Jordan XXI

Blackjack

Whenever I visit my guys at the local shoe store we always get into conversations of what's hot right now,what shoes feel good and how things are selling.Alot of times,when it comes to Jordan Brand shoes that aren't retros,the reactions are lukewarm at best.When you put a pair of Jordan retro IV's next to a pair of Jordan XXI's, you can see why the reactions are less than stellar.Not that the Jordan XXI is ugly.Far from it you just cant look at it the same way one looks at the Jordans from yesteryear.I'm usually quick to defend an unpopular looking shoe with "have you tried them on or played in them?"Most of the time the answer is no or I don't play basketball.Lord forbid we use a pair of Jordans to play basketball in.The design of the XXI is inspired by the Bentley Continental GT.The shoe takes a few visual ques from the car as well as some of the materials that make up the shoe are GT inspired.But looks can be deceiving,while it may have the looks of a Bentley,does it have the guts of a Tercel.

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you can see the similar lines between the shoe and it's inspiration

Jordan Brand has gone all out performance in the XXI.Carbon fiber,IPS cushioning,customizable max air or zoom air cushioning and full grain leather with variable lacing.At first look,the shoe looks bulky and cut higher than most shoes on the market right now.While it is certainly higher cut on the medial and lateral sides,the heel/Achilles area is nearly 2 inches lower than the sides giving flexibility without impeding support.Couple that with the variable lacing system and a wide base,and you have a shoe that offers top of the line ankle support.The interior of the shoe is just as luxurious as it's Bentley counterpart.As a nod to the the seats of the car,the padding on the ankle area is quilted in the same pattern as the seats.The padding is very comfortable and isn't too restrictive even with the laces fully tightened.

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a better look at the difference in height between the sides and heel area

The cushioning is provided by forefoot IPS pods and heel max air or zoom air units.IPS stands for Independent Podular Suspension.IPS pods are placed under the high impact zones under the forefoot.It is made up of phylon pods that are different densities.It is supposed to provide different levels of cushioning on high impact areas of the foot during high activity.The heel cushioning gives you two options of either max air or zoom air.Replacing the air units is simple,you simply lift up the insole in the heel and insert your desired cushioning pod and you re good to go.It's cool but a little unnecessary.The zoom air unit actually sticks out a bit and makes a small bump under your heel.It became a little annoying for me after a while and stuck with the max air unit that didn't bulge under my heel.Overall,the cushioning was good.Nothing really spectacular.IPS was ok but didn't provide the responsive cushioning I am used to with zoom air based shoes.I will say one thing for the cushioning though,while testing on the tiled floor I had very little leg fatigue after playing for extended periods on a concrete surface.

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above are the different heel air units available for the XXI

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above is a look at the IPS system as well as the excellent DNA inspired traction.

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The large carbon fiber midfoot shank provides excellent support

Midfoot support is excellent with a large carbon fiber shank as seen in figure4 and figure5.While allowing for lightweight support, however on the two pairs that I own the carbon fiber developed cracks towards the heel area.While the cracks are fairly small,continued use will certainly widen the cracks.Traction was excellent on all surfaces.The pattern is actually inspired by DNA strands.Definitely one of the major strengths of the shoe.

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the vents that run throughout the medial and lateral side of the shoe mirror the grill of the Bentley.

Overall the shoe performed well.It didn't knock me out but it didn't hurt after I was done wearing it so that is definitely a plus.The issue with the carbon fiber cracking was a major gripe because it is such an integral part of the shoe.I felt the interchangeable heel cushioning cool but a little bit useless.

Comfort and Fit-4/5
Cushioning-3.5/5
Ankle Support-4.5/5
Traction-5/5
Overall-3.5/5

If the shoe was to be simply judged by it's performance aspects then as evidenced by the score above it is solid.Unfortunately with the expectations people have for the Jordan signature shoe,I believe it isn't unfair to expect more.The cracking carbon fiber is inexcusable for it's role in the shoe as well as the fact that retail price for the shoe is $174.99.The whole issue with the zoom air heel unit contributed to the subtraction in score for cushioning.

