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Deconstructed of the NIKE COSMIC UNITY EP

Here is the disassembling of the NIKE COSMIC UNITY EP. I am sure that its avant-garde and outstanding appearance has attracted lots of attention and many of you are curious about its structure. So just take a look at the photos here which might give you the answer you want.

Cutting the left shoe open in the middle, we can see clearly its construction.

And then from the A-A section, we can also see the full-foot ZOOM STROBEL air cushion, the midsole as well as the midsole stabilizer.

The picture below shows us the dismantled vamp. By separating the vamp and the midsole of the right shoe, I found that the vamp was reinforced with recycled yarn in such a way that resembles the warp and weft quite a lot.

In the middle layer of the vamp, which is right below the mesh layer,  is made of multicoloured foam and environmentally friendly recycled materials.

And the inside of the vamp is also covered with stitches to enhance the toughness of the vamp and to reduce the deformation caused by movement.

At the heel profile, it is clearly shown that the heel under the multicoloured vamp is filled with thick foam which is very comfortable and helps greatly for wrapping. Besides, with the oversized upturned midsole at the heel, the shoes will only amaze you by its stable support.

With respect to the insole, it is also made of partially recycled material. And the heel of the midsole is upturned.

The ZOOM STROBEL air cushion is placed directly above the midsole with its sides sewn with the vamp, almost covering the entire midsole.

The raised outline in the middle of the ZOOM STROBEL air cushion interplays with the grooves of the insole for a better fit.

For this pair of shoes whose size is 42.5, its air cushion is about 277 mm long, 87.46mm wide in the front foot, and 56.98mm in the heel.

In addition, it is about 8.27mm thick in the front foot and 7.83mm in the heel.

Here are the same ZOOM STROBEL air cushions used in different shoes. On the left side is the Cosmic Unity and on the right is the KD 13. And I am sure some of you might have been very familiar with the two.

The transparent midsole TPU stabilizer extends from the arch of the foot to the heel to improve midsole stability.

 

Here are also some data of the TPU stabilizer. Length:160mm; width in the arch: 47.38mm; width in the heel: 39.84mm; thickness: 2.62mm.

The forefoot (midsole + outsole) is about 18.18 mm thick and the heel (midsole + outsole) is about 23.70 mm thick.

Overall:

As a pair of basketball shoes, COSMIC UNITY EP has got rid of the heaviness in the last two years and instead, it brings more stability. In addition, this is Nike’s first application of recycled materials in its basketball shoes, which is a major breakthrough in the material innovation of basketball shoes. And hopefully, we can see more innovations in the near future.

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Nike Cosmic Unity Performance Review

Three years ago, I was obsessed with the Hyperdunk, and I’d sometimes wonder that what would the shoes’ “successor” look like. And three years later, with the arrival of this Nike Cosmic Unity, I think the past several years of my waiting for it are all worth it. So with respect to its performances, I’ve done some tests which I am going to share with you, and let’s get underway.

The first feeling of my wearing the shoes was that everything had come back, and then all the memories just surge overwhelmingly in my mind. It is still the reliable and comfortable shoe offered by Nike that is quite a familiar brand for me. Besides,  it is destined that the shoes will never be “the nice-enoughs”.

For the vamp, the thick woven material used simply brings me a stellar as well as unforgettable experience. Although the vamp is solid and a bit tough, it remains comfortable and will not hurt our feet.

However, not to put too fine a point on it, there is still a problem notwithstanding the advantages of the shoes. That is the last of the shoe is a bit narrow, which might not be that friendly to people with wide feet. So I highly suggest them that they can have a try before buying if they really take  a liking to the shoes.

I also want to mention a bit about the heel wrapping. At the beginning of getting familiar with the shoes, I just ignored the two ear-like shoelace buckles. Therefore, I thought the wrapping was just of an average performance and I also wondered why so many reviewers gave it such a high rating. And shortly I realized that, quite literally, it’s all the shoelace buckles’ work. So after my using the two buckles, I only found that my feet were firmly locked in the shoes.

Then in regard to the midsole, the full-foot Zoom that is very rare on the market today still makes me feel intoxicated as always. Firstly, as soon as I put on the shoes, I can feel the excellent feedback from the midsole. And without the midsole cloth, the elastic midsole can be felt more directly.

