The Under Armour Spine is a highly praised running/ training shoe from the brand… hopefully the Spine technology will translate well to on-court usage.
Traction – Herringbone is in place from heel to toe, bravo!
However, my concern is the Spine itself. The rubber herringbone section sits within this foam shell so which material will make contact with the ground first will determine if this was a good or bad idea. Honestly, it could go either way so I have no expectations at this point.
Cushion – A Micro G insole is provided, much like the Under Armour Charge BB, so I really like that. The rest of the cushion rests inside the Spine and that is also full length Micro G foam. Upon trying them on I can’t feel much comfort because there is a TPU base under the insole – it’s a part of the heel counter – running nearly the entire length of the foot but I’m hoping the foam will break-in rather quickly to avoid any comfort issues.
Material – This is Under Armour’s attempt at Fuse. It’s very similar to Nike’s 1st gen Fuse tech so it’s pretty stiff and hard. The overall placement will protect the mesh body but I don’t know if the base layer within the shoe is designed properly to support the wearer. They seem to be doing fine for Brandon Jennings so who knows.
Fit – They fit true to size length wise. Width wise they are normal as well. The shape of the shoe fits strange… almost like it bubbles over the foot in certain areas so overall it feels a little sloppy.
Ventilation – Despite all the mesh, it’s not too breathable. It will let heat escape in most areas but air flow isn’t available for the most part. The toe and medial panels featured the most ventilation while the rest of the mesh upper lacked greatly. There is a lightweight mesh tongue in place so that should help a little.
Support – Most of the support will come from the TPU heel counter – which extends under foot – along with the Spine. I think the only reason the Spine will be supportive is due to the TPU chassis that sits atop… the Spine itself is just foam so ‘support’ isn’t really its strength. The upper sort of scares me as the ‘Fuse’ placement doesn’t look to offer much in terms of support. There really isn’t too much going on underneath the mesh as far as the base/ structural layer so this looks to me like a running/ training shoe that has been converted into a higher cut and calling it a hoop shoe.
At this point I’m still underwhelmed with Under Armour’s latest lineup. The Torch is a phenomenal shoe… but the other stuff is just awful. I have not played in these and this is just my first impression so things can – and hopefully will – change once I get some time in them on-court.
hey there…nightwing2303 I was thinking about getting the lebron X and I still dont know wich colorway to chose might I ask for ur opinion???
oh and by the way does air-knight.com ships to the Philippines???
I havent seen a colorway I didnt like to be honest so its really up to you. I think Air-Knight ships everywhere since they ship to the US and are based overseas.
ok thank you, are all ur shoes from air-knight?
I get my shoes from anywhere that carries authentic items and the shoes Im looking for.
but wich site u highly recommend? sorry for the many questions though,
If they are authentic and they ship to where you live what difference is it? Pick a site that takes care of your needs. I recommend many sites… that’s like asking which kid is your favorite.
now this looks more like a basketball shoe than the charge bb. they look like hyperfuse 2012. lol
Those remind me of the Reebok Zigtech which were… umm… not that good from what I heard.
The foam is seriously at the edges of the sole? When your foot is coming off the ground the edge will be the only point of contact for a moment. This seems like a disaster.
I hope there isn’t another experience like the zig tech
Thank you so much for taking the time to look into this shoe! Love this site and your input.
I was thinking about getting the exact shoe and same cw but now I’m not so sure.
I will wait for the performance review before deciding.
Keep up the good work….you end saving me money in my pocket so it’s much appreciated!
I bought a pair of Torch today based on your review. I think they will be great and I want to say thank you. One question, does the Torch still not fit into your top 10 for 2012?
Deandre Jordan of rthe clip joint smashed on the Lakers last night and this shoe was a highlight in the replay. After he dunked the ball his right leg swung up “inside the net” ive never seen that in my life. homeboy needs to hook up with Red Bull – these kix give you wings.
Just to echo what prip already said, this traction seems flawed; no rubber pattern on the inner forefoot makes lateral push-offs impossible, while the outer forefoot has no outrigger for ankle-roll prevention. In conjunction with that, if stability and support are as weak as nightwing suggests, let’s just establish a simple truth. NOT A GUARD SHOE.
Haven’t seen the shoe in person yet but from the looks of it has a Micro G Foam as a midsole cushion. Is the set up similar to the lunarlon shoes? If set will be the same an outrigger will not be required since the midsole shell will be wider to prevent ankle rolling.
I just ordered these a few days ago. Hopefully, they aren’t really as bad as initially thought. Of course, it’s always going to vary from person to person but as far as the traction pattern and the bottom of the shoe are concerned, the Torch is kinda similar in the sense that the whole bottom of the shoe isn’t utilizing the diamond pattern. Only the inner has the pattern while the outside is flat but that didn’t really affect it at all for me. 5’7″ 145 lbs. I’m just hoping that this shoe performs well. If not, I will be returning it.
The difference being the areas that didnt have the diamond pattern still used solid rubber instead of foam…
I see. I’m hoping that they are still alright. They are supposed to get here on Thursday. I really like the style of the shoe but if it’s not a good performer, it’s definitely not worth it. I am someone who uses their basketball shoes to play basketball. Thanks for all the work and the response. Much appreciated.
I bought this shoe and the same CW. Things that appealed to me and that I value are cushion, light weight (12 oz), strong ankle support, and the was the sole flexes and flows kind of similar to the zigs. The only thing I am concerned about is the lack of outrigger.
Cant wait to see you review nightwing, also do you thing you review the way of wades when they are out. Thanks for the insigt.
Hey Eric,
So you actually like the shoe overall? Have you played with them yet?
It’s strange to me that Under Armour signature kicks (I mean the one that NBA players wear) tend to have some really good features and some really bad features.
I’m surprised they haven’t been able to put it all together for at least one really competitive shoe.
Of course, maybe the Bionic will impress so we’ll wait and see.
Trezz:
I like them alot so far. Played in them for the second time today and the foam seems to have broken in for more comfort. Traction is good. I do agree with nightwing about the openness in the toe area but the rest of the shoe is very snug so it hasn’t been an issue. I also always wear two pairs of socks and that helps. I will be playing alot in them this week so I should have some better insight.
Thanks man. I appreciate it.