Chris Paul’s fifth signature sneaker, the Jordan CP3.V, has officially launched today so what better way to bring in CP3’s latest model than by giving a full detailed first impression.
Hit the jump for more…
Traction – The traction looks and feels amazing (in hand not yet on-court) with its partial herringbone pattern sitting alongside the geometric lines throughout. These look similar to the Kobe VII’s traction base and that has been working very well on-court so far.
One thing that I love is the toes traction which wraps up the medial side and toe. I’ve come to find that this is an area that takes a beating on my shoes and it’s also where I tend to get quite a bit of slipping from past performance models, so for me personally, this will be a great feature to have.
Cushion – Podulon… I’ve never really liked it too much in past CP3 models on a personal level but now that I have a new found love for foam based cushions this may change.
The entire base of the shoe is comprised of a dual foam base; the Podulon in the forefoot sits directly under the black herringbone section of the shoe. Based solely off step in comfort, it isn’t a cushion that you can feel right away. From what I gather, the Podulon is a react type of cushion system… the more pressure and torque from your movements should enable the Podulon to react and provide you with supportive cushion right where you need it most, at least right where you need it most if you are a Guard.
The heels Podulon setup is a bit different and is reminiscent of the Air Jordan XX1-XX3 where there is a pod which sticks out from the sole a bit and provides greater impact absorption. This is where you can feel the cushion with that step in comfort and it felt awesome. If the forefoot feels like the heel once enough pressure is added then the overall cushion should be phenomenal.
Material – The CP3.V has quite a bit going on in the material department. Most of which I really like upon first feel and try one and some of it I don’t, but everything is in place for a reason which holds more value to me than anything.
The heel features a mesh overlay for some minor ventilation, I stress the minor part… Sitting just below the mesh is a grey panel, this is a rubber heel counter – wicked cool as its supportive and lightweight plus it’ll be able to sustain on-court beatings. The pull tab is pretty nice as well featuring a woven thread backed by a synthetic material holding it together.
Flywire makes up the rest of the shoes upper and this is where I was slightly disappointed with the construction.
Not sure if this will show up properly but the Flywire is very thin, I like this for flexibility, but it’s then backed by a fairly thick lining which outweighs the flexible capabilities of the Flywire. This lining is in place for added strength, support and durability so I can’t knock it from a functional standpoint but the upper, being predominantly Flywire, will require a bit of break in time… however, break in time should be easy going as I was able to soften up the material quite a bit with only my thumbs while I pressed on the areas that I require some flexibility.
Fit – Fit overall is pretty nice. They fit true to size and there aren’t any weird pressure points like what I’ve been experiencing with the KD IV and Kobe VII. The heel has a small cup which should be able to keep the Achilles in place providing a better than average heel lockdown. This was taken back slightly by the stiffness of the upper but once they break in I assume heel slip will be a non-issue.
Inside we have another one piece sock liner found in nearly every shoe released from both Nike & Jordan Brand within the past 6 months, probably more than that but I don’t keep track. This was nice as its cut is fairly short so it kept the midfoot in place and secure upon try on.
Ventilation – This is another area where I was a bit taken back. Looks are actually deceiving here…
It looks as if there are plenty of ventilated areas around the upper with the mesh screens and cut out Flywire triangles.
What you can’t see is that the lining which provides the Flywire its strength also blocks all ventilated areas found throughout… and I mean throughout the entire shoe, there is not one section of the shoes perforations that isn’t being blocked by something in some fashion. I’m not sure why they didn’t cut the triangle pattern out of the lining before they had started with the construction, I know it’s an extra step in the manufacturing process but it makes more sense to take a little more time in order to get things as perfect as possible rather than waste time with an exterior design that pretty much fools you into thinking ventilation is abundant. After placing a light inside the shoe, the only area where the light was able to shine through was some of the mesh tongue. I’m sure the lining, since it’s made of fabric, will allow for some air to flow but overall it would have been better to cut the triangular pattern out of both materials instead of the just the top visual layer… just my opinion.
Another useless design was featured on the toe… they actually put dots on the shoe that look like perforations but they’re just in place for design. This was laughable to be perfectly honest… it can’t be that hard to punch a few holes and get the same looks you’re after while increasing its purpose a bit.
Support – Support is basic and that is perfectly fine by me. Basic usually works best… for example; herringbone traction patterns. In place is a typical shank plate in the arch of the shoe. It is TPU – plastic – like what we’ve seen in other models. Carbon fiber may put a little extra spring into your step but TPU works just fine in my opinion.