As for the insole, it is the finishing point of the shoes. Without the insoles, it would have been too soft to start up. But with the insoles, I felt it quite easy to make breakthrough on courts. Besides, the insoles also play an important role in improving stability.

The heel cushion is also in place. With the ZOOM and the relatively hard insoles, even those people who are relatively heavy will only find the cushioning quite enough. Or perhaps to put it more bluntly, a Zoom has been removed from the front-foot of the midsole, which also helps reduce the shoes’ weight and improve stability.

I’ve also noticed one thing. That is many people expressed their concern about the shoes’ anti-rollover performance which seems not so reliable.

However, it is under most cases quite reliable and it would be superior had it been widened in the outsole.

For the outsole, it looks ordinary though, it is in fact not in the least mediocre. And although made of the widely-seen herringbone and XDR, the outsole is practical and at the same time durable enough so as to become a long-lasting companion for us.

Lastly, we can see that there is a piece of white hard material which is important in offering support. But, for those with flatfoot, the shoes might not be that suitable.

Overall:

After the legendary Hyperdunk X, I’ve been seeking a more excellent shoe and also searching for its “successor”. But both AlphaDunk and Air Zoom BB NXT have left us an average impression. However, it is quite fortunate that the Cosmic Unity has not failed us and its almost perfect performances are set to make it one of the best Nike shoes on the market right now.

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Air Jordan 35 Performance Review

Talking about Air Jordan shoes, I always think of the Air Jordan 33 and 34 which I always wanted to pick badly, but this seemed to confirm the saying that “the best is what you can’t get.” However, even though I had always been dreaming about the two shoes and it seemed  I could not own them, it was quite lucky for me that I’ve finally got one pair of Air Jordan 34 by accident. And it was the shoes that stood by me through some difficult times. Now when the series comes to the Air Jordan 35, I am just as excited as I was before. Since I’ve also picked one pair of Air Jordan 35 here, I’d like to share some of its information with you.

“There are a thousand Hamlets for a thousand readers”. In terms of its appearance, different people have different views. Some may think it is ugly while others may think it lovely. For me, I belong to the latter and the fact is the shoe is actually less chunky than it looks in the pictures. And looking from the side, I found the shoes are very nice and match my clothes very well.

When it comes to the setup, it is still the ZOOM in both the front and rear part, but the ZOOM in the rear has been upgraded  compared with the previous version. Besides, the vamp and the shoelace system have also been upgraded. With the upgradation, I’ve found that the wrapping of this Air Jordan 35 is improved accordingly. The size of this pair here is 44.5, but a single shoe weighs less than 400g which is very lightweight. And on the personal level, I prefer this kind of suede and woven composite vamp which is solid enough and offers sufficient support.

As for the cushioning performance, it does agree with me. Since I am about 90kg, I can enjoy the bouncy cushioning easily. But for those who are relatively light, they might require some time to get used to it. One buyer who weighs 70kg observed that the cushion was a bit hard, but it got a little better the next day.

After experiencing the zoom turbo, I want to mention badly that the ZOOM in the front differs greatly from the zoom turbo because the former offers more obvious feedback and more traction.

Sometimes it differs greatly if you pick the wrong size when you are buying shoes. But if you get the right size, the shoes can be a very nice companion. For me, before my purchasing the shoes, I’ve tried many sizes on flagship stores. Therefore, I can feel the vamp hugs my feet very well and I can then enjoy the excellent wrapping.

For the anti-slipping performance, I want to say that I’ve never seen a better shoe that owns such a nice performance. I’ve also observed the KD13, the ZK11, the PG1.5 and many others, but it turned out that only the ZK11 was not affected by the slippery ground. When it comes to the Air Jordan 35, I could even heard it “squeaking”, indicating that it can offer a superior grip. However, it can also absorb some dust and so it requires cleaning sometimes. As for the durability, I do not suggest using the shoes on concrete grounds or grounds with many stones. But since I’ve just got the hang of it for a short period of time, its durability remains a bit unknown and requires some more  tests.

