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?"
figure1
you can see the shoe's low profile and emphasis on high speed with a "low drag" design
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.
figure3
Note the carbon fiber midfoot shank and excellent outsole for top of the line traction.
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?"
figure1you 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.
figure2
here's a look at the unique heel lockdown system that provides excellent fit on the heel.
figure2here's a look at the unique heel lockdown system that provides excellent fit on the heel.
figure3Note 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.
figure4
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.
figure4another look at the zoom flight turbines and the outer "shroud"
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.
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