Nike Garnett 3

Live Wire

I remember when I first saw the Nike Garnett 3 the first thing that grabs you is the vivid blue gradient mesh that just grabs you and radiates the energy that seemingly bleeds out of Kevin Garnett.Turning the shoe over to the outsole is an atomic atom again representing the energy that emanates from one of the all time passionate players of all time.Lets see if the shoe performs like it's nuclear powered or just a wet match.

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The height from the top of the ankle where support is needed and how it slopes down to allow flexibility

The combination of mesh and leather on the upper provides excellent breathability and support where needed.I wrecked my first couple of pairs using it as an outdoor summer hoops shoe.There is plenty of soft foam in the collar that allows a secure fit around the ankle.Surprisingly for a shoe designed for a frontcourt player,the shoe is cut relatively lower than most other shoes designed for frontcourt players.Ankle support suffers very little due to the cut of the shoe being cut higher where needed while not sacrificing flexibility.

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the beautiful gradient mesh adds to the depth of the shoe

Cushioning is provided by Tuned air in the heel and zoom air in the forefoot.The concept behind Tuned Air was to use polyurethane hemispheres within the air bag to add extra support where needed without sacrificing the weight or cushioning of the shoe.The hemispheres can have different densities allowing for more or less support depending on placement.The shoe provided excellent impact protection and had no problems when pounding on the court.Zoom Air in the forefoot allowed excellent court feel and bounce back when changing directions.

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note the placement of the leather on the lateral side to protect the wearer when moving laterally.

The Garnett 3 features a carbon fiber midfoot shank that provides excellent midfoot stability and support.As I previously stated the upper is a combination of mesh and leather.The exact placement of the leather on the shoe further adds to the support elements of the shoe by running down the lateral and medial sides of the shoe allowing one to add tremendous pressure when cutting laterally without the fear of coming out of the shoe despite the amount of mesh used in the upper.

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note the "OBF" in the center of the atom as well as the excellent herringbone traction.

Traction on hardwood is excellent.Plenty of surface area in the forefoot for the shoe to grab onto the court surface.Surprisingly the rubber compound used is durable as well having been used on outdoor blacktop surfaces.The atomic atom on the outsole features the "OBF" in the center of the atom."OBF" stands for Official Block Family,a group of people who have been with Garnett through thick and thin.

Overall the shoe is excellent.It is disappointing that this was the last of KG's shoes with Nike.Solid shoe all the way around in terms of fit,comfort,cushioning and traction.

Comfort and Fit-4/5
Cushioning-4/5
Ankle Support-3.5/5
Traction-4/5
Overall-4/5

One of my all time favorite shoes to play in.Not because it excelled in one area but because all the way around it was solid.We have seen shoes that do certain things better but overall this one covers all of the bases.Much like the player who once wore the shoe,while KG certainly does everything well,when all of those skills are combined into one package it truly excels.