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Nike KD Trey 5 II – Performance Review

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KD Trey 5 II - Performance Review-4Traction: Featuring an XDR outsole for outdoor durability, the traction setup on the KD trey 5 II is in it for the long haul. Even though the KD trey 5 II is catered to outdoor surfaces, they hold up surprisingly well indoor as well. Due to its wide gaps and deep cuts, there is not a lot of space for dust to get stuck, so wiping is almost non-existent. The traction is definitely the best attribute of the KD Trey 5 II and will cover you in all directions on any surface you may come across.

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KD Trey 5 II - Performance Review-5Cushion: With a budget model, you usually get budget tech, and that’s exactly the case with the KD Trey 5 II. Nike list the cushion setup as “Injected Phylon midsole coupled with Nike Zoom Air Units”, but the forefoot cushion is lacking, and the phylon injected midsole provides minimal impact protection. I went searching for the forefoot zoom unit but could not find it, it may be bottom loaded, but wherever it is, I can’t feel it. With that being said the overall lack of court feel, responsiveness, and impact protection makes the KD Trey 5 II a disappointment in the cushion department.

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KD Trey 5 II - Performance Review-1Materials: The KD Trey 5 II is an outdoor model, so the hyperfuse upper makes for an extremely durable sneaker. Nike adds an extra layer of fuse on the toe box for even more durability, while the rest of the upper has a more mesh like construction that is backed by a layer of fuse. Had the upper featured some targeted areas of mesh without a fuse underlay, the KD Trey 5 II would have been more flexible and breathable in the right places, but as it sits right now the materials used here are very reminiscent of the early stages of hyperfuse, and are built to last more than anything else.

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v-3Fit: Due to the hyperfuse construction, the KD Trey 5 II doesn’t exactly conform for a perfect fit. They fit true to size, but there is a little dead space in the toe comparable to the Kobe 9 Elite. While the forefoot fit is a little sloppy, the mid-foot and heel are both tremendous in keeping you locked in for a secure fit. Overall the fit on the KD Trey 5 II does its job, but could have been more refined in the forefoot area.

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KD Trey 5 II - Performance Review-2Support: Using an extremely low cut, the KD Trey 5 II is minimal in support. Flywire is featured in the forefoot, but due to the lackluster fit in that area, you wont get to utilize the flywire as intended. A molded midsole helps with torsional support, and a small lateral forefoot outrigger keeps you covered on those lateral hard cuts. While the support is minimal, it gets the job done and never gets in your way for an uncomfortable experience.

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KD Trey 5 II - Performance Review-8

Overall: The KD Trey 5 II’s best feature is its durability in both traction and materials. If you are an outdoor baller and need a shoe that will last you a long time, the KD trey 5 II is an option you should consider as the traction is extremely durable and the materials are built for he harshest conditions. However, the cushion is a huge let down, and the fit and support are nothing spectacular. If the KD Trey 5 II is one of many outdoor options, it will probably fall short of making the cut, but if you need a durable outdoor model and love Kevin Durant, the KD Trey 5 II gets the job done in that respect.

KD Trey 5 II available now for $110 at: Nike | Finish Line | Foot Locker | Dicks

KD Trey 5 II Score Card

30 comments
  1. Man Nightwing, you’ve been putting out reviews at a crazy rate lately, must be killing your feet lol.
    Another good job nonetheless. Still, I can’t wait for you to finish reviewing the Kyrie 1! The wait has been killing me, but you only got two legs and 24 hours in the day like the rest of us! Keep up the good work!

  2. Hey Jarron,

    Great review. I love how you mention the rubber hardness and density. However, lack of cushion really is a let down for me. I need something durable outdoors. Would you think that the Hyperfuse 2015’s are good for outdoors? Thanks bro.

    1. Currently i would go for the Kobe mentality for outdoor use. The 2015’s have not released yet, but from what i have been seeing i would guess that outdoor durability is not its strong suite.

