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.