- 736
- 19
- Joined
- Jan 31, 2005
Hello Niketalk,
Here is my review of the Blk/Red XI's. *NOTE*= This review will regard my overall impressions of the shoes after wearing them just about everyday sincethey released and over 20 different gym sessions. Gym sessions include= basketball (both half and full), weightlifting, and assorted types of cardio.
My background= 6'1", 250lbs. I play whatever position my team needs filled for that specific game. Sometimes it's point, sometimes center. When Ilift weights it's usually heavy. My cardio includes elliptical, stairs, and jogging/running lines on the basketball court.
on to the review=
Comfort and fit=4.5 out of 5 stars.
First, I wear double socks when I play ball. Since I wear double socks the inside of pretty much any athletic shoe feels smooth. I didn't notice any ridgesor anything out of the ordinary. They run true to size in my experience.
Ankle Support= 5 out of 5 stars.
About 8 years ago, while playing full court b-ball, I was undercut by a freakin' idiot and I torn some ligaments in my ankle because I landed on top ofhim. Since then, ankle support has become a HUGE concern of mine. The XI's are ridiculously supportive if you lace them very tightly and use all the laceloops. I've seen some dudes play ball without lacing their shoes at all. I am not one of them.
Cushioning= 5 out of 5 stars
Once the midsole is broken in, the full length air bladder becomes very responsive. Will it ever feel like Zoom? No. Zoom air is best described as hundreds ofrubber bands stretched out then injected with air in the middle of the bands. It's the reason why it feels so springy beneath your feet. The XI'sfeature an air bladder that won't have the same trampoline effect/feeling, but is still exceptional at absorbing impact. I tend to bottom out zoom airshoes unless they are double stacked like the Jordan XIX's or the Lebron V's. Again, don't expect the springy feeling of zoom with these XI's,but do expect great impact protection while playing basketball.
Traction= 4.5 out of 5 stars
Perhaps wearing them for other things besides basketball has negatively affected the traction of these shoes. Out of the box, the traction was exceptional. Notsqueak inducing, but definitely stop on a dime with no problem. The traction today is average. Before my next game, I'll clean the bottoms and see if ithelps. As it stands right now, The best rating I can give it is 3.5 stars.
*UPDATE* Score is now 4.5 stars. I had to clean the bottoms because it's been raining here in SoCal. Traction is now squeak inducing.
Durability= 5 out of 5 stars
Man, I've put a lot of miles on these shoes and they still look great. I haven't had any problems with any part of the shoes coming loose, or fallingoff, or separating or anything like that. I'm really pleasantly surprised at how little creasing there is too. I've had people step on my XI's,I'm constantly flexing the shoes when I lift, and yet while the creases are there, it's not nearly as bad as I think there gonna be. Also, one of thebest things about this colorway is that the soles won't turn piss yellow after wearing them. Gotta love that.
Overall, I rate these shoes a solid "A". Perhaps after I clean the bottoms, I'll report back with an "A+". Do you guys remember Jordanhitting the floor and crying after winning it all in 96? Do you remember the ad "Money walks" ? Black/Red XI's baby. Black/Red XI's.
Here is my review of the Blk/Red XI's. *NOTE*= This review will regard my overall impressions of the shoes after wearing them just about everyday sincethey released and over 20 different gym sessions. Gym sessions include= basketball (both half and full), weightlifting, and assorted types of cardio.
My background= 6'1", 250lbs. I play whatever position my team needs filled for that specific game. Sometimes it's point, sometimes center. When Ilift weights it's usually heavy. My cardio includes elliptical, stairs, and jogging/running lines on the basketball court.
on to the review=
Comfort and fit=4.5 out of 5 stars.
First, I wear double socks when I play ball. Since I wear double socks the inside of pretty much any athletic shoe feels smooth. I didn't notice any ridgesor anything out of the ordinary. They run true to size in my experience.
Ankle Support= 5 out of 5 stars.
About 8 years ago, while playing full court b-ball, I was undercut by a freakin' idiot and I torn some ligaments in my ankle because I landed on top ofhim. Since then, ankle support has become a HUGE concern of mine. The XI's are ridiculously supportive if you lace them very tightly and use all the laceloops. I've seen some dudes play ball without lacing their shoes at all. I am not one of them.
Cushioning= 5 out of 5 stars
Once the midsole is broken in, the full length air bladder becomes very responsive. Will it ever feel like Zoom? No. Zoom air is best described as hundreds ofrubber bands stretched out then injected with air in the middle of the bands. It's the reason why it feels so springy beneath your feet. The XI'sfeature an air bladder that won't have the same trampoline effect/feeling, but is still exceptional at absorbing impact. I tend to bottom out zoom airshoes unless they are double stacked like the Jordan XIX's or the Lebron V's. Again, don't expect the springy feeling of zoom with these XI's,but do expect great impact protection while playing basketball.
Traction= 4.5 out of 5 stars
Perhaps wearing them for other things besides basketball has negatively affected the traction of these shoes. Out of the box, the traction was exceptional. Notsqueak inducing, but definitely stop on a dime with no problem. The traction today is average. Before my next game, I'll clean the bottoms and see if ithelps. As it stands right now, The best rating I can give it is 3.5 stars.
*UPDATE* Score is now 4.5 stars. I had to clean the bottoms because it's been raining here in SoCal. Traction is now squeak inducing.
Durability= 5 out of 5 stars
Man, I've put a lot of miles on these shoes and they still look great. I haven't had any problems with any part of the shoes coming loose, or fallingoff, or separating or anything like that. I'm really pleasantly surprised at how little creasing there is too. I've had people step on my XI's,I'm constantly flexing the shoes when I lift, and yet while the creases are there, it's not nearly as bad as I think there gonna be. Also, one of thebest things about this colorway is that the soles won't turn piss yellow after wearing them. Gotta love that.
Overall, I rate these shoes a solid "A". Perhaps after I clean the bottoms, I'll report back with an "A+". Do you guys remember Jordanhitting the floor and crying after winning it all in 96? Do you remember the ad "Money walks" ? Black/Red XI's baby. Black/Red XI's.