I’m not sure if the extended piece of rubber (the Grey rubber) in the forefoot counts as a support feature but it looks like it may provide you with some support… or possibly some pain depending on how hard your cuts are, it’s defiantly not a thick piece of rubber so it should be fine… I couldn’t feel in at all when I tried them on and flexed my foot a bit.
One last feature that I always like to see on performance shoes are typically not needed but nice to have. The aglets on the CP3.V are encased in plastic and are actually shaped nicely for easy re-lacing.
That pretty much covers my First Impression of the CP3.V. A few corners have been cut during the design and manufacturing process, in my opinion, but nothing that should greatly affect the shoes performance.
One last note; I am currently injured at the moment and don’t know when I will be able to get back on-court… I seem to get injured every January. I will be going to shoot around a bit tonight and test out my ankle to see if it can handle certain movements, if all goes well I hope to be back on-court by weeks end. The injury has slowed down testing on the KD IV, Kobe VII & Reebok Zig Encore along with these CP3.V’s so be patient and I will get them all completed as soon as possible.
Hope you get better soon so we can get more great reviews!!
Thanks bro!
Hope your ankle gets better soon. I’m looking forward to all your reviews as it seems I tend to have similar gripes with these performance shoes. The CP3.V look promising though.
Keep up the good work!
Thanks bro! Ill be back as soon as possible.
get well. needing your reviews for april! haha.
Haha! I will
I blame the Encores on your ankle injury! Feel better though bro, don’t push it too much or you’ll suffer a set back.
Lol!!! I got injured before the Encores arrived hahaha
What shoe were you wearing when you got injured? Also, with some modifications, or how it is now, can Podulon beat out Zoom air in the long run?
Kobe VII. Podulon feels pretty crazy, jogged in these on the floor for a few mins and its VERY responsive.
Were you playing in the Attack Fast or Strong? Also, I have the CP Too Quicks and if you don’t like these you might want to try those out. I highly recommend them. They just replaced my Kobe VI’s as my go to shoe.
I was playing in the Play Strong at the time. The CP3.V has been quite impressive for the most part, i was able to play in them a bit before rolling my ankle a second time, not due to the shoes… Played too soon and my ankle was weak and gave out on me.
Damn sorry about your injury. With your inactivity I thought the D-league offered you a contract. Good luck with your testing and your recovery process. Maybe you need some speedwraps lol.
Lol! Im much too small to play in the D-League.
I will be trying the speed wrap out once i get back on court full time again.
On the surface, it resembles the 2011 Q Flight. Any major differences in traction from your initial impressions?
Traction is very nice, has met my expectations upon first impression.
is the based two different type of rubber? maybe xdr and solid rubber. maybe u should wear ankle brace, like the adidas adizero speedwrap while you are testing these shoe
I honestly dont know for sure. These were from the US so they didnt come with any XDR labels but the black section of the traction i doubt is XDR, the grey portion could be.
I will have to wear a brace when i finally come back and will review those as well.
Next review…..by Nightwing2303 ….ankle braces/wraps/supports…etc…
I think Adidas, McDavid, etc should send you theirs…I’m sure tons of peeps would like to know your thoughts on the Adidas Speed wraps, etc..esp with the popularity of Rose
Hahaha! It will happen soon.
Hey Nightwing,
damn ankle injuries, hope u get well soon.
Nike states that there’s Podulon Tech only in the heel?! Forefoot features a combo of Cushlon and compressed Phylon. Well that’s what Nike says, just for info.
Have u heard anything that the this one will come out as ID?
Thanks for the info, i was told its Podulon throughout so ill go back and recheck.
I havent heard any news on these being released on NikeiD at this time.
Thx. Is the impression correcht that the skinwire (so the flywires) is broken by the mesh material around the ankle and midfoot area? This would make flywire useless/senseless in this area cause the effect that it really hugs your foot would be reduced.
Otherwise, i’m really interested in this shoe if it can hold up or even beat the kobe VI. Kobe VI are slowly getting rare in stores here in germany and i meet need a proper replacement. So i’m looking forward to review, keep up your great work but take your time with that ankle.
Get well Bro.
* might need a proper replacement ; *looking forward to your review
It is Flywire and not skinwire as i had assumes when i first saw catalog images, its not useless either. These have been a good shoe so far but i wont be giving out too much info just yet as the two times i played in them ive been injured so i dont feel i can accurately judge them at this point.
what do you think of the low top drose2? they are available here.
I have done a review on them, i thought they were very good shoes.
I think he was referring to these….http://counterkicks.com/2012/01/13/adidas-adizero-rose-2-low-home-away/
Oh man… I hadnt even seen those until now. Those look awesome!!!