 

Overall:

In short, I think this pair of Air Jordan 35 can be said to be on top of the field. Just think of its overall performances, you are likely to get astonished at its excellency. And as a pair of sneaker, it has way exceeded the average sneakers in every aspect. Hence, if you have any interest in it, just take a shot.

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A Close Look at adidas Harden Vol.5

Talking about Adidas shoes in recent years, the first several words popping up in my mind were “cheap”, “emotional” and “moderate”. All in all, nothing to do with words like high-end. However, the fact is when the adidas Harden Vol.5 came out, I knew I had to ditch my stereotyped image about Adidas shoes.

The size of this one is US9 EUR42 2/3 and a single shoe weighs 480g.

Personally, the moment I got this adidas Harden Vol.5 , I felt it quite like a pair of children’s shoes. But as the saying goes, “Never judge a book by its cover”. And so is the case here : Never judge a shoe by  its appearance. After some more testing, it turned out that this is a reliable comrade on court.

Like the sneakers, the shoebox is cartoonish and childlike with a lot of speckled patterns, and at the bottom of the box is a Harden’s handwritten signature.

And on the side, in addition to the shoes’ name, Adidas Harden Vol.5 , there is also a word “Futurenatural” which is the name of the major new technology of the shoes.

There is not an absolute official definition of the word “Futurenatural”, but as the name suggests, the shoe is quite futuristic and natural in its appearance.

As regards the midsole, it adopts a built-in BOOST+LightStrike, which is quite thick. And above the insole, there is a flannel-like material with the word BOOST written in a hollowed-out finish. But to be fair, such a built-in midsole is not uncommon today.

As is obviously seen, there is a super hard TPU extending from the midsole to the forefoot part. But as a rule, when talking about such design, people tend to related it with poor torsion resistance and arch support. However, you can be assured that the design in this Harden Vol.5 won’t fail you because it is an exception.

Then in terms of the upper layer of the midsole, there has been a lot of upturned processing so that the locking of the foot would be better.

In fact, only one layer below the blue part is the Boost, which is used to boost feedback while the lighter LightStrike wraps around the Boost. This design allows the overall weight of the shoe to be reduced as much as possible. So it’s the delicate treatment of these details that makes the shoe a little bit different. 

The vamp of the shoe is made with a 360-degree hot-press forging technique. Simply put, the vamp and outsole are integrated, so we can’t see any stitching on the shoe.

Simple as the shoe looks, all the most basic setups of other excellent sneakers can also be seen in this one.

As a pair of mid-top shoes, there are totally 5 sets of shoelace buckles which offers enough support.

Besides, the thickness of the lining of the heel is quite impressive because there are four sponges in the heel.

With respect to the outsole, there is some resemblance to Harden 4, but not exactly the same. The horizontal and vertical grid is more dense in the forefoot and more rugged in the back with a big “boost“ and an ”inside“ next to it.

Overall:

In short, after a thorough and detailed understanding of the shoes, I really have great interest in them and high expectations for them. But can adidas Harden Vol.5 reverse some negative images of Adidas combat shoes？ Well, please wait and see. Maybe there would be some surprises.

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A Close Look at Nike KYRIE 7

Kyrie Irving’s seventh signature shoes are finally here. The size of this one I got here is US9 EUR42.5 and a single shoe of this pair is 369g.

I’m sure many of you’ve seen a lot of information about this pair of KYRIE 7 over the past few days, but there’s a lot of difference between this one and what you might expect from the “clunky, uncreative” Kyrie 7.

With classic black and red and a few iconic logos  ,the Kyrie 7 shoebox is a bit more understated than the flashy Irving 6 shoebox. But chances are that you might think that it is just so-so, not surprising, nor creative, either. Then you are deceived.

Upon opening the box, you might feel a bit breathtaking at seeing the picture below. So the shoebox is quite meaningful: it is like Irving who is about to enter his 10th year of career.  Even if he’s crazy inside, he’s getting sedate outside.

The most prominent feature of the vamp is that the two sets of shoelace buckles in the forefoot  can not only adjust the space inside the shoes, but also provides outstanding wrapping.

Looking back at the previous versions, you’ll find that Kyrie 7 is on track to be the lightest Irving shoe in history, which should be credited to its vamp. Although the vamp looks average and is made of common mesh, we can see through the designer’s manuscript that it is composed of three layers of composite mesh, which guarantees intensity and durability.

