New Balance OMN1S performance review

After having a rough time trying to find a pair to buy and test, our New Balance OMN1S performance review is finally here.
The New Balance OMN1S traction is amazing. No other way for me to describe it.
It’s a variation of herringbone, but done is a beautiful way. It’s almost like a serrated outsole that slices through dust — even on the worst courts. The rubber used gripped every court I took them on as well no matter how good or bad the courts finish was.
For me, this is the best traction I’ve used all year long. And there have been some great ones — Air Jordan 34 — but this one has proved to be the most consistent no matter what was thrown at it.
Oh, did I mention it’s durable as hell? For you outdoor hoopers… this one will last you a good while.
Except for New Balance branding, a modified herringbone pattern that plays in to the ‘Klaw’/former Raptor theme runs full length on the outsole. This moderately aggressive pattern along with the rubber compound does well to minimize the impact of dust. The solid rubber colorway tested doesn’t seem to accumulate as much dust as a translucent may, and what is built up eventually gets pushed out due to the nature of the grooves in the herringbone pattern.
It’s not always a screeching or obvious bite – but like Ja and Ashanti, it’s always on time. Traction fit for one of, if not the best, two way player in the game.
This shoe grips to the floor just like Kawhi palming a basketball with his bear claws. No matter what direction I moved, the grip just snagged the floor — in a good way. I felt no issue nor slippage with the shoe. I didn’t even wipe much (even though it’s a force of habit to kick your leg back and do a hand swipe). The traction is straight legit.

 

This is everything I want the Curry line to feel like. Court feel. Stability. Cushion. The three wish list items I always have for cushion, and one that I tend to really only get with Zoom Air.
The Fuel Cell setup is awesome and I’ve become a believer. To all of those that run in New Balance runners… man, y’all must love running around in this stuff.
I will say that it doesn’t feel quite as nice as day one, but it still feels really good. Its also really light and flexible so there is really nothing cumbersome about the shoe at all.
Don’t let the fluffy feeling exterior or Ortholite insole fool you, New Balance’s FuelCell is a little on the firm side in the OMN1S midsole. That doesn’t make it a bad cushion, however. It is a stable setup with great court feel, transition, and comfort. Impact protection is okay, but nothing you should plan on jumping out the gym in.
Overall, this implementation of FuelCell isn’t quite on the level of other brand’s top foams, but I find it to be a suitable cushion nonetheless.
While the comparisons to other brands may or may not get thrown in, the Fuelcell doesn’t exactly scream or feel highly-cushioned. You feel low to the ground, garnering more of the impact towards your legs and knee. You do feel an ample amount of it at the heel, however, there is a drop off from the midfoot to the toe. While players who like court feel will like this setup, a person that required more impact protection, like myself, I do feel my knee/back aching more since I rely on that impact protection more. It’s not great, but it gets the job done.

 

 

The build is pretty standard for today’s modern basketball shoes. It feels like a Jaquard knit to me, and I feel it’s the safest way to go when it comes to using textiles on basketball products.
There is no real stretch to the material as the way its structured keeps everything together really nicely. It offers more of a contouring type of textile that moves with your foot instead of just wearing a sock shoe just to wear a sock shoe.
Durability has been great as well. Not traditionally something you think about in correlation with textile builds.

 

