Nike Air Max Rise

Uprising

Following up the excellent Nike Zoom Phenom,Brandon Roy goes to work in the beginning of the 2009 nba season in the Nike air max Rise.Featuring an air max unit in the heel for added impact protection and dynamic fit sleeve for added comfort and support.While it is a little strange to see a rising superstar like Brandon Roy wearing such a simple shoe, we are reminded that just like his personality,simple can be better sometimes.

figure1
note the pull tabs for the dynamic fit sleeve on the heel for easy entry

It almost seems like nowadays the standard for "light" is the Nike Hyperdunk or the Hyperize.While the Air Max rise certainly is not as light as either one of the aforementioned shoes,it's no heavyweight either.I would sacrifice a couple ounces for support any day.The heel is supported by a TPU external support on top of a ridgid internal heel counter.The shoe also features an internal fit sleeve that provides an excellent overall feel and support for the foot.The collar and Achilles areas are well padded to prevent any chafing when wearing low cut socks.One major problem I encountered was the lack of breathability.The colorway I played in featured an upper made primarily of patent leather and synthetic leather with a mesh tongue.With little ventilation,the patent leather and synthetic leather combination made it a little hot in the shoe.

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note the tpu heel counter and the large volume air max unit

The Nike Air Max Rise features a max air heel unit.While overall impact protection was decent,I would have paid for a zoom air unit in the forefoot.Much like the Nike Zoom Phenom which did not feature any additional forefoot cushioning,the addition would have really helped the shoe.While impact protection was good,responsiveness was lacking and as time went on any forefoot cushioning seemed to go by the wayside.

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note the large surface area and herringbone traction

Traction was excellent with plenty of surface area and simple herringbone traction.The rubber outsole does extend up the lateral side of the forefoot to add additional support when making hard lateral cuts and preventing the forefoot from sliding off of the footbed on hard lateral cuts.An ankle strap adds additional ankle support to the excellent heel support.

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note the outsole overlapping to add additional support for the forefoot

Overall at the pricepoint the Nike Air Max Rise delivers with very good value.However as I have previously stated in other reviews there are times where I would have paid more for a certain shoe for some added features,this shoe is certainly a case for that.Forefoot cushioning was definitely a major sore spot for me and would have liked more added cushioning and responsiveness in the forefoot.As time went on any foam cushioning in the foreoot bottomed out.If not for that,the shoe performed extremely well in all other aspects.

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

Great value and solid but severely lacking in any forefoot cushioning or any kind of responsiveness in the forefoot.