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PEAK Lightning 2018
Kicks On CourtPEAK

PEAK Lightning 2018 | First Impressions

February 16, 2018

The very first PEAK shoe most of us in the shoe review game got to try out was the Team Lightning, about six years ago.

The shoe was a heavy fused plastic and rubber upper that was well-cushioned, had great traction, a well-padded inner, and played great on court despite the materials (which, at the time, were exactly what the other companies were doing). Some things change, some stay the same, but here it is: the latest PEAK Lightning 2018.

Going away from the fused materials, except in high-stress areas, the PEAK Lightning 2018 uses PEAK Surface for the upper; it’s the mesh/woven first seen on the TP9.IV (TP4) and is flexible but durable. Containment should be serious with the combination of the Surface and something labeled PEAK STA, found on the lateral outrigger. This is the name for the midfoot wrap, I assume, that comes up over the footbed and holds the foot in on lateral moves.

The cushioning isn’t labeled on the shoe and feels a lot like the PEAK Streetball Master, so I’m assuming cushioning is straight EVA. It wasn’t bad on the Streetball Master, there just wasn’t a lot of feedback/response — it was more on the impact protection side of things.

PEAK Lightning 2018 6

The traction pattern is a hard rubber that has a little stick to it and resembles a cross between the Harden Vol. 1 and the Crazy Explosive. Those two shoes had excellent traction but serious durability issues. The rubber on the Team Lightning 2018 feels much more durable.

This is the limited edition Lightning 2018 ‘Year of the Dog’ for Chinese New Year and PEAK has made special gold-infused colorways for all of its basketball shoes (stay tuned for the DH3 review). The tongue logo is one of the best I’ve seen because it looks like a balloon animal a birthday party clown made — a different approach to YOTD. By itself, the black and white contrast is killer but once you add the gold details this Lightning 2018 goes over the top.

Of course, a performance review is on the way. For now, enjoy the images and let us know what you think below.

PEAK Lightning 2018 2

PEAK Lightning 2018 5

PEAK Lightning 2018 3

PEAK Lightning 2018 1

PEAK Lightning 2018 4

PEAK Lightning 2018

Duke4005

Bryan Hinkle, aka Duke4005, has been playing ball any and every where around Dallas/Fort Worth for over half his life. His favorite shoe ever is the Nike Air Maestro and his favorite player is Grant Hill.

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  • Best Basketball Shoes
  • Reviews
    • All Performance Reviews
    • Basketball Shoe Reviews
    • Running Shoe Reviews
    • Cross Training Shoe Reviews
    • Retro Shoe Reviews
    • Casual Shoe Reviews
    • Apparel Reviews
    • Sporting Goods Reviews
    • Tech Reviews
    • Best Functional Fitness Equipment 2021
    • Best Basketball Gifts 2020
    • Best Fitness Gifts 2020
    • Best Gifts for Runners 2020
    • Best Gifts for Athletes 2020
    • Scoring
  • Bball Shoe Reviews
  • Brands
    • Nike
      • Nike Basketball Shoes
      • Kobe Bryant Shoes
      • LeBron James Shoes
      • Kevin Durant Shoes
      • Kyrie Irving Shoes
      • Giannis Antetokounmpo Shoes
      • Paul George Shoes
      • Nike Running Shoes
      • Nike Training Shoes
    • Jordan
    • adidas
      • Adidas Basketball Shoes
      • James Harden Shoes
      • Damian Lillard Shoes
      • Derrick Rose Shoes
      • Donovan Mitchell Shoes
    • Yeezy
    • Under Armour
      • Under Armour Basketball Shoes
      • Steph Curry Shoes
      • Joel Embiid Shoes
      • Under Armour Training Shoes
    • Puma
      • Puma Basketball
    • Reebok
    • Converse
    • New Balance
      • Kawhi Leonard Shoes
    • Saucony
    • Brooks
  • Deals
  • Join
  • Shop