Sorry but I can't take you seriously bro for the reasons I set forth below:
A) You still hoop in Kobe 7's, and speak of them in a positive light in a letter to Nike.
B) This letter to Nike is based upon "two hours" playing in the XI. 1 hour and fifteen minutes of which were probably waiting for "next game".
C) Again, you decide to jump in and play in Kobe 7's, like you missed the Kobe V and Kobe VI, went right to the VII, and didn't even try the 9 or 10?
And you began by saying in your first post the courts were dusty and you thought they would be a problem. I've played on some crappy courts that have made the 9's and 10's slip. NO shoe is gonna fix a bad court. Like the best pair of hiking boots isn't gonna stop you from busting your **** on a patch of ice, and the best running shoes wont stop you from slipping on some runoff motoroil on the street.
Thanks for your input tho, but I take it with a grain of salt like everything else. Like the guys that came in here and said the XI run large, you should size down (bunk). OR all the guys that said the X had horrible traction (they don't) etc etc.
And for some perspective, I thougth the VII was a good/OK shoe, but the surrounding models were sooo much better.
Hey Arabianite3,
Thanks for your feedback. I'm really not here to mislead anyone, pick fights, and or quarrel. I joined here because this appeared to be the premium forum regarding shoes/kicks/nikes on the web (
do a search on google ofr "Kobe XI" and this forum is like the first result), and I wanted to express my opinion and disappointing experience with the performance of this current model and possibly warn someone who wants to use this shoe on several types of surfaces. I'll address your assumptions as follows:
Yes, I still have a pair of VII's, only ever used them to ball in and I'm speaking about their
traction in a
positive light. Comfort and fit are not as snug as the XI's and I can forgive that, but traction is something that can't be dismissed. I don't see the point in getting a new shoe every season if they are doing their job. I had CP3s for outdoor, and Kobes VII for indoor. The VII's may not be the most popular release to the community, but I never felt I was skating on ice, or had no confidence with my cuts or motions to the basket. Also, on defence I've never had an opponent actually single out my weak, slippery, movement in-game. It's especially embarrassing when everyone knows you paid 200€ for the shoes.
I play two hours full court, teams of four and five depending on the turnout, and the games are straight runs to seven. There were only two teams yesterday so we were on the court the entire time. I think one session is more than what most youtube reviewers use to review the shoes and I'm actually testing how the shoe performs in real game situations. Defence, screens, moving without the ball, cutting, plays, etc etc. If you've ever tried ice skating without skates, that is what it felt like and yes, it's incredibly dangerous. I think the "premium" equipment you purchase
should prevent you from accidents that otherwise might happen with the "low budget" versions. That's why it's "premium" and you pay more no? Or maybe we're all fools. You know what they say about a fool and his money.... lol.
I agree with you. A bad court is a bad court. Yes, some shoes are not meant for a certain sport or a surface, But, my only problem is... why was I the only hockey player? My teammate(around same size and weight) had just picked up KD's(full herring bone pattern on the sole) and was no where near as unstable as myself. He also has the Lebrons, and said the previous week the floor was the same and the the LBJs had better grip than the KDs. So my question is, barring the fact that Kobe's are signature premium performance shoes, why should I have to "break them in", or wait until they "break in" to realise their full potential? I never had to do this with any of my previous Nike Basketball shoes, and frankly at 200€ ($300 CDN) this is unacceptable. Also, why should I have had to play in the 8,9,10s to base my opinion off anything? It seems like with this series of shoe, past performance is not indicative of future performance, so not sure that would have helped with my purchasing decision.
I'm also frustrated because I purchased them in Canada, and I live in Europe. They have Foot Locker here but their policy states that I have to return in the country of purchase. Hopefully Nike EU can help me out.
Anyhow, thanks for the response.