FitWeave is the name – the upper reminds me of the Crazylight Boost 2016 jacquard a bit. It’s flexible, but just a tad bubbly in the toe, which can be offset by going a half size down, which I did. It is a strong material, so containment is not an overall issue so long as the fit is right.
The tongue area’s stretchy knit provides crazy ventilation but does allow for some unwanted shifting. This is where the synthetic suede eyelets and collar (Heatwave colorway) play an important role. For $140, I’m not mad at the upper base, but for the synthetic touches, were talking about felt like stuff that is far from premium – it especially looks bad in the pink color it comes in.
Taking price out of the equation and going strictly performance, everything is functional.
Going true to size, which is what I originally had done, proved to be a mistake. The shoe fits 1/2 size too long. While playing in the pair in my true size my foot was never locked in at all and there was all kinds of shifting while making any sort of movement on the hardwood.
Luckily, I was able to find a pair 1/2 size down — hit up hoop-jordan.com if you’re looking for a pair. They seem to sit there even though they’re sold out everywhere else. Once I went down 1/2 size the lockdown was damn near perfect. From heel to toe and from medial to lateral side — just solid all around.
One thing I don’t love is the tongue. It’s light and well ventilated, but it’s really thin. So, there were times when I’d had laced the shoe up a bit too tight and it would cut off circulation in my foot. A quick adjustment and I all was well, but it’s just the one thing that made the shoe not quite perfect for me.
I never tried the New Balance OMN1S on in my true size. Starting with Nightwing, I heard enough recommendations to go down a half size and that seems like it was the best decision made. In length, a half size down is perfect for me, and in width I have no issues.
As I alluded to in materials, lockdown is highly dependent on the eyelets of the OMN1S, as the tongue area and midfoot band are just too stretchy for my liking.
New Balance has wide options on their direct site, but purchasing from there seems to be quite a struggle compared to retailers like Footlocker and Shoe Palace that only seem to carry standard sizing. If you are a wide footer and take a shoot at NB online’s wide options, just consider that these run long also.
Hella long (insert a “That’s what she said!”). I have a size 13 and the shoe feels like a size 14+. So, it is highly recommended to try on a pair, or if it was a guessing game – 1/2 size down at least. Luckily – New Balance might be one of the few if not so far only available grand that has the normal and wide foot option to select – Shoutout to NB for showing love for us Shrek-feet people. I went with thicker cushion socks to alleviate the extra room in the shoe and played fine, I just wish the sizing gets corrected for future models ahead.
Support and containment was horribly dangerous when playing in my true size, but as stated previously, the second pair I bought 1/2 size down feels damn near perfect.
The fit and lockdown are able to properly do their thing while the standard support features — torsion shank, heel counter and outrigger — all work really well together.
As usual, getting the right fit is step one, then everything else in support should take care of itself. The internal heel cup is nothing spectacular but combined with a good fit it will do well along with a wide-enough base, stable cushion, lockdown and torsional support. Nothing amazing, but enough to get the job done.
While I’ve been critical about the way New Balance has been marketing the shoe, and making them nearly impossible to find, I will say that the design team that was in charge of creating the product did a really good job. If more basketball players were able to get a pair with ease instead of having to jump through hoops and pay ridiculous amounts above retail then I think you’d see a lot more New Balance logos on the court. Until that happens, New Balance basketball shoes will continue to be thought of a relic of the past instead of what they should be thought of as — one of the best basketball shoes of 2019.
I’m still not sold on this being a 1-5 position shoe but then again, what does positions really mean in this age of basketball where some NBA point guards wear max cushion sneakers and some centers often go the minimal cushion route?
does a solid job with the OMN1S coming back into the basketball marketing. Sizing needs some work but if you overcome that then everything comes together nicely for a pretty good performer.
It’s nice to see New Balance come back to basketball with a solid shoe. Would we like to see more models? Of course. Would we like New Balance to get the sizing right? Absolutely. Does the shoe hit all the checkmarks? I say it does. The shoe won’t make you play like the MVP Kawhi Leonard, but Darius Bazley and newly signed Dejounte Murray all seem to be onboard and so am I. The shoe provided everything a ball player like me requires (again – sizing and cushioning are the minor downsides) to play competitively without any worry. The shoe provided great traction and a solid build. I’m definitely excited about what’s next for New Balance as it’s a nice shoe to restart the basketball line.

adidas D Rose 10 Performance Review

Ten years of signature shoes for Derrick Rose and adidas Hoops. Is the adidas D Rose 10 the best one yet?

The traction featured on the D Rose 10 are two of my favorite patterns — herringbone and radial patterns just tend to grip the best more often than not. However, the patterns used here are so tightly spaced that even the smallest amount of dust will accumulate and cause a noticeable lack of bite throughout gameplay. A quick wipe and all should be free and clear for a brief period of time, but if your court conditions are less than ideal then you may end up with some really lackluster grip.

 

Obviously, the cleaner the court the better the grip applies to almost every shoe, but it’s emphasized with the D Rose 10.

Cushion is Bounce once again, and it’s not as plush as it was on last years D Rose 9.