According to the shoe’s designer Ben, the grip is one of their favorite parts of the shoes. The pattern of the 7th version imitated many small-blade patterns from the 5th and 6th version. And with some other elements, the brand new outsole is here.

Placed at the lower end of the tongue and the inside of the midsole is the all-seeing eye and in the midsole  is the familiar Air Zoom Turbo. It’s safe to say that you will know it’s a Irving style shoe the moment you see these setups.

If asked what’s the most impressive feature of Irving signature shoes, of course, I’d say it is the dazzling array of colorways . Though the colorways of this pair have decreased greatly in number, the quality is still online.

The Special FX, indicating Irving’s love of filmmaking and integrating his imagination to life.

The Expressions, originating from Irving’s love for art and artistic expression which endows the creator with the courage to be himself/herself.

The Icons of Sport, paying tribute to the heroes, mentors and inspirations.

The Soundwave, a tribute to Irving’s love of music and how this colorway affected his performance on court.

The Sisterhood, expressing Irving’s support for and respect for female players.

Overall, for me, it doesn’t matter if Irving series can live up to Kobe series simply because I can’t swallow my affection for KYRIE 7. As for its performance, I will tell you through my experience later.

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D.O.N. Issue 2 Performance Review

Several months ago, the second version signature shoe of Donovan Mitchell, the right-hand man with both popularity and ability of his team, was official released. And since I’ve watched all the NBA games and I am also a fan of this player, I just bought the shoes without any hesitation the moment I saw the picture of the shoes.

As a matter of fact, I am deeply impressed by the first version of Donovan Mitchell’s signature shoe which is highly cost-effective and loved by the majority of shoe fans. So whether this pair of D.O.N. Issue 2 can continue our expectation? The answer is here and just take a closer look at the shoes.

To begin with, I want to talk about the shoes’ cushioning. After my testing the shoes, I found that not only did it not fail me, but it has far exceeded my expectations. Likewise, the shoes are equipped with the Bounce cushion which can offer a nice cushioning experience. Although it is not the softest one I’ve ever met, it can still be said to be superior. Under some circumstances, say, on outdoor courts,  some might even feel it a bit too hard, but it is sufficient for use on indoor courts.

Then in terms of the outsole, it is not bad as well. But different from the previous one, it is made of a more wear-resistant material and patterned with the spider-web like grains, which distinguishes the shoes by offering a fantastic grip. Compared with the first version, this one would be more than suitable for playing on indoor courts.

However, there is still a problem. After several weeks of getting along with the shoes, I found that the rear part of the outsole has more obvious signs of wear than the front part. Maybe it is because of the design, the rear part is, in a nutshell, not that wear-resistant as does the front part.

The vamp material of this D.O.N. Issue 2 is mainly mesh fabric with a small amount of artificial leather, which is also a commonly-seen combination in recent years. Although the overall vamp is not so soft, its wrapping performance does surprise me.

Honestly, when the “GCA” first appeared in my sight, I was afraid of experiencing the awful wrapping offered by Dame 6 and Pro Boost again. But luckily, it turned out that the wrapping of this pair of shoes is really good which should be credited to the thick vamp. What’s more, with the thick tongue, I can only feel my feet firmly fixed inside the shoes.

On top of that, the heel of the shoe is also filled with thick padding, making the wrapping performance all the more excellent. Therefore, with this fantastic experience offered by the shoes, I just changed my stereotypical view of shoes with GCA.

With regard to the shoelaces, however, I think the only fly in the ointment is  that they seem a bit weak and can break easily.

As a rule, those shoes with excellent wrapping can offer a nice support as well, and the D.O.N. Issue 2 here is a good example. The solid mesh material of the vamp and the partial artificial leather both ensure a nice supporting performance. And as usual, the Bounce in the midsole is upturned, which also effectively fixes our feet. In addition to that, from my point of view, the most satisfying part of this design is that the shoes are not so chunky in its appearance.

On the strength of my experience, both the torsion resistance and the anti-rollover performances are equally superb. Actually, I think it’s safe to say that D.O.N. Issue 2 is equipped with almost everything we need.

