Nike Hyperize

Don't Criticize

Last summer we were introduced to the Nike Hyperdunk.Lighter,faster,better the culmination of Nike's obsession with making the ultimate lightweight performance shoe.While not perfect,the Hyperdunk did push the brand closer to that ultimate goal.This year,armed with what was learned with the Hyperdunk and even the zoom Kobe 4,The Hyperize was supposed to be the next step...Ah yes the kicker..supposed to..

figure1
note the heel tpu heel cup and the height of the collar and slope to the Achilles

Nike once again pushed the envelope and gave us yet another shoe even lighter than the Hyperdunk(I wont count the Zoom Kobe IV because of it being a low top and obviously less material needed).The Hyperize takes a couple ques from the Hyperdunk.Y notch on the heel,keyhole notch above the ankle for added flexibility.What they Hyperize failed to carry over was the stiff heel counter that was on the Hyperdunk as well as two speed lace loops just behind the keyhole notch that really helped the Hyperdunk secure the wearer's foot.Unfortunately the exclusion of these among other things hurt the shoe in terms of having any kind of support.As we learned in playing in the Kobe IV,even without a higher cut shoe,support did not have to be sacrificed as long as the heel was well supported.Unfortunately except for a flimsy plastic heel cap,there is absolutely no heel support which marginalizes any kind of support the shoe can give anywhere else.The shoe seems to be higher cut than the Hyperdunk because the slope from the top of the collar down to the Achilles is at a higher angle which allows for more freedom without sacrificing height.The collar is padded but anything less than a crew sock might cause some rubbing from the shoe to the skin.Moisture management is good with the mesh tongue and mesh cutouts on the Flywire panels that take off that micro fraction of weight while still being functional.

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note the large lateral outrigger and mesh vent cutouts on the flywire panel

There have been alot of knocks about lunar foam.I currently at the time of this writing own four different shoes that have lunar foam as the primary cushioning setup.From the Hyperdunk to the Lunar Racer to the Lunarglide and Hyperize I have felt a small difference from each application of the lunar foam.I ran through my normal test runs of the shoe and the lunar foam in the Hyperize seemed to be holding up a little bit better than the lunar foam of the Hyperdunks.Not saying that this should would probably survive a season of practice and games,but it seems like there have been some improvements to the durability of lunar foam.Once again the lunar foam does not give the "springy" feeling that zoom air gives but the impact absorption of the foam is excellent.I am a little curious to see what a setup of lunar foam in the heel and zoom air in the forefoot would feel like but I think with the constant pounding on the heel would flatten out the lunar foam rather quickly.

figure3
note the "t-notch" and herringbone pattern

Traction is greatly improved from the Hyperdunk.A more traditional herringbone pattern with what felt like a softer rubber compound improved on what was decent traction of the Hyperdunk.A large lateral outrigger allows the wearer to make hard cuts without the fear of tipping over,and the "y-notch"(in this case t-notch) on the heel gives the shoe good flexibility without sacrificing alot of support on lateral heel strikes.A carbon fiber midfoot shank makes for a rigid mid foot without adding too much weight.Unfortunately another thing missing from the Hyperize from the Hyperdunk was how the Hyperdunk cradled the wearer's foot with phylon support on both the lateral and medial sides of the mid foot.I constantly found my foot sliding back and forth on the footbed during hard cuts.Issues with the heel support amplify this problem.where the shoe lacks almost any support.

figure4

I really did not want to make this a Hyperdunk versus Hyperize type of review.Unfortunately it works both ways in terms of improving each shoe,you would simply have the other one.Improve support you might as well buy the Hyperdunk.Better cushioning and traction thats lighter get the Hyperize.Unfortunately the complete lack of support really killed the shoe for me.For some reason unlike the Hyperdunk when I wore the Hyperize,the shoe seemed to fight my foot when running and seemed like it did not flex naturally.

Comfort and Fit-2/5
Cushioning-4/5
Ankle Support-2.5/5
Traction-4/5
Overall-2.5/5

The total lack of any support with my foot sliding on hard cuts completely turned me off to the shoe.In hindsight,when I give the Hypedunk a 4.5/5 and the Hyperize a 4/5 in terms of cushioning and claim the cushioning is better in the Hyperize,this was before we realized the lack of durability of the lunar foam.I saw it as a potential problem for the foam but at the time of the Hyperdunk review did not experience a significant loss of cushioning the Hyperdunk would eventually have with regular use.That being said,given some of the durability issues lunar foam has had in the past,in this shoe it performed very well.It seems just like in movies where sequels rarely are better than the original,the Hyperize fails to surpass the Hyperdunk.