 

This version of Bounce gives off a slight budget-friendly feel to the shoe versus a premium feeling cushion worthy of the $140 retail price. But, and there’s always a but, you still maintain a good amount of court feel with some cushion under-foot. I just found it to be strange that every pair of my $105-115 pair of Dames with Bounce cushion have felt awesome under-foot and the D Rose 10 did not live up to my previous experiences.

 

Materials are vastly different than last years D Rose 9 as the pleated textile was replaced with full grain leather. This made for a really premium feeing shoe straight out the box along with a fairly fast break-in period.

 

This setup does stretch a bit more than I’d have liked once they were broken in, which caused me to constantly have to adjust my laces for a tighter fit, but some may end up enjoying this — such as wide footers.

 

This makes me think that the leather isn’t the best cut or style of leather, I may be wrong, as I’ve not had this much stretching of leather in quite some time. Although, it could have been due to the one-piece leather build instead of additional overlays adding some extra structure and support.

I was forced to go down 1/2 size due to all other sizes being sold out, but I’m happy that I had to since the shoe fits long… and the leather stretching thing too.

 

Wide footers may be okay going true to size, but those that aren’t extremely wide footed may be okay going down 1/2 sz once the shoe has broken-in.

 

Lockdown suffered a bit due to the material stretching, but it could’ve been much worse… adidas harden vol 4, I’m looking at you. Luckily the rear TPU heel counter holds you onto the footbed and extends toward the midfoot. I do wish the midsole cradled or cupped the foot in the forefoot as I feel it would’ve made the material stretch less noticeable, but perhaps that’s something they can improve upon in the next model.

Support is pretty average. Not bad by any means, but not over abundant either. Just enough is in place to keep you safe and secure while playing. The midsole has enough torsion support while the forefoot is exaggerated enough to act as an outrigger first lateral stability.
Mom Overall, the adidas D Rose 10 is much better than the previous model. They’re not quite as amazing as the D Rose 6 PK were, but they’re as nice as the early models the shoe is supposed to pay homage to. If you’re a D Rose fan and wanted to keep your collection going then these will likely make you happy. If you’re looking for the best bang for your buck then there are many other models in 2019 that will provide that for you.

Nike Air Zoom SuperRep is built to serve the performance

Nike’s SuperRep family of footwear is built to serve the performance needs of class-based fitness athletes.
Each unique silhouette — including the debut shoe, the Nike Air Zoom SuperRep — responds to the specifications of a particular type of workout, be it a boot camp or spin class. The shoes are created with a commitment to extend the same level of expertise provided to professional athletes to all enthusiasts who work on a daily and weekly basis to better themselves.
“Fitness classes are booming around the world,” says Jamie Jeffries, VP/GM of Nike Training. “Working out is its own sport, and Nike’s SuperRep shoes are designed to deliver on the performance needs specific to these activities.”
The Nike Air Zoom SuperRep is an innovative shoe built specifically for the rigors of high-intensity classes.
High-intensity interval training (HIIT) workouts alternate bouts of going all-out with periods of rest to recover. The movements are diverse — burpees, kettlebell swings, lunges, mountain climbers, push-ups, squats and many more — and are sequenced to get maximum impact from maximum effort.
Using Zoom Air in the forefoot not only creates a dynamic aesthetic, it also helps provide impact protection and a responsiveness that gives back rep after rep after rep.
This cushioning — a two-unit system under the forefoot — doesn’t act alone. A plate running from heel to forefoot helps roll the foot forward and into a ready position for the majority of upright HIIT movements. The upper is crafted to support lateral moves, such as skaters and side lunges. The “burpee break” provides stability in plank positions and allows the foot to bend naturally when driving into mountain climbers.

Alongside the air jordan 34 is the SuperRep Go, made for quick home workouts, and the SuperRep Cycle. The spikes on the spin shoe are made with rubber to prevent slips and falls in the spin studio.

