Still one of the best Guard shoes available… so nice, they released them twice.
Traction – If I trust a shoe enough to wear it during league games then traction is A+. There are only a few shoes that have good enough traction to be worn on that floor and the CP3.VI & CP3.VI AE are two of them.
Cushion – The cushion hasn’t changed. It’s still minimal and consistent. Perfect for Guard play or if you just like the way they feel in general. Remember, when we (reviewers) make suggestions… they are just that. It’s up to you to know what your preferences are and we just kind of help you know what you are looking at when it comes to a sneakers performance attributes.
For those who did not know, Podulon is a dual density foam setup. Lightweight Phylon along with a Cushlon insert are in place which give you a soft cushioned ride where you need it and a bit of firmness where needed as well. It is less responsive than Lunarlon – only slightly – and Zoom Air but it will last you longer than Lunarlon due to the rubber added within the foam mixture when being produced.
Material – The Fuse used on the original CP3.VI was thin enough to be flexible but this setup enhances that with the use of overlay panels and mesh. For some, Fuse is annoying as it could pinch or refuse to stretch – since its plastic – so that is where a premium synthetic will come in. It just feels a little nicer so if you are a player that enjoys leathers and nubuck then the AE will be the way to go. If you wanted to stick with an upper that is easy to clean and durable then go with the original model.
Fit – They fit true to size and the shoe still fits like a glove. Last time around I was unable to achieve secure heel lockdown and this time around the experience was much different. The shoe fit perfectly – for me – from heel to forefoot and that was the greatest improvement overall.
Ventilation – Air flow is just slightly better than the original but still nothing to write home about. I personally didn’t notice the any ventilation issues while wearing them on-court and realistically, you can only tell that you are missing out when you switch to something more ventilated like the Nike Zoom Hyperdisruptor; seen in the image above.
Support – The arch and torsional support remain unchanged but the uppers support is greater to the increased lockdown from the heel. Since your heel won’t be popping out the shoe anytime soon, you can make your moves with confidence as your foot is kept secure and stable within the shoe.
Overall – The Jordan CP3.VI was my personal top pick for Guards in 2012… at this point in time… I still feel it is one of the best Guard oriented shoes available. Yes, the Air Jordan XX8 might be the “better” of the two when directly comparing certain aspects but overall, you get exactly what you pay for with the CP3.VI AE; a solid performer with substantial traction and fit all sitting on a low to the ground platform. Just what a Guard might ask for.
great job i watch all your videos and have bought some shoes upon your suggestion thanks!
what the hell
did the dynamic fit strips inside the shoe help enhance the fit?
I didn’t feel it was any greater or worse than the regular version.
“BOO-YAKKA-SHAA”
Seems like cp3 vi is the best choise for small-sized guard players.
What would you pick cp3 6ae or the kobe 8? Awesome reviews!
I have the same question ..
When do the cement colorways release?
May 11th I think
Thanks a lot for the performance review!
I have one question though, I was wondering if the black and blue cp3.VI
AE’s were any different in terms of flexibility and just overall feel.
was the midfooot lockdown in the AE better than on the normal due to the dynamic fit?
Since ur a guard and we basically play similar styles, would u personally prefer the cp3.vi ae or the kobe 8?
I like both of them personally. Really depends on what foam you would want (longer lasting maybe) and whether you use then indoor or outdoor. Once you figure out what you need then you can make the right decision for yourself.
i might consider buying the cp3 vi ae, even though i had the cp3 vi already…
Just balled in the AE’s for the first time and realized that the heel lockdown is actually better than the originals. I actually didn’t think there was any problem with the originals until I stepped out in these bad boys! Question to NW: If Im going back to back games and the cushion from the CP3’s is getting a bit rough, would you recommend a similar traction in a shoe with a softer cushion feel?? I was thinking of grabbing some M8 advances or KD Elites, but dont really know how they will compare.. Thanks
good review, just one question since the tongue is thinner do the laces feel too tight?
the CP3.VI all you had to do was cut of the ridiculous tab and it fixed the heel slippage. I’m saying this because i did just that an it made all the difference. Im so glad that was all it took because the traction is straight beastly and i didn’t want to have to buy the AE edition. So guys if you have the A problem with heel slippage from the CP3 VI just cut off the tab bullshit n you got the problem fixed. i hope you take my advise or at least try before buying the AE model
pics?
