So usually I only give out some information that can help you decide on a potential purchase with these Performance Teasers, however, this time around I feel like giving out a bit more information…
Hit the jump for more…
I will still make a full video review but this is what I have found with Nike’s Huarache Free Bball 2012’s so far.
Traction – Honestly… It wasn’t as bad as I first thought. You get a good amount of traction in the forefoot’s pivot point which is nice. The rest of the traction is fairly decent. I couldn’t get the amount of grip needed for sharp fast paced cuts or movements that you would need for crossovers, slashing or things of that nature but for what it offered it was alright.
The heel did pose a problem as this area had no traction at all which is something I never thought you truly needed but it turns out traction in the heel is essential while on defense… especially when you are giving your opponent a bit of space and they decide to make a move to the basket and you need to be able to keep up with them quickly without hesitation.
Fit – The fit is true to size but once laced up entirely you end up with a lot of extra room in the forefoot. This is fine for those with wider feet but not something a narrow footed player would want as you don’t feel very secure when you’re about to make a move. Going half a size down could possible work out a bit better but then you may have issues with the length spacing and could end up causing some damage to your toes if they get jammed.
Seeing as how the lacing setup gives you two options, I decided to try them both out at once and see if there were any noticeable differences. To tell you the truth… any impact the secondary lacing gave me went literally unnoticed. I was surprised a bit but it was good to find that out.
Overall… I have already come to the conclusion that these are not a competitive basketball sneaker. The cushion in the heel is decent being that there is an Air Max unit in place. Forefoot cushion is nonexistent and you are so close to the ground (the foam doesn’t offer nearly enough cushion for my taste) that I felt like I was running around without shoes on… which is sort of the point with Nike’s Free outsole but not something I personally would prefer to hoop in.
I would say that these would make for a very good training shoe. A Bo Jackson type of trainer where you can run short distances, weight lift, go through drills and possibly play a pick-up game or two but not something I would wear in a competitive game at all.
I do want to wear these for a few more hours just to be sure of everything I’ve stated above but this is pretty much where my thoughts are at this point.
Thanks man. I was looking to get these into my playing rotation but will have a long hard think after reading this.
Look forward to the full review though bro, keep up the good work!
Thanks bro, glad i could help!
I’m curious about how do you find people to play with you so often testing all those shose ;D ?
I have a schedule and we all play ball. I play at more than one location so its pretty easy.
Strictly for chillin! Thats all tthis shoe is good for. Its a shame because they are comfertable as hell too. I dont know why they didnt put more rubber ttrraction pods in the sole. Like ssome of their other run free shoes have. Rondo even tried them in game when he came back from his injury. But he changed out of them at halftime.
I agree. They could have done more… Def shouldnt have had bball in the title of the shoe though, it gets confusing for consumers.
Hey nightwing, this is off subject, but how well would the mint outsole of the LBJ 9 “galaxy” manage? I really want that colorway but I’m worried about the grip.
Not sure, id assume theyd play like a translucent outsole but i havent tried so im not 100% on that.
Good teaser. Dont have a pair of hoop shoes right now and i desperately need a pair ASAP. i love the look of these but the cushioning is scaring me. Do u think a more padded insole could solve this issue??
It might but honestly, these are more for training than actual hooping.
This has nothing to do with this post, but i want to hear your advise. I need a new pair to play ball in, since my KD3s are breaking down, and I just went to finishline and see fly 23 is still 70, and thats in my budget. And kobe 7s are such a disappointment, i gave up on saving up money for those.
Should i buy the fly 23 or airmax destiny TB (or other air max shoes)? i never tried air max cushion before, just wanna try it out this time. I play 1 and 2.
Thanks
Fly23s are a great choice IMO.
does anyone know if the jordan RCVR have good traction on the court?
Theyre not a hoop shoe. More of a casual sneaker/ trainer.
the reason i was asking is because sometimes coach doesnt tell us if we are conditioning or playing ball so i just wanted to know if i did play with these if they would play better than other tennis shoes.
For short games theyll be fine. May want to look into a diff insole for extra forefoot cushion though. Traction may throw you off a bit compared to rubber outsoles but itll do for training purposes.
Out of topic question, did you give up on the Encores? I haven’t notice any teasers yet. I wouldn’t really be surprised since everything thinks lowly of them………….
I havent given up on them, i just couldnt wear them with my ankle in the condition it was in with such little cushion. My ankle is almost 100% now so i will go back to them… Thats why i never did a teaser yet bc i didnt think i was able to properly assess anything wearing them when i was in pain already.
what happen to this website nightwing2303 and sneakerfiles.com/oncourt???
We decided to go separate ways. I will continue to do what ive been doing so nothing to worry about.
the foam on the nike free line as well as these shoes is phylite, 60% phylon and 40% rubber. i can’t wait till the full review because i want these so bad.
Interesting… It doesnt work well when its used as a source of traction though lol.