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Nike Zoom Devosion Performance Review

The Nike Zoom Devosion, a new team model from Nike, is finally done being reviewed. Priced under $100, we needed to see what these had in store for hoopers. Enjoy the review below and you can grab a pair here if you were interested in purchasing.

Traction

Nike Devosion - Traction

It gets the job done. When you see it for the first time, the traction pattern looks like it would perform great, but once you’re on the hardwood putting in work, you will run into some slipping. Initially, you will most likely slip, even on a pristine court, because the rubber needs to be broken in. On a clean court, after a few hours of necessary break-in time, you will receive some really great traction. On a dusty or dirty court, you will have to constantly wipe to even come close to maintaining great traction. Outdoor players will run into even more issues. The traction is not consistent outdoors at all, and through the couple of runs that I played in these shoes outdoors, there was never a point where I wouldn’t slip. The rubber itself will last a while since it isn’t very pliable, but it won’t provide the grip needed to stop on a dime or cut hard.

Cushion

Nike Devosion - Cushion

As a team model, and priced on the lower end at just $80, the Nike Zoom Devosion features a single hexagonally shaped Zoom Air unit under the ball of your foot. The ball of your foot can definitely feel the Zoom unit when running and it provides some spring back. The rest of the cushion you receive will come from the midsole itself which is a semi-dense Phylon. It provides adequate impact protection for most players and provides a good amount of court feel for players like speedy guards. Big men however, or players who usually like to have the most amount of cushion possible, you will want to look at other options.

Materials

Nike Devosion - Materials

The materials used on the Nike Zoom Devosion are the highlight of the shoe. An open mesh runs over the entire upper. Backing the mesh is a layer of fuse, but cut in such a way to produce ventilation, some stretch, and interesting aesthetics. The toebox is reinforced along the forefoot to protect the mesh from toe drags and keeping the mesh from stretching too much. No break in time is needed because of the mesh and the upper will form to your foot nicely the more you play in the shoe.

Fit

Nike Devosion - Fit

The fit is super long —  I had to go down half a size kind of long. My feet are in between a size 10 and 10.5, allowing me to wear either a 10 or 10.5 in most cases, but the length of the Nike Zoom Devosion made me go down to a size 9.5. While the width in both a size 9.5 and 10 felt similar to me, the length on the size 9.5 was more accurate to a size 10. If you have a narrow or normal foot, I would recommend going down half a size. If you have a wide foot, you may better going true to size. However, I would recommend trying these on in store.

Support

Nike Devosion - Support

Most of the support comes from the overall fit of the shoe, like most shoes. Assuming you get the correct size in the shoe, the support of the shoe is adequate. You have an internal heel counter to keep your foot on the footbed, an internal midfoot shank to provide arch and torsional support, as well as a second layer of eyelets that act as Flywire would in a shoe. Once your foot is in the shoe, you have the basic support features covered and the materials won’t stretch too much because of fuse overlays.

Nike Zoom Devosion Overall

Nike Devosion - Overall

The Nike Zoom Devosion is a solid budget model. It has decent traction on a clean court and will be a durable option for those who play outdoors. The materials of the shoe are really nice for an $80 shoe and the support has the basic needs of players covered. The cushion is lacking a bit and the fit can be tricky, but once you have the correct size you may enjoy the low profile cushion, especially if you enjoy court feel.

Nike Zoom Devosion - Score Card
10 comments
  1. Nice review. That hex zoom bag reminds me of the unit used for the CP3.VI which caused extreme pain and blistering before the unit bottomed out. Did this air bag cause any discomfort for you?

    1. I thought the same thing. That one in the CP3 had to broken in quite a bit before I finally didn’t have that pain in the ball of my foot. I almost gave up on the shoe because of it.

      1. It wasn’t as bad in my opinion. I remember the CP3.VI as well, and I agree, extremely uncomfortable but these didn’t need as much break in time. Started feeling it after about 2 hours of playing

  2. Thanks for the review man. I may not be getting the shoe but it was a great review. I still like to watch them for the hell of it.

  3. Outsole looks a lot like the Zoom Attero’s line in the mixed pattern and place of the zoom unit, durable sneakers for outdoor play. Great review!

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