Nike Zoom Phenom

Something Like a Phenomenon

Ive never been a fan of hybrids.Taking parts of other things and trying to combine them into something new and better than the originals.As another update to the Nike Sharkley that combines parts of the Shake N'Destruct and the Air Max Sensation,my initial reception to the shoe was lukewarm at best.The Nike Shake N'Destruct and the Air Max Sensation on their own were never really "guard oriented" shoes,much less combined and to be seen on the feet of Brandon Roy and Deron Williams,two active guards who have worn the excellent zoom bb 1 and 2.Needless to say I was curious in the choice of shoes.In essence you have the outsole of the nike Shake N'Destruct.Initially released in 1996 and was primarily marketed as a streetball shoe and worn by Dennis Rodman.For the upper we have the nike air max sensation which initially was Chris Webber's signature shoe which was one of the first to feature visible forefoot air.To combine these two shoes and having a great guard shoe be the result is like mixing peanut butter and jelly but coming out with something that tastes like steak.

figure1
note the visible large volume zoom air unit

For as bulky the shoe looks in pictures and the thicker outsole you would figure the shoe to be on the heavier side.Surprisingly that was not the case and the shoe is not that much heavier than the Nike Hyperdunk.The lacing system is descended directly from the 90's where elastic straps combined with speed lacing provide excellent fit around the foot.The Elastic straps provide just the right amount of tension to ensure a snug fit without sacrificing flexibility.Heel support is very good with a stiff heel counter reinforced with phylon and the heel of the outsole.The collar is lined with foam padding to provide a good snug fit.The tongue is lined with mesh to provide some moisture management but with all of the patent leather/leather/nubuck I found the breath-ability to be a little bit lacking.Overall Ankle support was average with great heel support and good fit around the shoe but nothing else to add for additional ankle support.

figure2
note the phylon wedge that adds lateral support on the forefoot

Cushioning comes from a large volume visible zoom air unit in the heel.Forefoot cushioning is a bit lacking using just phylon but still does the job.While not quite as responsive in the forefoot as I would have liked for whatever reasoning I had little to no problems when playing on hardwood or concrete tile.

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note the deep groves and additional patterns on the outsole

Now we get to what I feel is the true strength of this shoe.Traction.While I dont remember how the Shake Ndestructs performed indoors and where the outsole of that shoe was designed to take the abuse on blacktop,the Zoom Phenom replaced the tough DRC(durable rubber compound) used in the Shake and replaced it with a softer compound that is well phenomenal.On the outsole in addition to the deep grooves that eat up dust on the court are smaller grooves within the traction pattern that enhance the shoe's grip resulting in me nearly spraining my ankle again during a quick stop and go.The traction pattern used and with plenty of surface area on the outsole make this one of the best shoes in terms of traction I have played in.To make sure you don't come out of the shoe during hard lateral cuts is a rubber/phylon wedge wich extends up the lateral side of the shoe to provide excellent lateral support.

figure4
note the elastic straps across the tongue for additional support

I really enjoyed this shoe,and have made it a regular part of my rotation when not reviewing shoes.I am still not really sure how two shoes that were designed for either beating up on asphalt and blacktop or for a young dominant power forward who could run like a guard and finish with authority mix to become an excellent guard based shoe.Like I said earlier,its like mixing peanut butter and jelly and finding out it tastes like steak.

Comfort and Fit-4/5
Cushioning-3/5
Ankle Support-3/5
Traction-4.5/5
Overall-4/5

The lack of forefoot cushioning hurt the shoe but thats just the spoiled voice inside talking.The lack of ankle support was not that big of a deal due to good fit through the heel.The forefoot provides a nice wide base to land on even without a lateral outrigger we see on many shoes today.Again we see an example of a shoe that has excellent execution with unlikely parts.Lightweight,excellent traction and good fit.Dr. Frankenstein has you good to go.