      1. Lmao sorry bro, I mean the 2014s.
        Also, which has the best cushioning – > hyperfuse 2014s, mentalitys or the trey II?
        (for a PF)

    2. I like pretty much any Hypermodel indoor outdoor, I love HyperDisrupter from a few years ago, Thats a great shoe lol. This was a big let down for me after the affordability of the original KD pricelines. I was thinking more like a elite Hyper for the KD branding. I had gotten the Kobe Mentality and I am a big KD fan and wound up sending them back to Nike they said the Zoom unit was left out of the particular shoe, gort a new one in and find it much better! Still I play in Melo 9,11 and then wanted something different for blacktop play, wound up getting another pair of Rose 4.0s on a call of duty swap(also winning a small 1v1 tournament =P betting is good for the shoe. I could of lost my old Kobe’s) and I love that shoe. I just was hoping a KD with less strap.

  3. Jarron, nice review! I thought you weren’t going to review these because the scores/badges would be so low/bad. I played in these like 3 times, and my knees and body could not take it. I can’t feel any type of forefoot cushioning at all. I know WT don’t like to bash shoes, but these are simply horrible. I agree the traction and materials will hold up well outdoors, but it’s not worth the pain for your body. I have the same color way and must admit that these do look really nice casually.

    1. Agreed, the Kobe Mentality is so similiar to the system 8 Finishline and Footlocker Eastbay all offerd the 20% off of 100 making it 80 ^-^ Hooodyhooo

  4. The cushioning… ouch. For $110 the Nike Kyrie 1, Nike Kobe Mentality, Adidas J Wall 1 or Adidas Lillard 1 would be better options.

  5. Hey jarron good review I need a good outdoor basketball what do you think I should get im thinning xx9 lebron and 12 or steph curry 1s and also what shoe do you use when you hoop outside

    1. I use the Rose line, especially earlier models. But the current models that our great for outdoor are the kobe mentality for only $100, or the kyrie 1 for $110.

        1. The general consensus is that the Rose 5 is an indoor shoe. At least if you want them to last for longer than a couple weeks. Although Nightwing did say they performed well outdoors so for those couple weeks you should be covered. With the price on several colorways nearing $100 its not a bad option I guess.

  6. Great review. I have these and hate the falling structure I just got another rose 4.0 for door. I love the Kobe Mentality. T-Mac and answer, its great. I’m not normally a nike guy. I thought I felt a zoom in there. My Melo M 11 tore apart in 4 days btw. Amazing how the KD 1- 4 I believe were less than the KD Trey, with missing zoom and relatively cheap. I was highly dissapointed when comparing this to both Kobe’s cheaper models.

  7. nike sucks. some cheap ass EVA foam does 10x better than what they use today. they claim zoom and max in shoes and the shoes are hard and uncomfortable. they are ripping off the consumer every chance they get

  8. I bought these and wore them around the house for 20 minutes and after I took them of my feet were killing me. I need a good outdoor shoe but have no idea what to get. I would like to have a player shoe though.

  9. Hi
    I recently bought the kd trey 2 and the right shoe has a little lose material that moves and clicks every time I step which is so annoying
    Does anyone know if I should return them or will this annoying thing stop after time ?

  10. Hey jarron,

    Do you think a micro g insole can help make this shoe more comfortable? I wanted to ask because these are half off in my area. And you think you can review the ambassador 7? Those look better but no reviews on them so far did they release in the us? I think titan22.com has some thats a legit retailer here in the philippines and is our version of footlocker. Just wanted to ask.

  11. Thanks for the review! Very well done and informative.
    I was wondering which one would last longer between these KD Trey 5 II’s and the Kobe Mentality’s. Just durability-wise and nothing else, I’m 5’7″ and 130 lbs if that is a factor.

  12. Can you deconstruct this shoe? I would love to see how big the Zoom unit is so I can decide to pay over $100 for the Trey 5-3 to wear casually. I am assuming you wont bother with the Trey 5-3 based on this review. I do like the aesthetics of the Trey 5-3 though especially compared to the KD 8, the visible FlyWire ruined it.

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