New Balance BBall shoes? Any1 ever worn these on the court?

[prestigetgs]

I don't care about looks, only performance. I am particularly interested in the BB905s. Any1 ever worn any New Balance basketball sneaker?

 

[deezyvsop]

I've worn the BB902, after reading Prof. K's review.

I only played in them once and they're sitting in the closet now. So I can't speak about long term performance, only initial impressions.

First, they are pretty firm. I don't know what they used for cushioning, and it resembles Asics Gel, but that's about the only similarity. It'sextremely firm and probably will take a lot of time to break in.

Traction was good, I played on an indoor court and it was good.

Fit and comfort were both good as well.

The other thing I liked is the stitching on the toe cap. I think most shoes should have that, but they don't. It just helps with durability, if you keep ashoe long enough, sometimes that toe cap can get loose, but with stitching there it's not a problem.

I gave my friend a pair of XVIII Lows and the whole damn outsole is about to fall off, including the toe and heel caps.

 

[prestigetgs]

Originally Posted by DeezyVSOP

I've worn the BB902, after reading Prof. K's review.

I only played in them once and they're sitting in the closet now. So I can't speak about long term performance, only initial impressions.

First, they are pretty firm. I don't know what they used for cushioning, and it resembles Asics Gel, but that's about the only similarity. It's extremely firm and probably will take a lot of time to break in.

Traction was good, I played on an indoor court and it was good.

Fit and comfort were both good as well.

The other thing I liked is the stitching on the toe cap. I think most shoes should have that, but they don't. It just helps with durability, if you keep a shoe long enough, sometimes that toe cap can get loose, but with stitching there it's not a problem.

I gave my friend a pair of XVIII Lows and the whole damn outsole is about to fall off, including the toe and heel caps.

Thanks. So pretty much what you would expect from a NB ball sneaker. Nothing spectacular, but decent and durable.

 

[deezyvsop]

Actually, it's hard to say.

I'm basing it on one wear, which can really be misleading.

I've worn some shoes once and loved them, then kept wearing them and lost some enthusiasm. Then others I hated at first, but really appreciated later.

If anything, I would go by Prof. K's ratings, because his system was pretty reliable and fundamentally sound. And more importantly, he wore the shoes for acouple of weeks at least.

I believe he rated the 902 with an A, and the 901 got an A+. The only reason I put the 902 away is because I have a lot of other shoes in my rotation. I'llbe sure to bring them back out when I need a new pair.

 

[prestigetgs]

Originally Posted by DeezyVSOP

Actually, it's hard to say.

I'm basing it on one wear, which can really be misleading.

I've worn some shoes once and loved them, then kept wearing them and lost some enthusiasm. Then others I hated at first, but really appreciated later.

If anything, I would go by Prof. K's ratings, because his system was pretty reliable and fundamentally sound. And more importantly, he wore the shoes for a couple of weeks at least.

I believe he rated the 902 with an A, and the 901 got an A+. The only reason I put the 902 away is because I have a lot of other shoes in my rotation. I'll be sure to bring them back out when I need a new pair.

Anywhere to see Professor K's ratings now? I downloaded the rar file with all the old kicksology reviews but the last NB sneakers he reviewedin that was the BB885 and BB890. And I know he has some reviews on SC but they are all for Jordans.

 

[deezyvsop]

I don't know about now.

I remember a while back, the site was archived at some website, then that got taken down because of legal issues. I copied some of the reviews and saved them,but there is a lot I don't have.

I have the NB885 review too, nothing after that. Some were up on SC, but they've been "working" on getting their reviews up for...well it seemslike years now. Like you said, all Jordan reviews up there.

Unfortunately, NB obviously isn't as popular in the BBall market as Nike, Adidas or Jordan. It's kind of a bad cycle, because no publicity means fewersales, which means less motivation to put out bball shoes, which leads to less publicity...

 

[prestigetgs]

Originally Posted by DeezyVSOP

I don't know about now.

I remember a while back, the site was archived at some website, then that got taken down because of legal issues. I copied some of the reviews and saved them, but there is a lot I don't have.

I have the NB885 review too, nothing after that. Some were up on SC, but they've been "working" on getting their reviews up for...well it seems like years now. Like you said, all Jordan reviews up there.

Unfortunately, NB obviously isn't as popular in the BBall market as Nike, Adidas or Jordan. It's kind of a bad cycle, because no publicity means fewer sales, which means less motivation to put out bball shoes, which leads to less publicity...

