Dooms Day
Baron Davis certainly has had an interesting career along to go with his personality.There will be times where he will make you jump out of your seat(see the Golden State Warriors season of 2006-2007),to make you scratch your head a little(see 2009-2010 Los Angeles Clippers).His choice in shoes have mirrored his career as well.Baron Davis was in the Nike Freestyle commercial and recently signed with the Chinese shoe company Li Ning.Li Ning is one of the top athletic shoe companies in China and boasts Jose Calderon and Shaquille Oneal as other primary endorsers.On the surface the move from Nike to Reebok and then to Li Ning was a head scratcher but looking deeper,what you find may surprise you.Backed with an extremely popular youtube video that created hype similar to the nike freestyle video that Baron was originally in.While the Li Ning BD Doom will be his first signature shoe to bear his name what truly makes this shoe his is the unique "Beardman" logo.Lets see if the shoe makes you want to jump out of your seat like one of baron's countless highlights or leaves us scratching our head.
figure1note the variable lacing at the top of the collar for a customized fit
Right out of the box you notice the BD Doom is well made.No stitching problems or glue stains.One thing I did encounter after playing in them a number of times was the paint chipping off of the midsoles.Not really a big deal and does not effect the performance of the shoe.The interior is well padded and provides extra padding on the Achilles to prevent the shoe from rubbing on the skin.One of the major gripes I had with the shoe was the severe lack of breathability.A mesh lined tongue and collar that is padded provided very little airflow in the shoe and made for drenched socks and hot feet after extended play.Strangely of the two different pairs I played in,there seemed to be a difference in stiffness of the internal heel counter.While it did not really change the fit or the feel of the shoe but it was enough to notice.
figure2note the tpu supported heel counter as well as the additional padding for the achilles
The BD Doom uses two different types of cushioning.First off there is Li Ning Bounse which is found in forefoot and claims to have 25% more rebound effect.It does, but like every other foam based cushioning system,with extended use it eventually bottoms out..which can be said for all cushioning systems but foam based ones seem to lose effectiveness a little bit quicker.The heel features Li Ning Cushion which claims to provide 68% more shock absorption than other shoes.Needless to say without the percentages,both systems do their respective jobs.The forefoot does feel a bit more firm and while running and landing on the heel absorbed the impact well.However over a number of times wearing the shoes,the cushioning did diminish over time.The ride also sits very low for extra court feel which is excellent for active slashing players.
figure3Note the visible Li Ning Cushion
Now this truly where the BD Doom really excels.Traction.Nice big and deep modified herringbone traction on nice soft rubber with plenty of surface area for the shoe to really grip the court.Coupled with the low to the ground feel,makes for an excellent combination.The outsole is also segmented for good flexibility without losing rigidness.Ankle support is marginal.The shoe is cut fairly high and offers variable lacing to allow the wearer to tighten or loosen the shoe where they see fit but other than that overall ankle support is very minimal.
figure4
figure5"Beardman" logo
Comfort and Fit-3/5
Cushioning-3/5
Ankle Support-2.5/5
Traction-4.25/5
Overall-3/5
Again breathability was an issue and the cushioning's lack of sustained performance was taken into account in their respective categories.
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