Nike Air Max Penny IV

Penny for Your Thoughts

The Nike Air Penny IV was released in 1998.Unlike previous versions of the Penny series this version was relatively simple.No latest and greatest foamposite material or anything of the sort.This shoe was made for performance and protection.In 1997 Penny Hardaway suffered a nearly career ending knee injury and was sidelined for much of the year.Unlike some of the previous versions of the the Penny series,the Penny IV features the best support and cushioning of the series.Possibly needed due to the nature of Penny's knee injury and additional support and protection was needed.

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visible is the heel air max unit as well a the fabric heel wrap which provides some additional support for a more lockdown feel in the heel.

The shoe features all the right ingredients to be excellent.Full grain leather,ankle strap,Forefoot zoom air and air max heel unit,carbon fiber midsole and speed lacing system.The shoe comes together well but it's not perfect.The full grain leather is very durable and is comfortable.The shoe features a dynamic fit sleeve for support and a semi-seamless fit.The ankle area is treated to padded and soft material and overall is very comfortable when on.Problem is putting the shoe on is a totally different story.

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shows the elastic band that adds support for the ankle and the Velcro piece where the ankle strap is attached to.

One of the biggest upgrades the Penny IV has over the previous versions is an ankle strap for a true lockdown feel.The strap starts from the lateral side and wraps around the heel to the medial side where it is secured in place by a piece of Velcro as seen in figure2.From there the strap runs under a loop,through the buckle and back over to the medial side to be secured.Sound confusing?Wait till you try to put the shoe on.While the strap is excellent,it provides excellent ankle support and prevents the heel from sliding in the shoe,getting in and out of the shoe is a pain.To have to undo the strap,under the buckle and remove the strap from the velcro on the medial side of the shoe is irritating to say the least.Because you cant just undo the laces and move in and out of the shoe makes the whole process tedious.Overall the shoe offers great support.An elastic support connects both sides of the shoe in front of the tongue.This pulls the shoe together adding support.As previously stated the ankle strap really locks down your foot and with the strap wrapping around the heel area,it offers great stability and heel lockdown.Another major gripe I had was that the tongue would sometimes slip down and my ankle area would be rubbing onto the strap of the shoe.I normally wear quarter socks while playing anyways and that instantly negates that issue.Moisture management is great with the mesh tongue to help keep your foot fairly dry.I didn't feel any discomfort due to moisture or heat.

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note the simple design but built to perform and incorporate all of Nike's top technology into one package.

As I stated above,putting the shoe on is perhaps the worst thing about the shoe.The best thing is probably wearing the shoe.Yes it sounds weird but honestly I loved wearing this shoe.The forefoot zoom air offers great low profile cushioning in the forefoot when cuts and change of direction are made.The heel air max unit offered great protection from hard landings.the dynamic fit sleeve with the material used for the interior of the shoes provided comfort.

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note the solid rubber outsole that has been optimized from maximum traction and flexibility.

The solid rubber outsole offers good traction on most surfaces but didn't do so well on my dusty tile test.I feel the herringbone traction pods should have also been placed in the medial side of the forefoot as well to give the shoe greater surface area.The carbon fiber shank provides lightweight and excellent midfoot support.

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Another look at the ankle strap and speed lacing system.

Overall the shoe is solid.The ankle support as well as overall support throughout the shoe was great.My main gripes would be getting in and out of the shoe effectively as well as some durability issues.the metal buttons on the straps tend to come off and I have had issues with the heel air max unit in previous pairs.Traction could have been better but was still decent.Overall the shoe is a great package and the designers did a great job making a wonderfully comfortable shoe.

Comfort and Fit-4/5
Cushioning-4/5
Ankle support-4.5/5
Traction-3.5/5
Overall-4/5

The shoe lost overall points due to the durability issues I had as well as getting in and out of the shoe.Otherwise an excellent signature shoe for one of the best players in the 90's.