Yea I hear ya. I'd like to give Asics and even Mizuno basketball shoes a try to see how their superior running technologies translate to the court. Butthat probably won't be happening anytime soon.

 

[duke4005]

I remember I had a pair of Asics Gel-Lyte basketball in the mid-90's (Junior year high school), and they were greatness. Gel felt just like running shoesand leather and materials were top-notch, or at least I couldn't tear them up over a year of wear. I did pick up a pair of NB888 mids about 2 years ago.Cushioning feels just like a running shoe, traction is great, and the support and stability is about like the Kobe IV. However, I wear a 10.5D, and that iswhat I bought, and they still feel wide, even laced to the point the lace holes almost touch, and the material at the ankle chafes with no-show socks. They areone of the hottest (temperature) pairs I have ever played in due to the double wrap ankle (kind of like the Lebron VI, not as draastic). There is one littlefeature I feel really helps stability: along the midsole there are indentions or recesses that contribute in a "crash zone". I would definitely buyanother NB basketball shoe, but not before trying them on first for fit issues.

 

[prestigetgs]

Originally Posted by duke4005

I remember I had a pair of Asics Gel-Lyte basketball in the mid-90's (Junior year high school), and they were greatness. Gel felt just like running shoes and leather and materials were top-notch, or at least I couldn't tear them up over a year of wear. I did pick up a pair of NB888 mids about 2 years ago. Cushioning feels just like a running shoe, traction is great, and the support and stability is about like the Kobe IV. However, I wear a 10.5D, and that is what I bought, and they still feel wide, even laced to the point the lace holes almost touch, and the material at the ankle chafes with no-show socks. They are one of the hottest (temperature) pairs I have ever played in due to the double wrap ankle (kind of like the Lebron VI, not as draastic). There is one little feature I feel really helps stability: along the midsole there are indentions or recesses that contribute in a "crash zone". I would definitely buy another NB basketball shoe, but not before trying them on first for fit issues.

good review. I can't even find a store within an hour of me that carries NB bball shoes to try on. I might just order a pair of the Asics Gel-Crossover2s and hope for the best.

 

[duke4005]

I got lucky and the NB store here in Ft Worth had them in stock. I had been looking all over for some, so I bought the only style they had. THey don'tcarry them anymore either. It is a shame, because I was looking forward to trying the new ones with Zip this year. They looked promising.

 

[jdrone]

I've had this flick on my CPU for a minute now (not my pair):

The 902 performs excellently across the board, provided you dig a shoe that's more brawny in its entirety. NB's N-ergy CartridgeSystem (TPU cartridge embedded in the heel) is firm to begin but gradually loosens over the course of several wearings. It's more resilient than ZoomAir/Max Air/Phylon, so if you're yearning for something more yielding and malleable, look elsewhere. If durability is a priority, the N-ergy/ABZORBsockliner degrades at a sloth's pace. I logged 85 hours in my first pair and things was still holding up, and nicely at that!

Moisture-wicking "Nu Foam" is stuffed into the ankle collar (peep the series of perforations on the image above). The material offers a lavish fit and flexes naturally with the foot. A layer of mesh rides over the top of the foam and KOsexcess moisture and heat.

A partial-length neoprene inner booty improves fit perceptibly, but tends to rack up the moisture that builds up during floortime. The shoe's laces are set wide and accommodate any foot shape. Most importantly though, the laces hang taut and tight duringplay -there's nothing more bothersome than having to re-tie the strings.

Traction comes in by way of a decoupled herringbone pattern that's augmented by NB's N-durance outsole. I'm not sure how thisrubber composite is created, but it endures (pun possibly intended) any surface's harshest variables. I wish other companies (*Ahem*, Nike) would send anoperative into Boston to lift the recipe for the stuff.

To expand on Deezy's point - the stitched toecap kept on throughout, but I ended up with that "dolphin toe"/genie look. (Ohwell, cats were asking about these joints nearly every other time I wore them!) The rounded toebox is contoured to fit any width, size, or foot deformity. It's satisfying to know that NB is willing to go the distance to keep my beleagured feets in something comfortable.

The 902's combination leather/patent upper is a bit unwieldy and finding a way to reduce weight could improve the shoe'splayability for a wide range of body types. When fully tied up, there's a speck of slip in the heel, too.