Notwithstanding all the above advantages, when asked about the shortcomings of the shoes, I would say that it certainly is the breathability. Because of the thick vamp and the much thicker tongue, the shoes’ breathability is not that good as you might have expected.

Overall:

To tell the truth, I favor the KD13 quite a lot as soon as I got to know its overall performances. And the same goes for this pair of D.O.N. Issue 2. Compared with the previous version, this one has been improved in many aspects, and if it is compared with the shoes of other brands, it can be superior as well.

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New Balance 860 v6 Performance Review

Of course, there are reasons for New Balance’s success as one the the world’s top running shoe brands, and that’s because of its professional models in the field. Actually, New Balance has a wide range of running shoes that mainly fall into four categories, each of which has its own advantages. And the NB860v6  of today belongs to the one that distinguishes itself by its support performance.

As soon as I opened the shoebox, I was refreshed by the shoes’ colorway and my eyes just opened wide with this surprise. And with the green outsole, the shoes look much less coquettish but all the more lively.

In the vamp it is the big meshes plus the seamless design, making the shoes very comfortable to wear and offering an excellent breathability performance.

The shoelaces are in fact quite elastic, which is rather satisfactory for the laces won’t loosen easily with this design. Besides, as you can see in the picture, the tongue is super thick, which can be very comfortable and skin-friendly for we wearers. However, it is a bit regrettable that the integrated design is not adopted in it.

Then just take a closer look at the heel and the outsole. As can be seen in the heel, there is the “860V6” printed which indicates that this is the 6th version of the series.

And on the outside of the heel, there is the eye-catching “ASYM COUNTER” that might be unfamiliar for some people. Simply put, it is a kind of asymmetric fixation technique, a commonly-seen tech in NB’s top running shoes with excellent stability and support performances.

So looking at the shoes from this perspective, we can find that the asymmetry between the two sides  of the shoe is obvious, which improves stability and also prevents injury.

It is also shown that there is a “RCTEVR lite” mark in the midsole, which is a kind of foam material. For the 860V6, it is a double-density midsole which is simply composed of two kinds of materials; that is the blue and the green parts. As for the green one, it is the ABZORB which is a kind of shock-absorbing technology developed by New Balance.

Speaking of the outsole, it is rather wear-resistant. The material used in it is said to have originally been used to make the caterpillar band of tanks, so it is beyond question that the outsole made of the material is sure to be long-lasting.

For the supporting tech in the midsole, it is the T-BEAM which is an excellent tech in this field. And combined with the lightweight and soft TPU, both the shoes’ support and stability are improved and can be sufficient for use.

Regarding the insole, the label on it reads “Ortholite”, but from my point of view, there seems to be nothing special. Although I had some doubt about it at first, after some more testing of the shoes, it turned out that I was right. On the strength of my experience, I deemed that the insoles’ performance actually could not live up to its reputation, and I’d never expected more of it from then on.

Personally, I’ve been into this kind of exercise for several years and I have always had such a belief that good equipment is necessary and essential for running, I’ve therefore bought a certain number of various running shoes as of today. And for you to better understand this pair of New Balance 860 v6, here is a brief comparison of the shoes to the other ones.

The New Balance 860 v6 is relatively harder than the Gel of Asics, but much better in offering elasticity. For those who have preference for elasticity, this New Balance 860 v6 would be  much more suitable. And although it is worse than Adidas Boost in offering elasticity, it is however much nicer in its support performance.

Overall:

To summarize, this pair of New Balance 860 v6 is suitable for most people and can meet the basic needs of many runners. So if you happen to be seeking a pair of excellent running shoes, you might as well have a try of this one and chances are that you’ll find the shoes better than you expected.

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La Sportiva AKASHA Performance Review

I’ve been into running, a kind of exercise that requires relatively less equipment, for many years. In the past several years, I’ve also tried various kinds of running shoes so as to pick the most suitable and comfortable one. But it was not until I bumped into this pair of  La Sportiva AKASHA that I realized it was just the right one. So here is my personal experience with the shoes which I hope can be some help for you if you happen to be considering picking this pair of shoes.