Nike Zoom Flight Turbine

Turbo Boost

I remember watching Jason Kidd in college.I remember what he did to Bobby Hurley and I remember his rookie season in the NBA.No look passes,triple doubles, one man fast breaks.Jason Kidd has always been one of my favorite players in the league and I'm always excited to see what he is wearing on court because I know they will usually be an excellent performance shoe.From the original Zoom Flight 95,to the Nike Zoom Flight 5, Ive always enjoyed the performance I got from his shoes.The time the Nike Zoom Flight Turbines came out I was away from basketball.While a lot of people I talk to refer to the 1990's as the golden years in terms of shoe technology and innovation.I look at the early 2000 as the "refinement" years where improvements were being made on many of the technologies developed in the 90's.I regret that I missed out on a lot of the shoes during that time period and have been playing a lot of "catch-up" in terms of going backwards from current shoes to shoes from years past.Hence some of the randomness in the chronological order of some of my reviews.Which brings me to the Nike Zoom Flight Turbine.My first experience with the shoe was in 2003 at Marshall's and seeing the shoe for $19.99.I really didn't pay them much attention but they made enough of an impression on me that I remember seeing them there for that price.Mainly because it wasn't for another year or so that I would read A review that raved about the performance of the shoe and would kick myself for skipping out on the shoe at that price.After a couple years I would finally pick up a pair and my only regret on picking up the shoe is "how come I waited so long?"

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you can see the shoe's low profile and emphasis on high speed with a "low drag" design

Speed speed speed.That is the first thing that comes to mind when you first pick up the shoe.Next thing that will come to mind is how light the shoe is.So you get a sleek looking shoe that is light weight and that should almost always equal success in a performance shoe.Not always true but without a doubt this shoe is definitely a success.Start off with a different take on the overall design to the shoe.The shoe is basically a sock with an upper built around it.While not a seamless fit,the shoe doesn't have any comfort problems with seams when you put on the shoe.The material around your ankles is soft and also features a medial "monkey paw" to prevent the foot from rolling over.Even for a relatively low cut shoe it offers excellent midfoot support combined with the "monkey paw" to deliver decent ankle protection.

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here's a look at the unique heel lockdown system that provides excellent fit on the heel.

As seen in figure2 the shoe features a unique heel lockdown system.Similar to the the heel system on the Adidas Crazy 8,the straps tighten around the Achilles tendon and provide excellent support.Due to the construction of the shoe,it doesn't have the normal parts to a shoe and the heel system compensates for that beautifully for a great lockdown fit and stability.Full length zoom air provides responsive and low profile cushioning.I was surprised to find the fit of the shoe was excellent and I thought I would feel some discomfort because I have a little bit of a wider foot.While my forefoot didn't have any problems I did feel minor discomfort in the top of my midfoot.One main gripe I have about the shoe however is the internal lacing system.The laces are located under the outer "shroud" and can be a pain to loosen at times.

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Note the carbon fiber midfoot shank and excellent outsole for top of the line traction.

What good is a fast shoe with bad traction?Fortunately this shoe excels in this category.With a solid rubber outsole,the shoe grips the court like high performance racing tires.The rubber is actually a little bit on the soft side and there is plenty of surface area for the shoe to come into contact with the court.A carbon fiber midfoot shank provides great midfoot support.

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another look at the zoom flight turbines and the outer "shroud"

Overall the the shoe performs like a dream.While not perfect I love it's performance aspects.I gives just the right amount of support but never loses it's intended purpose..To Go Really Fast.Some of my gripes with the shoe was some of the midfoot discomfort I felt due to the outer shroud being a tad bit restrictive but upon further wears the discomfort seemed to subside a bit.I wish they would have shipped the shoe with a seamless internal booty which might have made it a bit better but still I didn't have any problems with seams and that's just the nit picky person in me coming out.

Comfort and fit-4/5
Cushioning-4.5/5
Ankle Support-3.5/5
Traction-5/5
Overall-4.5/5

While definitely excellent it did have minor comfort issues but in terms of an overall performance shoe,it's sum is greater than it's parts.