Yah!they were so HOT!but i already bought cp3.v. And it were Damn good!
Is the upper same like the Kobe Vs, I dont have Kobe V, but hearing a lot, that it is not very durable?! Otherwise, the CP V could be the shoe, right now, all details are great imo
They look like theyd be the same but the CP3 is far more durable. The Kobe V did have durability issues (i never had that problem personally) but the CP3 is going to be able to take a good beating and still hold up.
how much does these weigh?
I havent weighed them, may want to check Eastbay and see if they have the weight listed.
Do you re sell performance bball shoes after u test them out because i dont think theres a point of keeping so many of them if you dont plan on wearing them anymore. A few of your favorite on court shoe should be enough
I dont resell anything. I give away shoes all the time in my area but they are never used, always new… Dont like the thought of giving someone used shoes.
I keep them for future reviews
In case i need to go back and compare.
i played with this and they were wonderful (as for the moment)!i love this more than my drose2.0.
Theyve been pretty impressive so far for sure. Still need more time in them with a solid ankle to be able to tell if they can really hold up well for me personally though.
I just love this! Especially on tge crossover, and sudden change of directions.
How is the court feel, they looking a bit high of the ground(forefoot)?
Court feel is decent. Not a low as id like… I didnt have much of a problem with the forefoot but rather in the heel area. I would have liked if the footbed was sunken into the midsole a bit more so the upper and midsole would give the wearer a more one to one fit.
Hi!
So far, what, in your opinion, is the best shoe for me? These, the Fly Wade 2’s, or the KD IV’s? I understand that the CP3.V’s and the KD’s are relatively new, but for my money, what would you recommend? I am a point forward (I play more at point though) and play a pretty aggressive style of ball (slashing, drive and dish, etc).
Hope you feel better soon!
Thanks!
At this point id say the Wade 2s theyll keep your foot more secure upon slashes and hard cuts to the basket. Cushion is great in both the wade and cp so for that im still deciding which is better.
hi….
reading your first impression on these CP3.V..and so far i take the only problem is the breathability….is it so ?
how is the weight compared to kobe 4 ? and how the feels on the low the ground side ?
hope your ankle get well soon…and continue on the reviews…..your reviews are the best to me….
Ventilation is the only real issue so far and its not as bad as youd think. They are heavier feeling than the kibe iv but i havent weighed them to confirm. Your foot could sit lower to the ground, i wish they were a bit lower to be honest, which is my only gripe with them at this point.
thanks a lot nightwing2303…
Thanks for the support!
based on your opinion. Which is better,qflights or cp3.v. I havent triend qflights,and i want to try them on court.
I cant compare the two fully until my ankle heals up enough to go back on court but i highly recommend the q flights. The CP3 has some amazing cushion though.
Hi. I am slowly getting back on court, after sesamoid injuries in my feet. I have very high arches, and I wear orthotics that support them. My doctor gave me an advice to wear stiff-soled, but very cushioned shoes, so I tried Lebron 9’s and I think they might be just right for the job, because off the mushy and cushioned feeling when I put them on. My question is, are cp3 V’s comparable in cushioning department, because I tried CP3 IV’s and I realy liked foam-based cushioning in them, because I have a feeling that they will absorb more strees on my feet then zoom bags(Last zoom based model that was working for me were Kobe IV’s(cushioning was soft, but enough responsive). So do you think that CP3V’s can do it for me in the forefoot cushioning in terms of absorbing, cuz right now I don’t care for responsivness?
Thank you for your answer and greetings from Slovenia(Europe)!Yeah we watch your performance reviews here:)Keep up with the good work, we need people like you in basketball!
P.S. Sorry if there is any bad english i tried to write it as good as I could.I assume that you had no idea that country named Slovenia even exists, and even if you did, you didn’t expect that we watch your videos here:) Thanks again
That step in cushion feeling you get from the lebron 9 comes from the ortholite insole, if you swap out the insole with a basic one you wont get that feeling at all. The CP3.V on the other hand has some of the nicest feeling cushion ive felt… Esp once you start running in them.
Have you tried the cp 2quick? If you had,what can you say About them? Are they better with cp3.v?
I havent, almost picked them up but the materials are so cheap i just couldnt do it.
What do you mean cheap?i mean they are not that good to try? Are’nt the materials were same with the cp3.v?
The materials other than the patent leather felt very cheap to me. Nowhere near the quality of the CP3.V. The signatures are built very nice but this takedown model should be priced well under the retail for what they’ve placed on them. The traction and cushion is great but the rest of the shoe doesnt warrant the retail price for me.