- 21
- 10
- Joined
- Dec 23, 2005
def one of the best basketball shoes that I've worn...
I am a 5'7 Pg/Sg, weighing around 145. I have been balling in these (the stealth colorway) for about 2 weeks now...(5 times, each time around 2 to 2 and1/2 hours). The following are my reviews. I will also compare this shoe with two other signature shoes that recently came out (ZLV and Kobe III)
Comfort/Cushioning: Initial reaction to the shoe was, just like what everyone else mentioned, very stiff. When i first got them, they felt like two cardboardlinings wrapped around my feet. However, once they are broken in, the shoe becomes a beauty with the foam and linings taking over. Since I guess i have more"normal" feet than some of you guys, I didn't go through the "pinky toe pain" due to the TPU system. However, I did feel a little bitof irritation after my two hour sessions. The cushioning has been there since day 1 and i would say Jordan used a perfect combination of zoom air and IPS. Thisshoe is one of the most responsive ever. 8.5/10 (due to the initial stiffness, and small irritation). Once broken in, this shoe has more responsiveness thanboth Kobes and Lebrons. I guess I just really like the "pod cushioning" that both xx3s and Lebron Vs have. However, Lebrons are too high off theground and bulky for me. To me, Kobe IIIs feel just like regular zoom air that I find in any shoe that has it. I actually preferred the Kobe IIs better.
Traction: At first, I thought the thumb print would be another one of those Jordan fancy gimmicks that look nice but perform horribly. However, after I putthem on, I have nothing else to say other than a 10/10...and I've even walked outside with them, which is supposed to dust up the bottom. THis shoe blowsboth lebrons and kobes in terms of traction. Out of all shoes, I value kobes as last.
Ankle Support: I have weak ankles, so I might be a bit tough in this area because I demand more. The ankle support is there, but for some reason, I don'tfeel it being enough to cover my whole ankle. Nor do I really feel safe in this shoe. I guess an ankle support would do, but judging solely on the shoe, I giveit a...7/10 imo...Kobe iiis have better ankle protection while the xx3s rank similar to ZLVs...To me, ZLVs have too big of an ankle space (maybe due to thefact that they are shoes meant for umm...lebron).
Weight: To me, this shoe ranks among most guard shoes. Its weight is definitely no problem. However, it still does not weigh up to running shoes or kobe iii(9/10) To me, the weight was improved for Lebrons, but the Vs still are on the heavy side
Others: One of the main concerns to me was that this shoe heated up so quick. The extra linings do not help, as the moist often gets trapped in the linings. Iwould never recommend wearing these two days in a row, because everytime i finished wearing them, the next day when i put them on again, i can still feelmoisture inside the shoe. For those who care about the condition of their shoe, please watch out because the tpu seems to get scratched up rather easily. Onthe other hand, one of the most amazing things is how the transparent tpu system/bottom actually does not yellow (or at least it yellows VERY slowly).
Overall: As others have said, this is NOT the greatest of all shoes, as all shoes have its own problem. However, it is a great innovation for shoes to come.Overall, its a great shoe if you have the right feet/ankle, a good shoe if u don't. I would give this shoe an 8/10 due to its many conditions that thewearer has to fulfill in order to receive its full benefits. Lebrons feel too heavy/bulky compared to this shoe (and not enough responsiveness) and Kobes...Iknow there are a lot of people who love the Kobe IIIs and would rank them above the XX3s, but personally I feel much more comfort cushioning in the xx3s and Ithink kobe IIIs feel cheap.
If anyone has any questions, do reply and Ill get back asap.
I am a 5'7 Pg/Sg, weighing around 145. I have been balling in these (the stealth colorway) for about 2 weeks now...(5 times, each time around 2 to 2 and1/2 hours). The following are my reviews. I will also compare this shoe with two other signature shoes that recently came out (ZLV and Kobe III)
Comfort/Cushioning: Initial reaction to the shoe was, just like what everyone else mentioned, very stiff. When i first got them, they felt like two cardboardlinings wrapped around my feet. However, once they are broken in, the shoe becomes a beauty with the foam and linings taking over. Since I guess i have more"normal" feet than some of you guys, I didn't go through the "pinky toe pain" due to the TPU system. However, I did feel a little bitof irritation after my two hour sessions. The cushioning has been there since day 1 and i would say Jordan used a perfect combination of zoom air and IPS. Thisshoe is one of the most responsive ever. 8.5/10 (due to the initial stiffness, and small irritation). Once broken in, this shoe has more responsiveness thanboth Kobes and Lebrons. I guess I just really like the "pod cushioning" that both xx3s and Lebron Vs have. However, Lebrons are too high off theground and bulky for me. To me, Kobe IIIs feel just like regular zoom air that I find in any shoe that has it. I actually preferred the Kobe IIs better.
Traction: At first, I thought the thumb print would be another one of those Jordan fancy gimmicks that look nice but perform horribly. However, after I putthem on, I have nothing else to say other than a 10/10...and I've even walked outside with them, which is supposed to dust up the bottom. THis shoe blowsboth lebrons and kobes in terms of traction. Out of all shoes, I value kobes as last.
Ankle Support: I have weak ankles, so I might be a bit tough in this area because I demand more. The ankle support is there, but for some reason, I don'tfeel it being enough to cover my whole ankle. Nor do I really feel safe in this shoe. I guess an ankle support would do, but judging solely on the shoe, I giveit a...7/10 imo...Kobe iiis have better ankle protection while the xx3s rank similar to ZLVs...To me, ZLVs have too big of an ankle space (maybe due to thefact that they are shoes meant for umm...lebron).
Weight: To me, this shoe ranks among most guard shoes. Its weight is definitely no problem. However, it still does not weigh up to running shoes or kobe iii(9/10) To me, the weight was improved for Lebrons, but the Vs still are on the heavy side
Others: One of the main concerns to me was that this shoe heated up so quick. The extra linings do not help, as the moist often gets trapped in the linings. Iwould never recommend wearing these two days in a row, because everytime i finished wearing them, the next day when i put them on again, i can still feelmoisture inside the shoe. For those who care about the condition of their shoe, please watch out because the tpu seems to get scratched up rather easily. Onthe other hand, one of the most amazing things is how the transparent tpu system/bottom actually does not yellow (or at least it yellows VERY slowly).
Overall: As others have said, this is NOT the greatest of all shoes, as all shoes have its own problem. However, it is a great innovation for shoes to come.Overall, its a great shoe if you have the right feet/ankle, a good shoe if u don't. I would give this shoe an 8/10 due to its many conditions that thewearer has to fulfill in order to receive its full benefits. Lebrons feel too heavy/bulky compared to this shoe (and not enough responsiveness) and Kobes...Iknow there are a lot of people who love the Kobe IIIs and would rank them above the XX3s, but personally I feel much more comfort cushioning in the xx3s and Ithink kobe IIIs feel cheap.
If anyone has any questions, do reply and Ill get back asap.