Air Jordan XX2 22 Performance Review

Since the Curry 7 review is just around the corner, I thought I’d step back and review the AJ XX2 since the Curry 3 took a huge bite out of the AJ XX2 back story.  I’m disappointed that UA went there but if the Curry 3 performs, nobody will care. I guess since the XX2 was such a sales dud maybe UA thought they could pull it off without anyone noticing? I don’t know …

Pros: traction, fit, support, materials
Cons: pod cushioning is too targeted and feels unnatural, tippy in the heel, pricey at $175 especially in 2007.
Sizing: half size down
Best for: guards
Weight
16.5 oz so just a half ounce more than the Crazylight Boost 2016.
Traction
Jordan Brand usually does a good job with traction and this was the highlight of the air jordan 34 for me. Stuck extremely well on clean floors and needed minimal wiping on dusty floors.  Probably would have been better if the entire outsole was the same depth but then the IPS system wouldn’t “work” as well
Cushioning
IPS is back again for the third straight model starting with the XX. Hurray?
I couldn’t tell a difference in density in any of the aforementioned models and this was no different. The IPS foam feels great overall at least with a nice bit of springiness.
As for the heel, Jordan Brand brought back the modularity idea allowing the player to swap between Max Air and Double Stacked Zoom. Now that sounds great in theory but the Max and Zoom don’t cover much surface area And the double stacked Zoom is nearly as thin as a quarter (I mean two quarters since its double stacked). Maybe this was the beginning of the end for real Zoom
You can feel the cushioning if you like quarter size set ups. It literally feels like a quarter size lump of cushioning is under your heel. Having the logo raised in the insole doesn’t help either.
Which feels better between the two ? Zoom pod for sure. It just has a more even feeling than the Max set up.
Overall cushioning is decent but far from ideal. A simple forefoot zoom and regular heel that covers the entire heel like the Kobe VI would have been great.
Fit
The XX2 came out before Nike and JB went to a more narrow last and fit so 10.5 fit me perfectly. Finger width of space at the toe, no heel slip and no space side to side.
The upper starts a little stiff since it is real leather but it breaks in nicely and gives a decent almost one to one fit. Not quite perfect but still good overall.
I really liked the simple lacing set up with the lace lock because it just works.
MaterialsWhat is this foreign space age material ? Oh it’s real leather. Good luck ever seeing leather again from any company.
JB and Nike were really pushing the quilted interior back in 2007.
Personally I like the look and feel but it doesn’t make a difference performance wise.
Nice materials and build quality, may leather Rest In Peace

Support and Stability 
Ah, when a higher cut shoe didn’t fold like a bad hand in Texas Hold em. I really liked the combo of the firmer mid cut with a stiff heel counter
JB also says the XX2 features a titanium coated midfoot shank plateErrr, just because it is painted silver doesn’t mean it’s titanium Jordan Brand. Clearly plastic with silver paint. It does its job just fine but don’t hype a piece a plastic as something it isn’t.
The XX2 is stable in the forefoot even without an outrigger but the heel is a little tippier than I prefer. The protruding outsole under the modular unit doesn’t help either.
Overall support is good but the tippy heel isn’t trustworthy.
Containment
Clean simple lines with no major physical barriers would be worrisome with today’s knits and woven uppers but leather is strong and doesn’t have that stretch on hard cuts. Also this extra leather rand helps in containing the foot. Similar idea to the Curry 3 “midsole frame”
Conclusion 
Every sneaker has a snorey..I mean story. Out of ideas, let’s say make up one about fighter planes! Zooooom fast powerful stealthy (is that a word? ). It’s everything an Air Jordan should be! Whoever was running Jordan Brand back then needs to be destroyed like Cyberdyne in Terminator 2 to prevent the proliferation of story telling these days. Unnecessary and adds no value to sneakers; let the players wearing them write the story.
Inspiration aside, the shoe itself is a good overall performer but the ultratargeted tiny heel cushion really ruins the shoe. Let’s see how UA does with the same inspiration.

Air Jordan 11 ‘Bred’ OG vs 2019 Retro Comparison

We’re less than two weeks away from the official launch of the Air Jordan 11 ‘Bred’ Retro for 2019. How does this remastered version of the shoe stack up to the original?

