V4 but maybe that’s the old curmudgeon in me who likes simpler styling. I think Adidas finally got it right with the V4 in every aspect especially stability. All in all, I think this is the best Harden Adidas has made..you known, all four of them.
Well done Adidas!

About Under Armour Curry 7 Everything You Need To Know

The Under Armour Curry 7 is about to release and this is everything you need to know.
Tech specs have changed a bit between the UA Curry 6 and the upcoming Curry 7. Under Armour’s HOVR cushioning is back, but this time around its met with Under Armour’s popular Micro G cushioning and a flexible TPU plate. The concept behind the system = Go Farther, Faster and Longer.
Under Armour’s design team took the data from Curry’s game and started working from the inside out when ideating on the Curry 7. The data pointed to a need for a system that would be as dynamic as Curry’s on-court play, but adaptable to any athlete striving to get better. This resulted in the unique combination of two proprietary foam technologies.
The HOVR implementation is thin, but the foam focuses on energy return while absorbing impact. This is what Micro G was originally known for but has since transitioned into a firm, responsive foam in that enables quick changes of direction.

Like a lot of players, I’m always working on movement and fluidity, my range of motion, and how I can be more efficient with my footwork and balance. Key for me when we were building the Curry 7 was the combination of energy return from UA HOVR and responsiveness underfoot for quickness on-court.
– Stephen Curry

Under Armour once again looks to deliver optimal traction to maximize confidence and response time. The Curry 7’s outsole features layered herringbone in addition to a radial traction pattern. This system creates incremental levels of grip depending upon the force applied, while simultaneously flexing with the athlete’s every move. Whether you are Stephen Curry, trying to thread through some of the tightest defenses in the NBA, or a recreational player looking for consistent traction on any surface, the Curry 7 aims to deliver great traction with every step.

Materials found on the Curry 6 are no longer present with the Curry 7. This may disappoint some, as will the material choice the design team chose to use.
Translucent TPU layering was applied to a textile build. This leaves a bit to be desired in terms of being a premium build, but the structure is geared towards containment and support. The forefoot focuses on the textile material — offering a bit of breathability and flexibility. The midfoot – where most of the TPU skin and reinforcements are located – structure, support and lockdown are the primary focus. In the collar and heel areas, where foam padding is located, comfort is crucial to keep athletes on their game all night long.
Since writing this article and recording the first impression breakdown video I have played in the Curry 7 numerous times. At this time the shoe is performing better than I initially gave them credit for. Traction and stability are its strongest aspects so far — not much of a surprise — and I’m enjoying the dual cushion setup despite them being a bit firmer than I feel they could have been.
Stay tuned for the full performance review and we look forward to discussing the Under Armour Curry 7 more with all of you within our Hoop Jordan Discord community.
The Under Armour Curry 7 ‘UNDRTD’ colorway is scheduled to release worldwide on UA.com, UA Brand Houses and at select retailers like Dick’s Sporting Goods for $140 on November 1, 2019.
Images and the product being reviewed are courtesy of Under Armour.