I regret missing the NB905 in team flavors. Here's to hoping that bushels of them end up cheap on eBay. Lookingforward to trying the 906 in August, though!
On the lack of publicity: Nice guys finish last, right?

 

[prestigetgs]

Originally Posted by JDRone

I've had this flick on my CPU for a minute now (not my pair):

The 902 performs excellently across the board, provided you dig a shoe that's more brawny in its entirety. NB's N-ergy Cartridge System (TPU cartridge embedded in the heel) is firm to begin but gradually loosens over the course of several wearings. It's more resilient than Zoom Air/Max Air/Phylon, so if you're yearning for something more yielding and malleable, look elsewhere. If durability is a priority, the N-ergy/ABZORB sockliner degrades at a sloth's pace. I logged 85 hours in my first pair and things was still holding up, and nicely at that!

Moisture-wicking "Nu Foam" is stuffed into the ankle collar (peep the series of perforations on the image above). The material offers a lavish fit and flexes naturally with the foot. A layer of mesh rides over the top of the foam and KOs excess moisture and heat.

A partial-length neoprene inner booty improves fit perceptibly, but tends to rack up the moisture that builds up during floor time. The shoe's laces are set wide and accommodate any foot shape. Most importantly though, the laces hang taut and tight during play-there's nothing more bothersome than having to re-tie the strings.

Traction comes in by way of a decoupled herringbone pattern that's augmented by NB's N-durance. I'm not sure how this rubber composite is created, but it endures any surface's harshest variables. I wish other companies (*Ahem*, Nike) would send an operative into Boston to lift the recipe for the stuff.

To expand on Deezy's point - the stitched toe cap kept on throughout, but I ended up with that "dolphin toe"/genie look. Oh well, cats were asking about these joints nearly every other time I wore them! The rounded toebox is contoured to fit any width, size, or foot deformity. It's satisfying to know that NB is willing to go the distance to keep my beleagured feets in something comfortable.

The 902's combination leather/patent upper is a bit unwieldy and finding away to reduce weight could improve the shoe's playability for a wide range of body types. When fully tied up, there's a speck of slip in the heel, too.

I regret missing the NB905 in team flavors. Here's to hoping that bushels of them end up cheap on eBay. Looking forward to trying the 906 in August, though!
On the lack of publicity: Nice guys finish last, right?

Good stuff my man. I think I'm gonna have to order a pair of the 889s or 905s.

edited to add: I just ordered a pair of the NB 889s and the Asics gel-crossover 2s. Hopefully they both fit. I went with the 889s cuz they were 15ozcompared to the 905s at 17oz, and I wanted the abzorb in the heel over the zip. I'll be sure to update with reviews on both as soon as I can.

 

[deezyvsop]

Thanks for that review JDRone.

I'm more encouraged to break out the 902's now, especially if that firmness eases up. I actually thought weight was a strong point of the shoe, eventhe harshest critic shouldn't find these to be heavy. Then again, I'm comparing it to something from the Lebron line.


Drop some info. on the Crossover 2's if you can Prestige. I regret not looking for the first Crossovers, again after reading Prof. K's review. I loveAsics Gel for casual and running, and I think it would be sweet for ball.

 

[duke4005]

Definitely looking forward to any Gel Crossover review prestige. Keep us informed.

 

[prestigetgs]

Just an update, received the Asics yesterday but they fit a little big so I'm sending them to exchange for a half size smaller. Not much better looking inperson, but it looked and felt like a well built shoe. It is a mid, but a very low cut mid at that. Felt pretty comfortable on, but we won't really knowtil' its game tested. NB 889s are due to come in tomorrow so I'll try them out friday most likely.

 

[prestigetgs]

Sorry for the delay guys. I have bad news. After reordering different sizes twice, I decided I could not even try out the Asics Gel Crossovers. Something wasnot right. It fit super narrow no matter what size I tried, but was also kinda long. The biggest problem with the fit, however, was the way my heel sat. I feltlike I was literally going to come out of the shoe just wearing it around my house. My heel seemed way too high and extremely unstable for me to try to ballin. The shoe itself is cut very low already, but I've played in low tops that did not feel unstable like this. As far as cushioning goes, from wearing themaround the house it felt like nothing special. I have 2 pairs of Asics Gel Kayanos for running and those are like walking on clouds. The Gel Crossovers,however, did not remind me of that ride at all. I can't give you a real review for the Asics, but unless you could try them on in person I'd saydefinitely pass.