You’ve got to give credit where it’s due. Jordan Brand did a very good job recreating the Air Jordan 11 to be as close to the 1995/96 version as possible.
Materials are the one area that are a glaring distinction between the two. Yes, we’d love to see the Air Jordan 11 brought back better than ever, but that isn’t what the brand has been trying to do. They’ve been trying to replicate the original, not replace it.
The truth is that the leather tanneries, textile manufacturers and carbon fiber manufacturers that Nike hired to make the parts that make up the OG Air Jordan 11 are no longer in business. It’s literally impossible for them to make the AJ11 exactly the way they were. So, getting as close as possible is the next best option. For that, we say good job.
There are some small and subtle things they still can work on. The most notable being the toe shape. The squared looking toes of the last decade are just boxy looking and make the original’s sleek design look bulky. If we can see some refinement of the toe shape in 2020 then we’ll be pretty happy.
We hope you enjoy our detailed comparison of the OG Air Jordan 11 Bred and the 2019 Retro. Good luck to everyone going after a pair. You’ll be able to find them available on Nike.com

Nike Kyrie 3 vs 2 Performance Review and Comparison

Executive Summary: plays almost exactly the same as the Kyrie 2. Similar firm cushioning and very good traction. Shoe starts stiff but breaks in. No real reason to buy the 3 when the 2 does nearly everything the same or better though.
Pros: traction, court feel, fit, support and stability, containment, very durable
Cons: traction pods protrude and cause a little bit of inconsistent traction in the heel, needs periodic wiping on dusty floors on Non pod portions, cushioning needs break in and is very stiff and firm like the Kyrie 2, materials start stiff but break in, not the best value out there especially now that sale time is upon us.
Sizing: true to size, very wide footers will probably want to go up half a size
Best for: guards looking who value response and quickness; players who liked the Rose 4
Buying Advice: wait for sales, Nike made a lot. $90 is fair, $65 is near the bottom. Or just buy the Kyrie 2
Weight

14.5 oz which is pretty average
Kyrie 2 is the exact same weight
Traction
If there is one thing you can say about the Kyrie 6 line, it’s that it’s traction patterns look aggressive.
The main attraction of the Kyrie 3 traction is the use of traction pods in the forefoot that ride up the sides.
The rubber is softer and raised a millimeter or two from the rest of the shoe.
The concept works and the pods do their job very well. The rest of the shoe is a blade pattern or modified herringbone and feels softer than the Clutchfit Drive herringbone but firmer than the Kyrie 2 rubber.  I wish the entire outsole was made of the pods’ rubber or Nike put some of these pods throughout the entire outsole like the AJ XX because on a few occasions I’d spin out at the heel since the forefoot stuck better than the rest of the shoe. This occurred even on pristine floors. Nitpicky I know.
One concern with the traction pods is durability and efficiency once they wear down. I think they will still work fine once they wear evenly with the rest of the outsole but expect more wear in that area due to the softness of the rubber.
Overall traction is very good overall but I feel the Kyrie 2 provided better consistent traction overall especially on dirty floors since it is the same rubber, pattern, and depth throughout the outsole. Neither required too much wiping but the 3 needed a few more wipes per session. Not quite top tier stuff but still good overall.
Cushioning
Here is the tech highlight of the Kyrie 3. The rest of the shoe is Phylon just like last year’s.
If you did not like the cushioning on the Kyrie 2, you will not like the cushioning on the Kyrie 3. Say with me again, if you did not like the cushioning on the Kyrie 2, you will not like the cushioning on the Kyrie 3. One last time..
Cushioning is very firm on the Kyrie 3 just like the 2. It starts off very very stiff but softens a little with break in. I could feel the Zoom a tiny bit just like on the 2. It is serviceable and responsive as Randy noted but I just prefer a little more softness in the forefoot because I have Morton’s neuroma in each foot.  The good news is that the neuromas didn’t flare up badly but I could feel some buzzing after an hour just like the 2’s. I prefer a more balanced cushioning feel overall and these are just a little too hard for my tastes. The set up feels almost exactly the same as the Rose 4 except the Rose 4 has a thicker PU insole. Very low to the ground and quick feeling.
*interstingly enough if you check out sneakerdebut see the Kyrie actually sits at nearly 18 mm which is higher off the ground than the Harden V1 or CLB. Of course that’s not accounting for the insole thickness which probably evens it out. Thanks reader Pflite*
Although this didn’t really affect cushioning much, these two changes make the cushioning on the 3 feel a smidge firmer:
Number 1
The Kyrie 5 featured Poron in the forefoot while this year’s does not. Hard to really tell a difference but to the touch Poron is softer.
Number 2
The Kyrie 2 had an ortholite insole while this year’s doesn’t have the ortholite markings so in guessing it’s not ortholite. Anyways, the name doesn’t matter but the Kyrie 3 insole is very thin and flimsy like a limp noodle (it can barely hold its shape when I took the pic) plus it feels slightly thinner towards the middle than the Kyrie 2 insole. It’s as if someone wore down the insole of the Kyrie 2 and put it into the Kyrie 3. That’s how thin it feels to me. On Adidas Boost models, the thin insole is fine since it has all that Boost below it but with this firm set up, Nike really should have given us a thicker insole.
If you’ve ever played in basketball ball in tennis shoes like the Adidas Barricade or even the Nike Zoom Vapor 9, that’s what the cushioning feels like. Actually the Zoom Vapor 9 has the exact same size Zoom and a similar if not thicker Phylon set up from heel to toe including the foam strobel.
However, the Zoom Vapor feels better because the insole is thicker. If you want to improve the comfort level of the Kyrie 3, get a bigger size and put in a thicker insole to add a couple of millimeters more of cushioning.  Keep in mind that it might feel better underfoot but one or two millemeters isn’t going to fix any knee issues you might have.
Fit

