Nike Hyperfuse

All Together Now

Another addition to the Nike hyper line we now look at the Nike zoom Hyperfuse. Where most shoes within the hyper line ie Hyperdunk,Hypermax and Hyperize emphasize being the lightest shoes in it's class the Hyperfuse takes a slightly different approach.Rather than flywire, the Hyperfuse uses a different method of construction.Similar to the foamposite idea of a one piece upper, that is then fused (get it) with additional layers to allow a pliable material like mesh to be the primary material used as the upper without losing the support.The result is a breathable and flexible upper that does not warp or lose support over time.Let's see if the Hyperfuse holds up or splits at the seams

figure1
note the heel and forefoot outriggers as well as the different levels of the upper

Normally when you see "hyper" in front of the name of a shoe you kind of expect it to be really light..The Hyperfuse bucks that trend and while not heavy,just not what I expected after seeing most of the shoe is covered with mesh.The shoe fits nice and snug.Those with wider feet may want to be wary and try the shoe on and go up half a size if needed.Since the shoe is "fused" together there is minimal stitching and hardly any seams to be felt inside the shoe.The collar is nice and padded and fairly stiff for added support.The tongue is interesting where not completely padded but very thin,it features padding on certain pressure points where the shoe flexes and laces really dig into the foot.When I first picked up the shoe and inspected the tongue I was wary about the lack of padding on the tongue,but the designers did a great job incorporating that and their attention to detail.With the mesh upper the shoe breathes extremely well.I had some concerns about the durability of the upper during play with people stepping on the shoes as I move through traffic.While I didn't experience any rips on the mesh,I did feel it a little more when steps on my foot through the mesh.

figure2
note the mesh covered windows for maximum breathability

The Hyperfuse features a full length cushlon midsole with a zoom air forefoot unit.While I had no problems with the setup heavier and players wanting more cushioning in the heel may not be satisfied with the cushioning.The forefoot zoom air was responsive on cuts but again those looking for additional cushioning in the heel may want to look elsewhere

figure3
note the full herringbone pattern on the forefoot

Traction is primarily a herringbone based pattern in the forefoot.The grooves are nice and deep to really eat up the dust on the ground.On most surfaces played on I had no problems.On one of my runs the court was unswept and it was like ice skating.I ended up switching to the zoom Phenom to finish the run.The next week I brought the Hyperfuse again and didn't have quite as much slippage on the swept floor.A welcome addition however is the heel outrigger.In addition to the forefoot outrigger to provide great lateral stability,the heel outrigger helps when planting on the heel to keep the foot stable especially when pushing outward.I loved the strategic stiffness of the shoe with the different materials used.The heel support is great and really keeps the foot locked into place resulting in very good ankle support.

figure4

After over 3 weeks worth of playing exclusively in the Hyperfuse I enjoyed my time in them.I really liked the overall fit of the shoe especially after I broke in the shoe.The cushioning was good enough but when is good enough ever that.Traction was pretty good on most surfaces but that one instance when I had to swap out to the Nike Zoom Phenom on the unswept floor was tough.

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

Overall definitely a solid shoe.Its no surprise the shoe was on the feet of so many players in the NBA as well as during the world basketball championships this past summer.Despite heavy use,after every session I always inspected the mesh to see if there were any durability issues and happy to say the Hyperfuse held up extremely well.Time will tell how long the mesh will hold up after continuous use.A great first step and definitely excited to see what comes next.