True, that seems to be the biggest factor between the two. However i would still buy the ae’s because i like the style more and all of the minor changes.
do you all think the cp3 6 AE are good for the 3 and 4 spot?
does these have ankle support?
cause i’ve had some problems in my ankles and i need support.
hey chris, check out the nike store website description on Jordon CP3.6 AE
it says it has zoom air in the “Featured technology” LOL
http://store.nike.com/us/en_us/?l=shop,pdp,ctr-inline/cid-1/pid-750819/pgid-726977&cp=USNS_KW_091212_GPLA
i just picked these up in my true size but the heel lockdown wasnt that great, i think i shouldve gone .5 size down
I agree. I just got these and played in them outside and the heel lockdown still isn’t the best but they are comfortable. I’m scared that if I would have gone down .5, my toes would feel it. Overall, I’m pleased though. People are sleeping on the Aero Flight. Now, those are really good to me. Definitely an upgraded hyperfuse in my opinion. More comfortable and lighter.
I have the same issue between 2 different sizes. i bought a pair and even though the heel lockdown is good when tightening the top eyelet, but the forefoot seems a bit loose. I bought another pair half a size down to try it out and everything fits very snugly and the heel lockdown is great, except my toes can’t even wiggle much and my forefoot is bulging where the laces start. how do they fit you and do you play with a very snug feel or some wiggle room?
I was trying them on yesterday and I have the same feeling about forefoot.
I have regular foot, not too narrow.
I laced them really tight, like I would on court and forefoot was still loose, my foot was moving side to side, even when I tried .5 down.
I haven’t experienced something like this in few other shoes I was checking (hypersunks, hyperfuse, kobe 8, kd V.
That’s why I passed on them, as I was feeling really insecure with forefoot being loose.
in terms of style which is better? the original version or the AE’s?
Night Wing, you gave these a 7 on the cushion which isn’t terrible but I really want a shoe that’s a little bit less expensive and has great traction, cushion, and fit. So I get all four of these things except the cushion. Do you think if I bought some insoles to sub in for these they would be better or is the real flaw of the cushion not in the insoles of the shoe?
7 is not a bad number. 5 or below would be cushion that required an insole IMO.
Better traction: cp3 vi or rose 3?
Hi, now i have a hyperdunk 2011 low in a size 10 but it’s a little longer and i want to know which size will be better for me in a cp3 vi
Thanks from spain
i had mine hyperdunks 2011 us size 11.5 and cp3 vi ae had to go half size down to us11
Hi. I have a wide feet, Do you think cp3 6 ae is good for me? I usually play outdoors.
Hi. I think i have a wide feet. Do you think cp3 6 ae is good for me? I usually play outdoors.
Yooooooooo these are tight
My son has wide feet and we are always struggling to get him in a shoe, forget a style shoe he might actually want. Today we tried on the cp3 ae and he is in love. He will be wearing them in aau practice tues. Will let you know how they feel after two hours Of wear.
thanks for the great review nightwing, helped me out in my purchase. hoping my short take will help others out in the decision process.
well I went to the store knowing I was either getting the kobe 8 or the cp3 vi ae. they were out of the kobe 8 and the cp3 vi ae was selling for $80 so I took a chance and bought them.
i’m a very light and quick player, traction and weight are typically my main concerns but I haven’t been able to find the right blend with good cushioning setup. I have crazy lights, hyperdunk 2011 lows, kobe v, kobe vii, etc. I’ve tried earlier renditions of lunarlon and podulon and did not come back impressed so I mainly stuck with zoom which I liked because of court feel and responsiveness. however now I realize that the other lunarlon/podulon shoes didn’t give the cushion setup a chance because those respective shoes were much heavier.
well I’ve only spent one 2.5 hour session with the cp3 vi ae but I think I’ve finally found the shoe for me. Not perfect but probably the closest to my needs. podulon feels more substantial than zoom, but there is still great court feel. in fact my whole body felt less sore in general because of how podulon absorbs impact. traction is out of this world – or atleast best that I’ve ever owned. great heel lockdown and the interior of the shoe feels very padded.