I bought my true to size 11 and initially thought I should have gone up half a size. However, after playing in them a few weeks, true to size was the way to go. Even though I’m a wide footer, these stretched out enough for me. If you’re Fred Flintstone, you should at least try half a size up before deciding on the correct width though.
There is no movement in the forefoot, very little deadspace above the foot in the toe box and zero heel slip. Midfoot fit is still tight like the previous models but not deathly like the Kyrie 1.
After a few hours of break in time, you almost forget they are on your feet as the upper softens up. Almost
Even though the Kyrie 3 has a very good fit, the Kyrie 2 has an even better fit due to the strap that helped pull the ankle and heel back further.
Materials
In case you’re part of the Night’s Watch or need to defend Winterfell….
The materials start off stiff but soften up quickly. They don’t feel Flyknit soft or anything but they do soften up enough after a few hours of break in time. The spiked look doesn’t really convey a soft warm comfy feel does it?
The lateral side of the upper is a similar fuse  as last year’s model
Not cracker crispy like the Kyrie 1 but not definitely not Snuggles soft.
The medial side and toe box is mesh with a nylon backing and feels a lot softer than the lateral side. The front of the toe box does have a hard rand for durability as well.
I’ve noticed this is a trend these days as shoe companies have added strength and stiffness to the lateral side for containment and support while leaving the medial side soft for flexibility. Hmmm, maybe I did make a difference .(I’m kidding I don’t have that kind of pull)
Of course we can’t forget the featured marketing portion which is the forefoot flex area.

Across the top of the foot,  a long stretchy band flexes with your foot for support during quick cuts and sprints. 

Nike used a thinner mesh and Flywire to allow extra  flexibility at the forefoot.  I don’t it feel stretches at all but that thinner mesh allows for a more natural flex area. Plus it’s hard to quantify if it really works since the rest of the upper is so much stiffer than this little area.
If you’re big on materials and have to have that pure Flyknit or Primeknit or mesh feel, you probably will want to steer clear of the Kyrie 3. I think the materials are fine and don’t affect playability but every person has different needs and wants.
Support and Stability 

Support is good with the Kyrie 3 thanks to the fit, heel counter and stiffer fuse on the lateral side. Just plain and simple, solid support. As stiff as the upper starts off, it is plenty flexible like the Kyrie 2 and isn’t going to save any ankles
Nike continued with the curved outsole but didn’t choose to market it this time around.It seems slightly less curved in the forefoot than the Kyrie 2. After not playing in the Kyrie 2 for a year you can feel a difference with the curved outsole but it doesn’t make a difference for me in terms of performance.
Also helping with the stability was the firm, low to the ground cushioning.
Overall just a solid supportive and stable shoe. Same as the Kyrie 2.
ContainmentNo surprises here as containment was excellent thanks to that stiffer lateral fuse upper as well as the raised midsole. Softer materials might be all the rage but there are benefits to using stiffer and stronger materials like Fuse.
Conclusion 
Not the best value out there but a good performer overall. The Kyrie 3 has great traction, a good fit with solid support and stability and very firm cushioning. I had no issues with aches or pains but then again don’t have knee or back issues (knock on wood). The Kyrie 3 just feels like a quick high cut tennis shoe for players that value lateral quickness over everything else.
Cushioning will come down to personal preference and if you didn’t like the 2 cushioning you will not like the 3. I’ll even qualify that statement with this; If you don’t like UA Charged you will not like cushioning on the Kyrie 3. Charged foam is easily thicker bouncier and softer. If you want to improve the comfort of the Kyrie 3, size up and swap out the cheapo insole.
Is the Kyrie 3 an upgrade over the 2? No I don’t feel it did anything better than the Kyrie 2.
Is it worth paying $120? No probably not. There are plenty of shoes out that at the $120-$130 range that do everything just as well or better than the Kyrie 3. Curry 2, 2.5, 3 all come to mind.  Plus it’s almost mid season so there are plenty of sales on earlier launches.  Do not buy these if you want a softer cushioning set up or if you want a Charmin soft upper material. 
I’m guessing Nike made a lot of these to capture the new Kyrie fans post championship. If Kyrie 2 sales are any indication, these should hit $90 under range soon and bottom out around $65. If you want a marginally better performing and cheaper shoe, stick to the Kyrie 2.