Nike Foamposite Lite

Dark Knight

While this certainly not the first Foamposite shoe Ive reviewed,there are a number of factors that will make or break the shoe.Just like Batman movies,it's all been done before.Its the execution that makes the shoe or movie good or bad.With the Foamposite lite we have a Foamposite upper with zoom air in the heel and forefoot.What makes each shoe different is how each shoe wraps the Foamposite around the foot.Zippers,laces,elastic straps,magnetic buttons,you name it they've tried it.Foamposite based shoes rely heavily on how the shoe secures the foot so it provides a snug fit so the Foamposite material can move with the wearer's foot after the initial break in period.So with that said lets see if the shoe is more Christian Bale or Val Kilmer.

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note the tpu heel counter

The Foamposite lite is no lightweight regardless of wht the name implies.Not that the shoe is overly heavy,just dont expect it to weigh like the Hyperdunk.The shoe features an internal fitsleeve that is again fairly standard in most Foamposite based shoes.Having the internal fit sleeve is especially more important in a Foamposite based shoe because the upper does not breath at all.Any moisture that builds up on the wearer's foot is wicked away by the fit sleeve so the airflow that occurs when playing can manage the moisture.Another reason why the fit sleeve is important in a Foamposite shoe is similar to the idea of chain mail that is worn under plate armor back in the day of medieval knights.A form fitting fit sleeve allows for a better fit for the Foamposite material to support.Rather than have just the stiff Foamposite material against the wearer's foot with nothing in between would be fairly uncomfortable.Simple speed lacing tightens the shoe around the foot but can be at times uncomfortable when the laces are really sinched in and there isn't enough padding in the fit sleeve to keep the laces from putting excessive pressure on the foot.However another problem comes up when laces are not tied tight enough.For whatever reason when the shoe is not tied tight enough to the point where circulation in the foot is being cut off,the heel of the fit sleeve bunches up and ends up under the heel.While not painful or detrimental to the support of the shoe,it is very annoying.Batman and Robin annoying.Ankle support is good with plenty of padding throughout the collar of the shoe.The Foamposite upper works as one to provide good overall support of the foot.A large TPU heel counter extends to lateral side of the wearer's foot adding extra support on lateral cuts.

figure2
note the large lateral outrigger

I spent half of my time in the shoe trying to figure out if the "lite" in Foamposite Lite was Lunarlite foam.While the difference in weight between a zoom air based shoe and a Lunarlite based shoe is still yet to be determined,I doubt even with the inclusion of Lunarlite foam,that this should would have appealed to those who prefer lighter shoes.That being said the zoom air in the heel and forefoot provides very good impact protection.Unfortunately,for whatever reason,the zoom air did not feel as responsive.I took this shoe through a 10 wear test run rather than my normal 5 and the cushioning did not change.Where you would expect the zoom air to be a bit more responsive,there was not that sensation of the zoom air unit pushing your foot back after a change of direction.

figure3
note the wide forefoot base and surface area that provides excellent traction

Traction was very good.No problems at all on hardwood or concrete tile.Herringbone traction all the way through with plenty of surface area.One problem however is the midsole is extremely stiff.I found myself running a little stiff-legged in the shoe.Heel toe transition was nonexistent.A large lateral outrigger provides extra support during lateral cuts.

figure4
note the heel pull loop for the internal fit sleeve

All of the parts to make the shoe really stand out were present but execution just wasn't right.Cushioning was good but not quite as responsive as other shoes with similar setups.Support was decent but problems with the internal fit sleeve hurt the overall feel of the shoe.Traction is excellent but the shoe is extremely stiff and heel toe transition really suffered.

Comfort and fit-2/5
Cushioning-3/5
Ankle Support-3.5/5
Traction-4/5
Overall-2.75/5


Ultimately the poor fit and lacing problems doomed the shoe.From the fit sleeve not doing what it was designed to do to the lacing failing the shoe.One positive however is that the shoe would make for a decent "big man" shoe.The overall support that the Fomaposite material gives and while not as responsive as previous Foamposite shoes,the cushioning performed well enough to absorb heavy poundings.The wide forefoot base and lateral outrigger makes for a pretty good platform for those who roam the paint.While not terrible like Ahnold as Mr. Freeze,the shoe performs a little bit like Jim Carrey as the Riddler...they capture the essence but it's still a character in a bad movie.