To my surprise, I ended up really enjoying these the more I played in them…
Traction – I was unsure if the surface would be able to provide adequate traction when I first saw them but they were sufficient. Nothing really spectacular and nothing aweful… just a solid performing outsole from front to back. If you are on a debris ridden floor then you may experience some slight slipping on sudden stops and lateral movements but the shoe is able to ‘catch up’ with you which is good as it will minimize your slight setback on reaction speed. This is one shoe that I would totally recommend for outdoor use. The rubber is thick and rugged, perfect for lasting you a while if you hoop outdoors on the regular.
Cushion – Hexalite is featured at the heel and forefoot which absorbs quite a bit of impact… much more so than ZigTech – shots fired. An Ortholite insole provides you with a wonderful step in feel… just don’t confuse step-in comfort for cushion, they aren’t the same thing. Now… the midsole is the strangest part. I still don’t know what it is. Its too light to be polyurethane and too dense to be phylon. These originally released in 95/96 (same year as the Air Jordan XI) so I don’t see why Reebok would continue to use an outdated material such as polyurethane when other foams were available at the time… maybe its a mixture between the two. All I know is this… it takes some time to break-in but with each wear they get a bit more comfortable. Transition will feel a bit clunky at first but if you are used to wearing older sneakers then this shouldn’t be a problem for you.
Material – Most of the colorways offer nubuck and leather uppers while some of the newer flashy colorways feature leathers and synthetics. I’ll be perfectly honest, the build works but Reebok offers consumers much higher quality materials in a lot of their other models – yes, Retro models are included with that statement. While the materials aren’t premium, they are good enough and require little to no break-in time so that’s a plus. I can’t complain too much because everything worked perfectly fine… just know that if this is your first Reebok experience, they offer so much more with their other lines such as the Question and Twilight Zone Pump.
Fit – They fit true to size but leathers will stretch once broken in so I decided to go down 1/2 size for this pair. I have a pair that is my usual size which are worn casually and those fit perfectly fine but for performance, I personally want to have a very snug and contained fit. If you find that these have stretch too much for you then double socks or an additional insole will help you out.
Lockdown is surprisingly good for a shoe this old and made of raw materials. The fit was never compromised at any point in time and the midsole even lends a helping hand as it cups your foot which helps keep your foot in place.
Ventilation – Not much ventilation… not much ventilation is needed with a shoe that fits this nicely but if you personally require more ventilation then you may want to look for something else. For everyone else, lace them up and ball hard.
Support – The support comes from the fit for the most part. Midfoot and heel lockdown are great while the midsole acts like a heel counter. There is a molded arch in place at the midfoot but I don’t know if it would be enough for those that have higher arches; however, those with high arches are typically told to wear orthotic inserts to compensate for their issue.
Overall – I was a bit hesitant to wear these on-court at first and really thought I was asking to get injured – I realize it looks that way quite often but I assure you its not true – but I was surprised and happy with the outcome. Towards the end of my run in the Reebok Kamikaze II, I began to find myself actually wanting to lace them up instead of just doing it for the review. As I said above, the more you wear them the better they became.
I’d still primarily recommend those that hoop outdoors to wear these because they will hold up but they are perfectly suitable for indoor hoopers as well… even ones that play on less than pleasant court conditions.
Retro or not… you can play in these… because they are basketball shoes.
Reebok Kamikaze II Retro First Impression
Reebok Kamikaze II Retro Performance Teaser Pt. 1
Reebok Kamikaze II Retro Performance Teaser Pt. 2
Do you think nubuck stretches? I’m considering playing in my black/white Kamikaze’s. Thanks nightwing!
thanks NW,
with regards to the cushion, do they somehow resemble or feel like EVA? because your description of it somehow suggests that it might be. it’s pretty interesting that they would incorporate the EVA with the Hexalite. are you impressed with the new cushion system? sorry, can’t access your video.
EVA is very similar to phylon. This isnt EVA, least i dont think it is. Its just strange… Maybe a lightweight PU or something.
thanks again. it could be as you said to be a lightweight PU which is a low-density type of foam. although the word low-density made me somehow retract or doubt that it’s a low density since you said it is denser than phylon. really confused me where to put it exactly. anyway I did some quick reading about PU foam and it could be that they are using a new generation foam which they say has an open-cell structure that reacts to heat and weight. that is just my guess because there are several types of PU foams available and I don’t know which one is specifically used on the Kamikaze II.
Yeah, I think its a lightweight PU but without being sure my mind starts to wander through all the possibilities lol. Someone mentioned 3D Ultralite but that wasn’t around until the Answer 2 I think.
I still don’t like the way these look lol but I wouldn’t mind giving these a spin oncourt! .I need to get back to to getting on the site daily again! been sportin the tee daily though lol!’keep it up bro!
Reminds me of an early Jordan. 5-8 in design still not as good.
Hi night would you say that the cushion(hexalite) absorbes force like foam(spreads it out) or like air?
Hexalite is an air based cushion but instead of using pillars like Nike they use hexagons to compress and absorb the impact.
Love the review, can’t wait to try mine out on the court once I get my skills up to actually participate in a game. I’m just kinda questioning “premium materials”. I don’t know what kind of shoes out there use some type of Italian leather found in high end exotic car upholstery or anything. When I walk through the shoe department these days, most new shoes remind me of the garbage I would find at Wal-Mart or Payless Shoes. I think you should change the “material” category to “build”. Does it have strong stitching? Is there loose fabric on the inside that will easily wear/tear or fall apart? Rating the build quality still factors in the material but does not focus on what exactly the shoe is made from, but how well those materials are used.
Reebok uses premium leathers and suede on their shoes. This time it wasn’t built that way. Build is a part of the materials as well as the fit sections. This is a performance review and if the build isnt up to par then the material section gets docked points – just like it was in the Air Jordan XX8.
Okay, I heard it more in the XII video, you talked about how they were built like a tank. I just feel materials are useless if the build quality isn’t up to par. I was just looking at the “material” as just that, but you include build into the rating so it’s all good!
Do all shoes require a break-in time? Don’t most NBA guys get new shoes every single game? If so, they need to watch your review in order to get the best out of their shoes. Thanks for the reviews.
considering the type of competitive play in the NBA, the shoes will break in no time. lol.
anyway, the good thing about the NBA is that players have the luxury to wear new shoes for bling or modeling purposes.
Not all shoes but some do. Uppers on these didnt need break in time but the midsole did, can be the opposite as well depending on the model or even both. Everyone has a preference though. A lot of NBA guys like the way a new shoe feels. Some will wear a shoe all season long. Really depends on the persons preferences.
Also, some switch out the new shoe during the game and possibly put on a pair they were wearing previously.
Are you going to do reviews on any of the new adidas puremotion shoes nightwing? they look interesting. keep up the good work!
Great review on the Kamikaze II’s
I got a pair dont use them to ballin. but i were them when im out, there great outdoors, had mine for about 3 mounths. go for it, if you play out doors.
Great review…
I have 3 pairs of these shoes. One size 9 with the original Seattle colors (as a collectible/casual wear) and 2 size 8.5 for playing. The insole is indeed unbelievably comfortable and I find the cushioning fantastic. Even though half a size smaller the first playing pair has stretched enough for me to have to wear with two shocks (I also like playing shoes super-snug)…
What about the reebok kamikaze III? Are they bball shoes?
Hi, thanks for the review… What about Kamikaze II LOW? (the same worn by I.Thomas) Could you do a review on these or express an opinion about them? Thank you very much again