Air Jordan XX9 vs XX8 Performance Review

I’ve read all the great reviews about the XX9 so I picked these up during the Nike clearance sale for $124 to see  what all the hype was about.  I will also compare the XX9 to the XX8 SE
Before I get into the comparison let me give you a sale pitch on a new 2015 Mercedes.
Introducing the newest, lightest and most technology advances Mercedes, the MB 2015. Here are some features we added:

• A new material for the frame 

Here is what we took away

• Replaced the rear air suspension with standard coil overs made for an Accord. You don’t need that anymore
• Made the air suspension feel more like coil overs but rest assured it is air.
• Replaced all carbon fiber parts with plastic. Who needs carbon fiber anyways.

Oh and we made the price 50% more than last years model.
and the material is not as durable and susceptible to abrasions and will degrade faster than last years materials. 
Now would anyone in their right mind go for the newer model and not feel like they have been duped ?  You can argue that the new frame is where the increase in cost is coming from but if you believe that I have some ocean front property in Arizona for you.
PROS: Traction, comfortable sock like upper, breathable, forefoot cushioning , fit
CONS: No Zoom in heel? These are called Air Jordans, not forefoot Air Jordans, containment, tipsy at the heel, upper not durable
BEST FOR:  lightweight guards, straight runners/non cutters, swag champs
TRACTION
Traction is great on both the XX8 and XX9 but I think the fatter pattern took away some of the bite. The XX8 has much sharper peaks and deeper grooves made from a slightly more pliable rubber than the XX9.
Verdict: XX8
CUSHIONING
When I read that Jordan Brand decided to take away the heel Zoom Air because it wasn’t really necessary, I thought “is a $225 shoe without Zoom Air necessary? What about cavier and sushi rather than Mac and cheese ? ” This isn’t about necessity, it’s about the luxury of owning the premier basketball shoe.
Anyways, the new unlocked Zoom set up is more recessed into the sole and turned a quarter turn. This 1) lowers the ride compared to the XX9 2) allows the Zoom to flex more naturally since the  segmentation runs sideways vs lengthwise 3) makes the unlocked Zoom less prone to popping and costing Jb less money for returns. I had a friend of mine bust his XX9 and air jordan 34 air in the span of two weeks and he isn’t even a high flyer (sorry Ben, the truth hurts lol). Luckily, they were both under warranty so he got replacement vouchers.

Above: The transition is better thanks to the additional rubber between the forefoot and heel.
I have yet to pop mine but I know it’s just a matter of time.  The thing that irks me is why did JB bother to set up the XX8 the way they did ? Didn’t they weartest the shoes beforehand? What if my shoe pops outside the 2 year window? It isn’t a defect but rather a design flaw imo
Above: almost perfectly flush with the outsole
Below: at least 1 or 2mm more protrusion on the XXThe new setup feels less unlocked than the XX8 since it is recessed and you’re contacting the floor with the Zoom and outsole all at the same time versus just touching the floor with Zoom only . You can still feel it though but you have to know what to look for. It isn’t worlds away better feeling than regular Zoom like the XX9 but it does feel great nonetheless.
The foam in the heel feels like Phylon and does its job but to skimp out doesn’t seem like Jordan’s style. I am a heavy heel striker especially when I’m running down the court so I really like to feel that extra bounce on the XX8.
VERDICT: XX8 easily especially in the heel
FIT
The XX9 fits great plain and simple. They eliminated all the deadspace on the shoe to make it as sock like as possible. Look how much smaller the XX9 looks vs the XX8
I went with my normal sz 11 and they fit perfectly, leaving me a finger width between my big toe and the end of the toe box. The heel fit is is fantastic too thanks to the dog bone inside the heel that prevents any slipping.