La Sportiva, as you might have learned, is the world’s top sports shoe brand from Italy and most of its shoes have quite  high reputations in their respective fields. So I think that this AKASHA from La Sportiva won’t be bad.

In terms of the shoes’ colorway, it is mainly blue in the vamp with some yellow setups, which makes me feel like surfing on the sea.

Actually, the shoes’ appearance is quite bright and eye-catching. At the side of the shoes, the brand logo is embedded, which appears quite natural. For the vamp, it is made of quite a large area of breathable mesh material with PU leather, and is also integrated with the midsole and the heel. The inside of the shoes are also equipped with PU leather which, together with the exterior PU and the vamp, provides adequate support and breathability for the wearer.

The protection material is used in the toe part of the shoes, which can provide good cushioning and protection for wearer’s toes when he/she is running downhill. In addition, the shoe tongue is sewn with the soles, which will help prevent it from slanting to one side during long and fast running.

The heel of the outsole made of yellow TRAIL ROCKER cushioning material can provide excellent cushioning and is also highly wear-resistant.

Akasha’s midsole adopts cushioning material that not only improves comfort but also cushioning performance. As for the outsole, I should say that it is a satisfactory one. It is in fact a bit slender and in the middle of it is printed with the logo of LA SPORTIVA. Made of rubber and patterned with grains shown in the above pictures, the outsole can still offer superior grip performance even in rainy days.

For the insoles, they can be separated from the shoes, making it convenient for us to replace them when necessary. On the other hand, however, this might also cause inconvenience: some people may find the insoles slip out of the shoes easily because of the way they walk.

With regard to the size, I pick the usual one which just fits my feet snugly. And for the wrapping, the blue PU leather, which has been mentioned earlier, is of great help, and the relatively hard blue rubber can offer a nice support as well.

However, at the end of the day,  it was all the outdoor experiences that gave me a deeper and more complete understanding of the shoes. Thanks to the breathable vamp, I can have  wonderful experiences with the shoes and most importantly, I am no longer bothered by a lot of sweat under my feet. Besides, the soles are elastic enough that I won’t feel fatigued that fast during the running process. And even at the end of the running, the shoes can still remain very stable. But the shortcoming I’ve found so far is the anti-rollover performance which is not so satisfying.

Overall:

All in all, it’s safe to say that this pair of LA SPORTIVA AKASHA is pretty nice in terms of its overall performances on both the mountain roads and urban roads. Its wrapping, breathability, wear-resistance, grip and cushioning are all superior. Although there are still some imperfections, I still think the LA SPORTIVA AKASHA is prominent and is also the most suitable one for me.

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A Close Look at Nike PG 5

Talking about the PG 4, many people will only think about the incident caused by XCin in 2019 which resulted in an all-time low price of the PG shoes. However, here comes a new version of PG series, the PG5. But I am just wondering whether this pair of PG5 can change the negative impression people have about PG4. Anyway, let’s still take a closer look at the shoes.

Actually, for the shoebox, I just took a liking to it as soon as I opened the package. And from my point of view, the shoebox is nice and in the middle of it is the iconic logo.

Then for the shoes’ appearance, the shoes are relatively slim and the upper is very thick. The PG5 is mainly black with just a few decorations, which seems not that appealing for me. But I believe that there will be more colorways that can be breathtaking in the future.

The most prominent feature of the shoes lies in the outer side of the front part where there are upturned designs which I think are not only cool but further improves its performance.

Another noteworthy feature of the shoes is that the toe part and the side of the vamp are enhanced by a double-layer material and it adopts the sailboat-shape design.

Surely, some people would say that such design is quite similar with the shoes of Li Ning. But the fact is that the designs of the two shoes are different and unique, each of them having its own functions.

Therefore, if it is compared with the PG4, this PG5 is quite outstanding whereas the other one is a rather mediocre one among the excellent PG shoes. However, despite the prominent designs, I think it is the upper that distinguishes the shoes from the others.

The upper of the shoes is very thick on both sides of the vamp and the heel part. Besides, the tongue of the shoes is also thickened so as to offer a comfortable experience for its wearer.

