Another new brand on the block? These are good times for those of us into performance hoop shoes. The Q4 Sports Millennium Hi performance review is here.
Traction – Man, this is how every shoe should be. Nice rubber. Herringbone pattern. Nothing more. Nothing less.
Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy a cool looking traction pattern that is able to tell a story — when it works. However, story-telling patterns end up being more frustrating than anything else. Gone are the days of the Kobe 5 using a heartbeat pattern that was just shy of being herringbone — until you get to the small brands that are just starting out. Oh, and they’rey comprised of people that have designed performance footwear for these larger brands over for over 10 years. These guys know what works and what doesn’t. Branching off and doing their own thing (the way they probably should have been doing it for the other guys) ends up benefiting those consumers brave enough to try something that isn’t mainstream.
The moral of the story: this sh*t works. Indoors and outdoors. It’s durable and grips. Tell me; what else do you want from your traction?
Cushion – KOMpress is what Q4 Sports is calling its patented foam formula. The midsole tooling is a concave design comprised of pore-like cavities which compresses and bounces back into shape. Similar to Boost? In theory — yes. However, it isn’t the same thing.
This setup is a bit more normal/natural feeling vs being super bouncy or too mushy (I’ve heard and experienced both with Boost). If I could compare it to anything it would be more like Jetlon or Micro G — impact absorption is there while still allowing for court feel. You can see and feel it compress, yet it never became unstable.
In addition to the KOMpress foam midsole, there is a poron foam strobel board. Poron is a closed cell foam that renders the board more dense, allowing it to absorb a good amount of impact. Because it’s used as the strobel board it’s fairly thin and won’t feel as if you’re wearing a dense foam under foot. Then there is the Ortholite insole adding step-in comfort.
Three layers of cushion in one shoe? Yeah, pretty beastly.
Materials – Similar to what you’d find in most brands nowadays, the Millennium Hi doesn’t skip a beat. A mesh build makes up the base layer of the shoe while overlays are added as reinforcement that enhance durability. You guys already know that I enjoy a nice textile and these offer just that. They’re soft and form fitting without requiring a ton of breaking in. Then we have the overlays.
The medial side is a simple thin fuse layer It’s there to add some durability to the upper so you don’t destroy the mesh build within a few weeks time. Meanwhile, the lateral side is comprised of a beefy rubber overlay. This section will require a small break-in period but you’ll notice that it breaks in within the first few hours of play. It contains the foot upon lateral moves and it does so with a material that is strong enough for a big man but flexible enough for a guard.
Fit – The Q4 Sports sizing is a bit all over the place at the moment since it used two different lasts (foot shape molds) when creating it’s line. The Millennium Hi fits true to size while the other models within the line fit a bit snug, and some are even a bit long. Again, this model fits me perfectly in my true size so that’s what I’d recommend.
Lockdown is solid as the traditional lacing system works in tandem with the additional overlay materials. You end up with a shoe that hugs the foot but won’t suffocate it. Some like that suffocating feeling — I’m one of them — but I also know when a shoe fits properly and provides ample lockdown. The Millennium Hi is one of them.
Support – The support features offered are nothing short from what you’d expect from a shoe for performance. There is a TPU shank for torsional stability. (Note that the TPU shank is not a super firm plate and allows some give.) It’s designed to move with your metatarsal bones but not completely restrict movement. Some players prefer a very strong torsional plate and this setup does not offer that.
Along with the shank plate we have an external heel counter. This area does not allow for any movement which is perfect because it’s intended to keep your foot on the footbed without rolling over.
Material overlays contain the foot and aid in the overall support while two lateral outriggers help keep you stable upon lateral moves. The outriggers might be the most important support feature given how the KOMpress cushion maneuvers while in motion.
Overall – If you’re interested in trying out the Q4 Sports brand then I’d highly recommend the Millennium Hi. Not to say the other models are bad, but this one is the most well-rounded. It offers the best that the KOMpress cushion has to offer along with the best materials the brand has to offer. The fit on this model feels the most neutral as well so you should be good going true to size. As mentioned earlier, the sizing is either long or short with the rest of the lineup. These fit just right.