One thing to note with the flexible upper is that the laces come loose more quickly than normal. When you see a movie and a guy is tied up in rope, how does he get out ? He wiggles and shimmies to loosen the rope and that’s precisely what happened when the upper flexes and moves around the ankle. I’d start the game perfectly tied but it kept loosening up as the game went on.  Not a big deal but just something I noticed.
The XX9 fit very well albeit it had more of a normal shoe fit since the upper isn’t Performance Woven upper and Flightweb or whatever they call it. I had perfect lockdown in the XX9 as well and did not need to size down like some other reviewers stated as I stuck with my size 11. No deadspace or side to side movement to speak up either but the XX9 just fits better.
VERDICT: XX9
SUPPORT and STABILITY
Some shoes have great support and marginals stability while others have exceptional stability but mediocre support.  In my opinion I’d rather have the latter so I don’t have to worry about the support since the stability of the shoe will keep me firmly planted.
The XX9 support comes from its fit and have heel counter.  I am an over pronator and you can see it just by looking at how my laces lean toward the inside of my ankle.
There is a plastic shank but it does little in keeping my ankle from rolling in whereas the XX8 has a carbon fiber shank plate or flightplate as they call it.
Above: carbon fiber over plastic any day
As I said earlier I don’t mind a shoe that is stable while sacrificing some support but the XX9 failed my heel test. Sure, upon a perfect landing I won’t sprain my ankle but I’m more concerned with imperfect landings when I have to land on my heel or when I’m pushed mid air.
See how narrow the XX9 is vs the XX8
In addition the heel counter is a lot more flexible than the XX8Good ol carbon fiber. Why change a good thing ?
VERDICT: XX8
CONTAINMENT
Every carbon fiber piece on the XX8 was replaced with plastic on the XX9 including the footstay at the forefoot. Couple the woven upper with a more flexible plastic and the net result is below average containment. I could feel my foot coming out of the footbed and feeling the plastic flex on hard cuts. The woven upper is fine but there needs to be either 1) a stiffer footstay 2) higher footstay 3) more coverage along the lateral side , maybe even midfoot to forefoot.
I did not have this problem with the XX8 although I have had better containment on shoes such as the Rose 5 or Lebron Solder VI. I think if you are lightweight or don’t cut a lot or very hard you wouldn’t notice the containment issue but I definitely do.
VERDICT: XX8
DURABILITY:
This happened after fifteen minutes of shooting around. I thought it was dirtIt is hard to see in the pic but the woven upper already started fraying from a little toe drag…. After fifteen minutes of shooting around. I’ve seen and read about ripped uppers/Lace loops so it doesn’t surprise me but it is still disappointing.  Maybe some kind of reinforcement at the toe box like they make for most hoop shoes ? The golf shoe cousin of the XX9, the TW 15 has reinforcements at high wear/ high stress areas such as the laces and toe box( review coming)
I know JB wanted to showcase the upper but come on..
PRICE: 
AJ XX9 retail: $225
Sale price: $125
AJ XX8 SE retail: $150
Sale price : $79 although I got a steal on Eastbay for $60 after coupon
In free kyrie 6 reviewer world you can just a shoe without taking price into account but I’m buying these myself so I want the most value I can get.
VERDICT: AJ XX8
CONCLUSION
Although I enjoyed the slightly lower ride, ultra comfortable upper and lightweight,the XX9 just didn’t do it for me. It lost some of that bounce, traction, as well as stability  while adding a hefty $75 to the retail price. Is it worth $225? Hell no.Is it worth $125? Maybe depending on what your individual needs are but they aren’t going to make my rotation. Is it better than the XX8? No, but don’t get me wrong, it is a good shoe overall but I can get more value, more Zoom, and more support from the XX8 for a lot less money.