As for the NB 889s, they are spectacular. They are not easy to find in all sizes so I gobbled up a few extra pairs that I saw on the internet. They are now mygo-to game shoe.

Cosmetics: Average. Even with the patent leather running around the toe, the shoe is still pretty boring. But what do you expect from NB. I'm all aboutperformance anyway, so I don't care. My girl actually likes the look of them so that's good enough for me.

Fitting: I'm an 11 in most sneakers, and I'm an 11 in the 889s. I double NBA sock it when I play, and the fit is perfect. I definitely could not go upa half size. If I went down a half, it would probably be a bit too tight, but manageable. The toe box is roomy yet my foot has no slippage in the front.Reminds me of the toe box of Lightning Creators (previously my game shoe, now #2) somewhat. The shoe was flexible and game ready right out of the box for me. Ineed a break in period for most Nikes, but these were great from the jump.

Cushion: The heel cushion is Absorb EX and the forefoot has regular Absorb. The heel is a tiny bit raised, ala Adidas Bounce, but I play on my toes most thetime so that took no time to get used to. Either way, the heel cushion is so responsive and works so well with motion control that I think anyone would behappy with it. To be honest, I like Adidas Bounce, but I think this is what it is SUPPOSED to feel like. Perfect blend of shock absorption and cushion. Andsince we are comparing the big name company technologies with NB's, I'd say the forefoot Absorb feels like what Nike 360 Air is SUPPOSED to feel like.Again, I love Air, I have too many sneakers with it to count. But the NB technology just feels better. Plain and simple. Now it's not Nike Zoom, itdoesn't have that bounce-back-gel feeling. But I'm starting to wonder if Zoom is really that effective. I mean it definitely is a cool feeling in theshoe, but I don't know that it does a better job of shock absorption and cushioning than any of the other technologies out there. Regardless, I'll takeNB's Absorb EX and Absorb cushioning system over anything right now. My knees and back agree.

Traction: I've played only indoors in them, and it has been fine. The humidity has been ridiculous this summer, and a lot of the courts have some moisture,but these have been fine. The only thing I noticed is that the plastic that encases the Absorb EX in the heel is very slick. I mean you almost never have thatpart of your shoe on the floor with any pressure on it anyway, but I did notice a few times when I was just playing around that the plastic is very slick.

Ankle support: The best ankle support IMO is in the Lebron IIs. These shoes do not rival that. But they also don't have the weight and restrictiveness thatcomes along with that either. I would grade the ankle support on these as good as ankle support can be, without some kind of extra bulk or starp system. Moreimportantly, the lockdown is good and so is the court feel which goes a lot further than anything else IMO. As a comparison, I just scooped a pair of NikeKD1's from a Nordstrom Rack for cheap and immediately I could feel the difference in the way the lacing system locks down. The 889 lacing system reallydoes a nice job of giving the user the perfect fit.

Weight: 15 oz. Pretty light and play that way. Impressive especially for a versatile shoe like this that I think is capable of being suitable for PGs throughCenters.

Breathability: Decent I guess. To be honest my feet sweat in every shoe I wear so I don't know. I can say that I don't sweat as much in these as I dothe original Adidas Creators. 889s are probably on par with the breathability of the Lightning Creators though, which is good.


The new edition of this shoe, the 889E, is dropping August 1 I believe. From what I can tell, the only differences are going to be cosmetic. I would expect thesame performance. They both retail for $95 but you can find them for cheaper on various sites. Certain sizes are tough though. Even at $95 these shoes areworth a look.

 

[duke4005]

Thanks prestige. Sorry the Asics didn't work out. Sucks that you can't find off-the-wall shoes like that around in stores to try on first. Everythingis Nike/Jordan, with a little adidas, so if you are out on them you are just out. I have had the 888 for about 2 years, and I just recently started wearingthem alot. The only problem I have is a chafing issue on the achilles, but everything else I agree with from your review. Again, thanks, and good review. Thisis what reviews should be.

 

[prestigetgs]

no doubt, thanks for the feedback...I bought a pair of the 888 mids at the NB factory store at the beginning of the summer...to be honest, they didn'timpress me after a couple of wears so I kind of just threw them to the back of my closet. I don't have the chafing issue, but I double sock with crewsocks so I normally don't have a problem in that area. But if you like the 888, you might love the 889. It's a definite upgrade to me.