Jordan XIV

Fast and the Furious

In Jordan's last game as a Chicago Bull,with less than 6 seconds left,Jordan makes Bryon Russell into Craig Ehlo of the 90's.The shoe was inspired by Jordan's Ferrari 550 Maranello and was designed to perform just as well.With it's low profile and lightweight it was built for speed and performance.With many visual cues coming from the Ferrari 550 does it have the power under the hood or the guts of a pinto.

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you can see the beautiful design of the shoe as well as the asymmetrical heel

When you first pick up the shoe you ll immediately notice how light the shoe is.The Phylon midsole provides lightweight support and cushioning.When you put the shoe on you ll notice the shoe doesn't have an internal bootie but still provides an excellent fit.It isn't a seamless fit but I didn't feel any irritation when playing in the shoe.The heel is asymmetrical where it is higher on the medial side rather than the lateral side.This provides more ankle coverage on the inside part of the ankle to provide support so the ankle doesn't roll over.The heel is also padded with dense foam which conforms to the contours of the ankle area.This provides excellent comfort and support.The heel counter is rigid and the overall feel of the shoe is stable.

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note the tire tread like traction on the outsole

The traction on the Jordan XIV is top notch.With the herringbone pattern as well as wide forefoot and heel surface area,quick change of direction and cuts are nothing for the shoe.The outsole didn't even miss a beat on the dusty tile floor.Support for your foot while making those cuts is a midfoot shank.Also adding to the support are phylon "fingers" which keep your foot from moving off of the footbed.cushioning is provided by heel and forefoot zoom air units.It provides excellent low to the ground responsive cushioning.The phylon midsole is also very soft as well adding to the zoom air providing an excellent ride.

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note the phylon "fingers" that add to support in the forefoot area

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note the small vent which provides breathability for the shoe and is a visual take on the Ferrari 550

Overall the shoe is excellent.One of my favorites of all time and honestly my first jordan I ever owned back in 1998.Even with it's historic moment in history being the last shoe jordan won a championship in,its not a big hit with the collectors due to heavy creasing on the midsole when worn.That being said when looking at the top performance shoes of the Jordan line I think the XIV rates right up there with the best.Even by today's standards the shoe would hold it's own and could be considered top 10 in terms of performance.

Comfort and Fit-5/5
Cushioning-4.5/5
Ankle support-4/5
Traction-5/5
Overall-5/5

The shoe scored well in all categories and is truly a testament to performance aspect of the Brand Jordan line.

Jordan XIX SE

Solid Snake

The Jordan XIX was inspired by the "Black Mamba" snake found in Africa.The snake is said to be the most dangerous snake on earth.The Jordan XIX featured Tech-Flex technology which provided lightweight support and was extremely flexible.It was included on a shroud which went over most of the shoe and was locked down with a velcro strap on the heel.It performed reasonably well but had issues with the strap staying locked down.The XIX SE removed the shroud altogether and went with a normal lacing system rather than the Tech-Flex and speed lace system.Rather than being a ".5" model as previous models the shoe was given the SE(special edition) tag to separate itself from the XIX.In terms of tech the shoe is top of the line with full length zoom air and double stacked zoom air in the heel for maximum responsive cushioning,coated carbon fiber midfoot shank for maximum stability and support,interior bootie which provides a seamless fit.With all that tech is it the king snake or just a garter snake?

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Note the patent leather toe which adds to the shoe as well as the stability wedge on the forefoot which adds stability on lateral movement

When you first pick up the XIX SE you ll immediately notice how light the shoe is.The shoe was well designed and made to perform.The interior lining is soft and plenty of padding for the ankles for a comfortable fit.The interior bootie provides a seamless fit and has some moisture management properties.I noticed some problems with the toes while playing.The patent leather toe cap seemed to create some discomfort.It rubbed on the top of my forefoot creating some irritation.