But with respect to the outsole, you must have found that it is almost identical to that of the Kobe 9 if you examine it closely. However, there are still some changes in the outsole. For example, as is mentioned previously, there is the upturned design in the front part of the outsole, and on both sides of the heel, the outsole is also upturned, which is the adjustment made to help start up.

In terms of the full-foot Air Sole, an excellent midsole tech inherited from the PG4, it is quite popular with many sneaker fans and it can be clearly seen if the insole is torn off the shoes. However, what I want to say is that the ZOOM is a commonly-seen tech and also the unfailing one of Nike, but it does have shortcomings. And different people have different views about the two techs. Some might prefer the Air Sole while others have a partiality for the ZOOM.

Surrounding the midsole, there is a bright-colored TPU and in the middle of it, there’s the hollow design with a plastic Logo inserted.

Honestly, the midsole support of the shoes is not stunning for me, but it has also been upgraded compared with the PG4. As for the weight, a single shoe is about 350g, which in the category of lightweight basketball shoes.

Overall:

All in all, this pair of PG5 has its unique features, but it has also some shortcomings. Anyway, I think its imperfections mean that there can be more improvements. So let’s wait and see its improvements in the future.

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Nike Zoom Kobe 6(VI) Protro Performance Review

Talking about the protro shoes, I can only think of the high praises given to them by many fans. There is also a saying that “Not every pair of  protro shoes can still be the best of the year with fewer setups.” In the past two years, ZK4PROTRO and ZK5PROTRO occupied a very high position in the hearts of guards and also received a high reputation. Then when it comes to this retro version of Nike Zoom Kobe VI Protro, can the shoes continue the miracle as the previous versions do? Just take a look at this review.

For the vamp, I consider it excellent in offering me the same feeling also offered by the original version. It is actually made of quite breathable and lightweight material so that it offers quite a superior air permeability.

Simply put, the shoes can also wrap my feet very well with each of the three layers of vamp performing its own function. The innermost mesh can simply hug my feet smoothly and the flywire is also upgraded to improve the shoes’ wrapping performance and strengthen the lateral support; the outermost one with ductility is quite elastic and can work well together with the other two layers.

However, just like ZK5Protro, the last of this Nike Zoom Kobe VI Protro is too narrow, which might not be that friendly to people who are wide-footers and they can feel rather uncomfortable in the toe part. So the suggestion here is that you’d better pick a larger size if you’ve already took a liking for the shoes.

Then in terms of the heel, the cushion there is rather fantastic and the experience it offers me is therefore very nice and unforgettable. But what’s nicer is that there is the larger area of TPU which further improves the wrapping performance. In other words, as long as the ZK title holds, it surely won’t be a bad shoe.

As for the overall stability, I think I’d give it a full mark for it really deserves that. Actually, the extension of the soles, which can be clearly seen, and the height difference of the outsoles both play a significant role in enhancing the shoes’ stability.

It has been a commonly-seen phenomenon that almost every pair of sneaker is installed with the carbon plates and hardly would any brand give the setup the deep six. The reason behind this is that the setup is really excellent and it offers enough arch support.

For the outsole, it requires some time for you to get familiar with it. The first time I wore the shoes to some indoor and dusty court, it turned out that the outsole attracted a certain amount of dust so that its grip performance was also to some extent affected. However, despite that, the fact is so long as you get the hang of it, you are likely to be the outstanding one in your court.

But for the outsole durability, it is quite average, and it is therefore not so suitable for rough outdoor courts.

In the midsole, like the zk5, the front part is the zoom turbo which is much thicker than the zoom air of the original version however.

But the most fatal design of the shoes lies in the heel, the cushion of which is rather soft and will accordingly reduce the overall stability. From my point of view, its would be better if the foam in the heel was changed into the regular one that is much harder.

Another consequence resulted from the heel cushion is that the torsion resistance will be to some extent decreased. Although the torsion resistance won’t be significantly reduced, the experience brought by the shoes won’t be that fantastic ,either.

Overall:

If this pair of Nike Zoom Kobe VI Protro is compared with the many shoes in the market of today, it is still the prominent and outstanding one; but if it is compared with the original ZK6, it’ll only be eclipsed. So for those loyal fans who are attracted by the shoes’ name and are to find the initial sensation in the shoes, you’d better think it over.