Serious Player Only Easy 1: A Game Changer

Serious Player Only Easy 1 Performance Review

Serious Player Only Easy 1 Traction

Serious Player Only has created some of the best-tractioned basketball shoes in recent years. Except for the original Player 1, all have been elite performers, whether you are playing indoors or outdoors. The Serious Player Only Easy 1 looks like it will maintain this level of traction. Serious Player Only’s SPS outsole was expressly developed to be lightweight and super durable (which it is), but it’s also super grippy and etched with an aggressive, multidirectional traction pattern.

This blend of toughness and tackiness is what makes this outsole versatile enough to excel on both the hardwood and the blacktop. The Serious Player Only Easy 1 promises to be another elite performer, and, if your main focus when buying a basketball shoe is traction, you really should try SPO’s products.

Serious Player Only as a brand relies exclusively on drop-in midsoles for its cushioning. This is the first TRUE drop-in system any brand has created. All of SPO’s drop-in midsoles are fully compatible with any of its shoes, and all are available for purchase; so no matter what model you get your hands on, the cushioning will be fully customizable.

The Easy 1 still works within the system, but it changes things up slightly. Instead of coming equipped with 1 drop-in midsole, it comes with a thinner, supercritical foam drop-in midsole, 2 insoles with different performance properties, and a thin, traditional EVA midsole. When 3 of these elements are stacked on top of each other, the cushioning setup is complete.

Materials on the Easy 1 vary greatly from colorway to colorway. For example, the “Dust” colorway ($179) is built with a mix of leather and suede, and the “OOTD” colorway ($169) is built with canvas with some synthetic leather overlays. The more premium build is slightly more expensive; but, if you enjoy leather basketball shoes, spending the extra $10 will be worth your while.

The canvas versions of the shoe, as you might expect, are lighter and take less time to break in. The Easy 1 features SPO’s lacing system that extends down to the toe box, allowing for a fully customizable fit. SPO also implemented a flex zone in the forefoot for added mobility. The Easy 1 boasts a simple, well-thought-out design that makes it visually striking without sacrificing on-court functionality.

Support is great in the Easy 1 and relies on a mix of relatively basic performance features. The outsole is wide and flat, which creates a stable base for the shoe. The cushioning system is stable underfoot. The upper offers structure and containment provided by build and materials alone. The one thing that is worth noting, support-wise, is the PEBAX torsion plate housed within the midsole.

This PEBAX plate extends towards the forefoot and heel of the shoe, so it will also act as a spring plate on court. It will provide all the torsional rigidity you could need, as well as a snappy spring effect underfoot as you make your moves.

The Easy 1 is also equipped with a decent heel counter in the rear of the shoe and a considerable outrigger at the forefoot. Again, the Easy 1 features no groundbreaking tech as far as support goes; but it gets the fundamentals right, creating a secure and stable-feeling performance basketball shoe.

The Easy 1 is the best-fitting SPO model to date. The brand’s other basketball shoes fit fine, just super tight. The Easy 1 fits better than the rest; it’s a little more relaxed without feeling like you’re swimming in it. So, go true-to-size, and you should have zero issues. Some wide-footers might be okay TTS, but others will want to go up a half size. Remember that the leather versions of the Easy 1 will require a bit more break-in time.

The SPO Easy 1 is a very versatile shoe. It can be used on outdoor courts and indoor courts indiscriminately, it is a hybrid on-court/off-court hoop/lifestyle shoe, the fit is customizable, as is the cushioning… How much more versatile can a shoe be? The best performance feature of the Easy 1 will be its traction, which has the potential to be one of the best setups in 2024/25.

Straight out of the box, the Easy 1 is more of a guard shoe. But, because the cushioning setup is fully interchangeable, it could potentially suit any position on the court well. Serious Player Only continues to push the envelope in terms of design and performance, and it’s worth checking out — especially if you are bored or frustrated by the stale offerings of more traditional brands.