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note the modified herringbone pattern which provides excellent traction

Traction is the shoe's greatest strength.The modified herringbone pattern coupled with a semi-translucent rand that runs from the medial side of the heel and to the lateral side of the forefoot.The compounds used for the outsole are soft and provide excellent traction.The stability wedges add to the traction creating wide bases and additional surface area for the heel and forefoot.The carbon fiber midfoot shank provides lightweight support.The carbon fiber is actually coated which helps prevent it from cracking over time.

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note the Tech Flex heel pull

Cushioning is premium as well.With full length zoom air and double stacked zoom air in the heel the shoe has plenty of padding to stand up to the pounding it takes oncourt.I found the zoom air to be responsive but a bit on the "mushy" side.It didn't effect performance but just enough to be noticeable.Ankle support is good.The wide bases on the heel and forefoot provide excellent stability and protection from ankle rolls.The shoe is cut a little high and the lacing system adds to the overall support.

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note the overall profile and the higher cut of the shoe.

Overall the shoe is excellent.If you re looking for a lightweight performance shoe,you wont be disappointed.The traction is top notch and cushioning is excellent.The XIX SE may not have the Tech Flex shroud but doesn't disappoint.

Comfort and Fit-4/5
Cushioning-4.5/5
Ankle Support-4/5
Traction-5/5
Overall-4.5/5

The shoe lost some points due to the patent leather discomfort I felt in the forefoot area but the overall comfort and fit package was still excellent.All in all the shoe is excellent and should be in consideration for those who like lightweight performance shoes.

Adidas Crazy 8/KB8

Streets Is Watchin

The Adidas KB8 was originally released in 1997.It was the first shoe to feature Kobe Bryant's name.It featured Feet You Wear technology which is designed to mimic the wearer's foot to promote responsiveness and feel like a natural extension of the foot.The shoe was retroed in 2005 and renamed the Adidas Crazy 8 since Kobe was no longer under contract with Adidas.

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Visible is the outsole that features Feet You Wear technology

When you first put on the shoe,you'll notice how it provides a low profile feel despite the clunky looking outsole/midsole.Feet You Wear technology is designed to mimic the natural curvature of the foot.I enjoyed the overall feel of the shoe during active game play.It felt like the shoe was working with my foot rather than my foot working against it.Support is excellent with Feet You Wear tech promoting stability coupled with Torsion System which provides midfoot and arch support while allowing the forefoot and heel to move freely.

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Visible are the straps that "X" on the heel which add support

While stability on the shoe is at a premium actual ankle support is average.While the shoe features extremely comfortable padding inside the collar but lacks very much support.To aid the heel counter there are 2 straps that are the top 2 lace holes.when the laces are tightened the straps which are in a "X" formation (as seen in figure2) which tighten adding support to the heel and Achilles.While the shoe was great for providing a great feeling shoe I did experience some movement in the shoe.Cushioning is provided by adiPrene in the heel and forefoot.While I didn't feel any discomfort playing on a hardwood floor I did feel some soreness when playing on tiled floor.Traction was another issue.I'm thinking due to the lack of surface area on the outsole due to the Feet You Wear tech that traction suffers.With excellent herringbone traction on the forefoot and heel,the shoe is missing surface area contact in the midfoot area.I found myself constantly wiping my shoes down even on the hardwood floor.I was basically ice skating on the dirty tile although I would say that would be one of the more extreme tests.

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Note the natural curve of the bottom of the shoe to simulate the natural shape of the foot.

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The shoe has beautiful lines and is a joy to look at

It was great in 1997 and decent by today's standards.While some aspects are excellent it falls short in other areas.Adidas did improve the KB series as it progressed but being the first one isn't always the best.

Comfort and Fit-4/5
Cushioning-3/5
Ankle Support-3/5
Traction-2.5/5
Overall-3.5/5

The shoe mirrors Kobe's development perfectly.While spectacular at times he had rough spots and you could see he had some ways to go before being something special.Traction was a major issue for me as well as cushioning.The cushioning seemed to bottom out after a while.Ankle support could have been better but the stability of the shoe was excellent.Overall a decent performer especially at the price point it's at now.Also a must have for Kobe fans with this being his first shoe to have his name on it.