Something to keep in mind when trying a new brand out is that the people designing the footwear are the same people that have designed the shoes you’ve enjoyed from other brands. They’re simply taking what they’ve learned over the years and applying it to their own lines. You’re actually receiving the same performance — don’t let the logo fool you.
Since this isn’t a performance shoe that you can find at every big box retailer under the sun I’ll leave a link to the Q4 Sports website. As of now, that is the only place I know where you can find them available to purchase — for those interested.
These remind me of when And1 first came out. Indoor outdoor versatility with good cushioning. These look like a winner. Good performance review by NW.
They definitely have that and1 vibe to them.
Was the weight of the shoe a problem ?
Not for me. Weight doesn’t normally affect me. It’s more about construction. Some shoes feel clunky or heavy due to design and not actual weight. If we’re at a point as humans where 15oz is considered heavy then we’ve got some issues lol.
this. not too sound harsh but I find people who complain about shoe weight are somehow a point of ridicule considering 15 ounces in small ounces is practically nothing. my god this generation of ballers seems to have flimsy feet/legs. I can just imagine them complaining about wearing the lightest ankle weights around. it’s true that the clunk and heaviness factor is most likely due to design and of weight distribution of the shoe rather than the totality of the weight.
I’d think only people who don’t really play would get worked up over the branding itself. But for people who do play, I’d think it’s a matter of convenience to try stuff on in-store, and/or (more) widespread word about how more common shoes play. Like, right now the Adidas line this year just has so much universal praise, it’s hard to go out and try something else if you haven’t already.
Hopefully newer and smaller brands like Q4 get exposure. It’s these brands that put in a serious effort in practical performance, but for the above reasons, it’s hard to get the product out there.
are you referring to some of those self-professed sneakerheads. in general, they are a bunch of idiots.
I’m sure these perform well, but like it or not that logo’s gonna turn the majority of people off. It looks like a Payless brand.
Honestly, you almost have to factor this into the performance review. Will you be able to play your best while being mercilessly roasted by every competitor and spectator? Logo looks like spyware.
I haven’t balled in soooo long due to getting into a new job with a different shift and other adjustments but reading this review made me want to not only ball again but give this brand a shot too. Thanks for the review as always NW.
I’m contemplating hard on finally hanging up my jersey not just because I find it difficult to find time to ball but the physical/fatigue factor, family, work but also I find my game isn’t the same anymore. well maybe because I haven’t been playing for awhile and carrying a huge weight issue seems to make it even harder to do. I’ll see in a month or 3 if there are changes, otherwise I’d be doing my swan song soon.
I completely understand man. I hate to give it up completely but I am in a similar boat. I’ve gained weight and I’m not moving like I used to. The shot is still there but getting it takes a lot more effort nowadays. The work thing is even harder because the role requires a lot more and I went from nights to days so that switch is wreaking havoc on my sleeping habits.
Dang did not expect that. I don’t mind playing in a brand that isn’t nike, under armour, Jordan or Adidas, I would just like it more if they redesigned the logo to maybe look a little cooler. Petty of me I know, just my opinion. I still might have to check these out though. I hope this brand takes off and we can have more competition in the bball shoe market.
I would love to see Q4 shoes get sold in Europe, too.
Those Millenium Hi’s look like a trip back to the 90ties which is a good thing of course. Lookwise this could have been a shoe for David Robinson. And if they perform like NW stated whats not to like? I would absolutely give them a try if i could try them on in a store here in Germany. Till then the 90ties vibe will be at an all time high with those shoes for me like when you waited for a friend to come back from his holidays from the states to get those brand new Lewis 501 jeans. 🙂
International shipping plus import tax would make those beautiful shoes horribly expensive around 200€ i guess…
So Q4 work something out with Footlocker Europe please!
It’s very nice to see new brands making their first steps.
Damn! $140 for their first line? :/
maybe they can sponsor Lonzo
What do you guys think if APL? Would they still be considered a small brand? I was checking out their site the other day, and they have a lot of awesome looking shoes (Basketball, Running and Training shoes) with some great looking knits, but man, their prices are quite high. I wonder how much shoes they are selling?
I think Brandblack, as of right now, offers the best performance, materials and possibly even style to price ratio over most other brands currently on the market, IMO.