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Performance Teaser: Nike Air Penny I (1) Retro

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Playing in the Air Penny I is a testament to just how far footwear had come since the Air Jordan I and even how much further it has evolved with just a few little tweaks here and there over the years.

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The traction surfaced used here is pretty unconventional for its time… around 1995. Herringbone was on a lot of performance models at the time so going back to something so flat is something somewhat strange to me, however, it does actually work… even on a dirty floor.

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While its not quite as spectacular as the Air Jordan II or III, it still gets the job done. Pushing most of the debris away from the sole instead of collecting it along the way is actually pretty smart. Not sure if that was their original intent but that’s what it does. You still have to maintain plenty of wiping during game play but nowhere near as often as you would a translucent outsole. This would probably work really well outdoors since its so thick and fully capable fighting against debris.

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Cushion takes some time to break-in, anyone that has ever worn a pair casually will agree. Once the break-in time has come and gone you receive plenty of cushion in both the heel – with its 180 Air unit – and the forefoot – with Zoom Air and Phylon. I typically don’t like the 180 & Zoom combo cushion setup but that’s really only with the newer style… this older style I’ve used a few times before and never had issues with it as I have the modern style.

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Playing in the Air Penny I has been interesting so far and you can see where LeBron’s most recent signatures take inspiration from. I’m not speaking solely on the Penny line but late 90’s Nike’s in general as the 180/ Zoom setup was used fairly often back then… I have a pair of Air Max 3’s somewhere(also known as the Air Garnett 3) and they share the same cushion setup.

To sum it up… I actually like them. They remind me a bit of another 90’s shoe but I will fill you in on which later on.

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6 comments
  1. The Air Garnett 3 has Tuned Air in the heel instead of a normal 180 bag. Also what is it that makes the older version better than the newer setups?

    1. The Retro version does not feature Tuned Air. Even if it did, it’s a 180 bag either way you look at it. I prefer the consistent feel of the older setup. Sometimes the newer 180 bags feel a bit unstable at the heel yet you are perfectly stable up front at the toe and that’s something I don’t like on a personal level. The 360 bags they use now are fairly consistent so I don’t mind those.

  2. the air bag used is the air max2 bag, the visible part has 25 psi(don’t know about the retro’s) and another one inside with 5 psi for compression.

  3. you gonna review the 1/2 cent or is that a special edition review at the end of the series. yo! a great touch would be have a gram scale and weigh the shoes out so every aspect is covered. keep it up. let us know what pain releivers you use, that’s alot of hoopin homeslice.

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