my biggest fear before balling in them was the weight. turns out they aren’t bad weight wise. they only feel slightly heavier than the crazy lights, the trade off in cushioning to me is worth it and again they really didn’t feel that much heavier on foot, they still felt relatively light.
didn’t get a chance to try the kobe 8 but if you find a good deal on the cp3 vi i’d say go for it. great sleeper shoe, for every 50 kobe 8s that sell i’d guess maybe 1 cp3 vi will sell =)
hi. nice review! what about outside performance? choosing between cp3.vi and zoom hiperdisruptor. also I regulary wear nike us 7.5 size and have not wide feet. what would you recommend for me from these two? summer plays mostly outside.
Great review, don’t know whether to keep thanking you for your great work or blame you for blowing more $$$ hahahah. This year alone I purchased Kobe 8, Lebron X, Hyperdunk 2012, DRose 3.0, Jordan XI Low (true red) and these CP3.VI AEs. I already commented on Lebron X review and once again thanks… Being a scoring PG myself all your reviews help a lot. You are totally right, Lebron X was an impulse buy for me and I regret getting them because they don’t suit my game well. Just got these today and they look as if they are going to be awesome on court. Thanks a lot!
Appreciate it!
Just got the Jordan XX8 Oak Hills too… before I even get to try the CP3 s on court… Duoooohhh, I am done with shoes for a while lol
Which do you prefer? Kd5 or cp3 6? Need your advice nightwing
HI would you rather play in the CP3.6 AE or the regular CP3.6?? thanks
Would you recommend this over the CP3 VII?
just watched this review and plan to play 1st time tomorrow. wondering why you took out insoles to do review?
played twice in these and they are really comfortable. always thought zoom air was the best but this cushion setup is really smooth. NW, your reviews really open my mind to try new things.
appreciate it
Just bought these and think it would be better to go half a size down. Just saying for all of you planning to get these. Heel lockdown wasn’t good for me when going true to size.
Hey if any of you guys have the heel sinking issue in these shoes and have a pair of air Jordan 2009 on hand switch the 2k9 heel zoom insoles into these shoes and the heel sinkings basically gone. ull loose court feel tho cos the 2k9 insoles are super cushioned and comfortable (not my cup of tea for indoor wooden floors but I use my cp3.vi ae outdoor on fine hard blacktop tho worked a treat for me).
What would you pick cp3 6ae or the kobe 8 on outdoors and blacktops?
got pf so need shoes with a decent midfoot shank. 90% outdoor shoes dont have shanks. i like lightweight, breathable and foam cushion on hard blacktop. After using cp3.v outdoor and being happy xcept sweaty i got the vi’s. played outdoor for 6 months 2hrs/week in vi’s still about half tread so I cant complain.
sorry read that wrong thought it said why
I was deciding to buy CP3 but then i bought Kobe 8 becuz they said it was better… but do u think that the traction of the CP3 6 AE is just the same with the Kobe 8? AND overall which is a better shoe for me I’m a PG and i like speed and explosiveness and i always play outdoors… THANK YOU VERY MUCH =))))
Neither is durable to last for long outdoors, but the CP3 VI AE will fare better of the two as far as traction outdoors. I have both and would never let my Kobe’s touch anything but hardwood.
SO BRO OVERALL WHICH IS A BETTER SHOE? THANKS=)))
Sorry If I have so much Ques. is your Kobe 8 going great becuz I just got mine yesterday and i haven’t try it.. And How will u know if ur shoe has XDR? Thanks=))
Kobe 8 is great for the extreme light weight, fit, and traction. You will only get XDR if you bought your pair from a Chinese source or from NIKE ID and selected the option. Do not hoop in those Kobe 8s outdoors; you will regret it in less than a month.
BTW I forgot to tell u i got mine here in china from a depot? so do u think its xdr?
And for my last Ques. HOPEFULY =)) Is there any way to strengthen and extend the durability of my Kobe’s traction? THANK YOU VERY MUCH =)))
And for my last Ques. HOPEFULY =)) Is there any way to strengthen and extend the durability of my Kobe’s traction? THANK YOU VERY MUCH =)))