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First Impression: Nike Air Penny III (3) Retro

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The Nike Air Penny III is one of the signatures most underrated shoe… the Foamposite sort of overshadowed these back in the day but I have always thought these looked better than Foams.

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Traction – The traction looks good from what I can see. They have taken the initial design found on the Air Penny 2 and beefed it up a bit. Its circular design also promotes multidirectional surface coverage so these may end up providing some ample traction.

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Cushion – This part feels like a hit and miss after a basic try on. The heels Air unit feels great, it actually feels pretty similar to the older Air Max units they used back when I was in High School. With the forefoot featuring Zoom Air you would think it’d feel great but instead it just feels solid… if that makes sense. Maybe it’s the double last midsole – just the forefoot is internal not the rear – or maybe the forefoot’s foot bed is made out of Foamposite material – I doubt it but anything is possible – but either way I’m hoping the forefoot breaks in and feels a bit softer than what I feel from a try on.

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Material – I love the materials… I wish Nike would use leather more often instead of so many synthetics. The leather used here is very soft and will require practically zero break-in time. While that’s great for a comfort standpoint that may not be so great from a supportive standpoint… luckily they have implemented the lateral ‘wing’ design once again and this time its comprised of Foamposite material. Not only will the Foam offer you support but it will also provide some additional durability.

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Fit – They fit true to size and they fit perfectly on top of that. I love everything about the upper on these… inner sleeves, bungee straps and semi-independent lacing. Heel lockdown still feels nonexistent – I’m getting used to that with the Penny line – but other than that they seem almost too good to be true.

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Ventilation – There are perforations found at the toe and medial collar but they are lined with more materials so the only area that will breathe is the inner sleeve/ tongue. It will provide minimal ventilation as a whole but since there is Foamposite along the side panel I can see how it may be necessary for them to offer little air flow.

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Support – So far, support has been at the forefront of the entire Penny series and these are no different. The Foamposite wing will offer stability and support while the midfoot is reinforced with Carbon Fiber. At this point in time I don’t see support being a big issue in these at all.

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You know how when you are a kid growing up you would dream about playing basketball in all of the signature sneakers from your favorite players… Then you’d wake up and realize that wasn’t going to happen. Well, these projects – while they take a toll on my body at times – are pretty much like a dream come true… I’m loving every minute of it.

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10 comments
  1. Of the three penny’s I found these the clunkiest but had the best traction and support . Never made it into my rotation though

  2. Underrated shoe! these sat on shelves forever. these will definitely fit your style of play better than the foamposites did lol

  3. you are living the dream man! yeah, i also wish that they use more leather upper’s again on their performance shoes.

  4. you gonna let the lil’ penny half centers make in the mix. or these may be darn close to the 1/2 centers.

  5. Finally!!! I’m so happy you are on these, I have a pair in my sights but I wanted to see what your initial take would be on them. Trying to grab these before nike decides to re-retro them again and this time they fly off the shelves

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