Are they truly Elite performers or is it more of a privileged to rock something dubbed “Elite” on-court?
Traction – The traction is very similar to the original KD V. Performance wise, its all good & there is really nothing to complain about. Differences are only found in the type of rubber used as the Elite uses a rubber compound identical to the KD IV so outdoor usage might be better suited with the Elite version.
Cushion – The cushion was a major disappointment. Nike’s KD V got better with each use while these stayed stagnant. Caged Zoom Air in the heel is comfortable but honestly, when you cage Zoom Air it ends up becoming very similar to Max Air so there wasn’t a significant difference with the cushion swap. Then there was the forefoot Zoom… this was also identical to the KD IV… you really couldn’t feel it at all and it’d make you question if its even present.
Material – The materials changed from Fuse to Flywire. Essentially… its the same thing… performance wise. Both are great at containing the foot and remaining durable. Zero complaints.
Fit – I had to go down 1/2 size with the regular KD V and these I wound up going true to size. They do run slightly narrow so wide footers will want to try these on first. Lockdown was perfect. Literally… just as it was before. I personally didn’t have a hard time breaking these in this time around. After a couple of hours they felt broken in – definitely not complaining there; my feet still remember the pain they endured during the KD V testing.
Ventilation – The KD V wasn’t heralded for its ventilation and while these aren’t much better… there is a better source for ventilation through the tongue. Heat is allowed to escape through the tongue much easier than the small vents featured on the sides of KD’s last sneaker. Technically, this is an upgrade. The fit is so great that poor ventilation really wont negatively effect their performance but at least your feet will stay a little cooler.
Support – The perfect fit and lockdown coupled with the heel’s Carbon Fiber provides you with ample support along the upper. Underfoot you have a Carbon Fiber shank along with a giant TPU cage that runs from heel to forefoot (for the Caged Zoom) so there is plenty of support available all around… lateral mobility slightly suffers because of this cage but you can still move much easier than you would in a shoe featuring a double last midsole.
Overall – They aren’t bad by any means but in terms of play-ability, the KD V seems more Elite than these do. If they would have cut the KD V’s collar down to a low and replaced the 3D sculpted foam heel counter with a 3D TPU molded heel counter then you would have had a beast of a shoe but going from $115 to $180 for this? I’m not buying it…
I guess the only thing elite about these is that only an “elite” few can afford them! Lol!
lol
Don’t bother. Even if I had enough penny for elites my friend screwed his ankles over those. The KD Vs are better for performance n r affordable
Nightwing if u were to choose a shoe from the list based on performance and price what would it be
Hey Nightwing! I visit your site daily and appreciate all the things that you do. May I just ask you if all these elites were nike+ enabled? Also, is micoach better than the nike+?
Disappointed this shoe isn’t better. I was hoping the elite would be a lighter, lower cut, better ventilated, and better cushioned version of the KD V. Too bad these don’t really justify any price increase…
i was wondering..what does breaking in really mean?
maybe im thinking it the other way around..thanks
I think the pair you tested could be a little more un-comfortable compared to the $180 version. The elite cushion is a bit LESS comfortable. compared to the kobe 8s. kobe 8 normal $140 is more comfortable then the all star versions. just wanted to point that out.
So I picked up pair of the super hero elites ion discount. They start out stiff at first, but I actually find the cushioning gets better after a couple of wears. Kind of reminds me of the Jordan XX3 that way. Maybe this firmer zoom works for me because I have smallish feet for my height and weight, so I put more load into the cushioning than someone who typically wears a size 10 like me.
The fit and lockdown is good for me. I can’t wait to play a few more weeks in these and see if these keep getting better.
Alright so these are well suited for outdoor like you said in the review, big question is for outdoor should I go with these or the KD V iD XDR???
Thanks
I prefer to go Nike ID Evans…. I compare to my KD 5 Nike ID and this
The Nike ID got more thicker than this…. Hope that helps 😀
Do all the kd v elites have xdr rubber or rubber good enough to play outdoors?
Hey nightwing I just wanted to ask about your opinion. I am looking for a basketball shoes for this season. I only wear Nike shoes and play center I like lowtops better than hightops but what i look for in a shoe is style and comfort. I have wide feet too do what shoe should I get also try to suggest one that comes in a darker color way that may kinda match red and black
Does the forefoot zoom still cushion your feet in the end despite the “absence” of it? or do your joints ache after playing in them?
why do you think the price will lower for the elites
Hi,
I have quick question for those of you who play guard position with these “Nike KD V Elite” shoes. Have you had any slipping or falling issues when driving hard to the basket striking the upper side of the heel plastic material or while pulling with a quick jump shot!
I have badly fallen 2 times on an indoor court and stop playing in these shoes. Once I almost had a very serious injury and lucky to have walked away with few bruises. I thought it was dirty floor but everyone unanimously agreed that I had fallen while driving hard and striking the side plastic material on the upper heel. To say the least, I have not worn these shoes again and I am planning to return them to Nike for refund.
Has anyone else has faced this slipping/crash & burn issue when striking the heal upper plastic material?
Thanks
K