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Under Armour Anatomix Spawn Performance Review

By far the most well rounded shoe I think I’ve ever worn… in EVERY category.

Under Armour Anatomix Spawn Performance Review 1

Traction – The traction is amazing. Plain and simple. Herringbone is utilized full length and it works beautifully. Only thing I can really complain about is that it might not last too long outdoors but even then… I’m a 98% indoor player so this doesn’t effect me much. The thing I love most about this setup is that its a no frill/ gimmicky type of setup. Its just really straight forward and in your face traction. Perfect for those that just want to lace up and get our there.

Under Armour Anatomix Spawn Performance Review 2

Cushion – Micro G… nothing more really needs to be said here… but I’ll say some more anyway. We know Micro G is my personal favorite foam. It lasts longer and is more responsive than most foams on the market. It hasn’t always been implemented perfectly though. With the Under Armour Micro G Torch, it felt too mushy. REALLY comfortable but still too mushy for certain moves and that would cause a bit of instability. This rendition has firmed up the cushion a bit so you receive greater stability without sacrificing the cushion. I love Micro G…

Under Armour Anatomix Spawn Performance Review 3

Material – Nothing really new or innovative here but it works and the way that it’s been used (the Fuse) is something to be appreciated. They’ve figured out how to provide you with a secure and snug fit – offering zero dead space- yet there are no hot spots. Not anywhere on the shoe will it pinch or bind, the toe when flexed will not press into the top of your toes and cause discomfort… they took something that has been done before and perfected it. Durability without pain or discomfort.

Under Armour Anatomix Spawn Performance Review 4

Fit – They fit true to size and lockdown is perfect. As mentioned above in the material section, no dead space… at all. An anatomically correct map of the foot both along the upper and the outsole, this makes for one of the best fitting and supportive shoes I’ve played in besides the Air Jordan XX8/ XX8 SE. Yeah… its that good.

Under Armour Anatomix Spawn Performance Review 5

Ventilation – The adidas Crazy Light series has been the benchmark for those that wish for their footwear to breath. Not anymore… these are just as good as any SprintWeb based sneaker and they’ve placed the most mesh right where you’d need it… at the toe. How they used so much mesh in the forefoot without sacrificing any lateral support is nothing short of amazing.

Under Armour Anatomix Spawn Performance Review 6

Support – There is a TPU cage along the midsole which wraps itself around the lateral end and along the bottom. This provides lightweight torsional support and some rigidity so you don’t roll over when changing directions. The rest of the support comes form the fit. Being anatomically correct – as close to it as possible at least – you are getting a shoe that fits the foot so perfectly that its literally part of the foot and not ‘a part’ on the foot.

Under Armour Anatomix Spawn Performance Review 7

Overall – I think this is the first model I’ve ever tested that has ranked near perfect – according to my grading system – in every single category. This shows you a couple of things.

1. Under Armour is a contender – period.
2. You can achieve a perfect blend or balance between all performance attributes without skimping out on one or the other.
3. They give you all of this for under $150… nuff said.

If you wanted to try the Under Armour Anatomix Spawn out for yourself – which I recommend – then you can grab them now at Finish Line.

Under Armour Anatomix Spawn Performance Review 8

146 comments
  1. Sorry for being annoyin but i need to ask… What is more comfortable the unlocked zoom in air jordan 28 or these??

  2. I was set on getting the super fly 2’s until I read this….I think i will still go with the SF2s though because I love the unlocked zoom the moment i tried one on in store. Plus, it’s hard for me to wear something without a jumpman or swoosh on it. I am starting to enjoy low shoes also so the SF2 collar seems more like that.

      1. The logo is really the least of my deciding factors. I actually do like UA as a brand but the unlocked zoom is the thing that I really liked. I’m a center and my game is kinda like blake’s so the super fly would be good for me.

        1. Unless these are bouncy as in have a really good rebound like the SF2 (nightwing you can chime in), I think I will stick with them.

    1. “Plus, it’s hard for me to wear something without a jumpman or swoosh on it. ”

      then it certainly looks like you are not deciding at the moment,… you’ve already made up your mind. smh.

      1. I probably shouldn’t have put that in there…..It really isn’t a big a deal as it sounds. I have just always worn jordan or nike. Who knows, I might try on the spawn and see what everything is about. I guess im like most people; I go with what I know. Especially when it comes to one pair of shoes I buy a year.

  3. I totally agree. Best shoe bar none other than the XX8 but for $120. Been playing in these for two weeks and I am a 2 or 3 and absolutely love these. The fit and overall court feel is best out there. The micro g foam is amazing and surprised at the impact resistance yet smooth transition with a quick bounce but none of the sinking or mushy feel. Well done UA and another spot on review by nightwing. Keep it up. I will be getting the XX8 SE Bel Air this weekend for a UA and Jordan on court rotation. Don’t think I never have had Nike in the rotation.

  4. Nightwing was the traction knocked off half a point because it is a bit soft and won’t last very long outdoors?

    1. Wasnt bc it was soft but it is def thin. I’ve just had traction with more ‘grip’ or ‘bite’ to it lately and this didnt offer that same experience but it was still excellent traction. So for that, I wouldnt rank this in the same category as the XX8’s traction but its as close as you can get.

      1. Was that the reason why you used the Spawn for product performance purposes (Court Grabbers) because man, the traction looks wicked!

  5. Would you say that the “anatomically correct” nature of the shoe would make it unsuitable for those that have orthotics, due to their nature to change the shape and nature of the footbed and surrounding material?

    1. You’d have to try them on to be sure of that but they are anatomically correct along the upper and outsole. They dont try to mimic the foot entirely like adidas did with FYW. These are designed to move with your foot which will help make it a part of your foot.

  6. wow wasn’t expecting for these to be this good at all. Anyways NightWing can I ask do you prefer these or the hyperdunk 2012

  7. This made my day man! I’ve been waiting for this review for so long! I can now say that I’m copping these! Thanks NW for the excellent work!

    1. BTW, how would you compare the arch support on the Anatomix Spawn compared to the Hyperdunk 2012? I’m currently using the Hyperdunk 2012 and I find the arch support pretty good on them.

      1. I have high arches. Tried these on in Sports Authority and they felt really good. To me it seems like they are better suited to people with medium to high arches. Just my opinion based on how they felt trying them on in store.

  8. hey Nw. how would this work with orthotic users? still need to use orthotics or can go without since its got ‘anatomical mapping’ of the foot?

  9. Hey i was wondering whether at all the fit changes after wearing these because my heel didnt feel locked down, and on the outer medial sides it felt like my foot would roll with lateral movements…not sure if its because my foot is wider and isnt contained like a more narrow foot?

  10. thats what i thought went a half size down still had the same issue, the best example i can think of is that my wider foot was going over the side tpu, so instead of lying withing side the boundaries it had more movement? Im just wondering whether any of your followers had the same happen to them.

  11. Completely agree. Played in these twice and I love them. Easily the best performing shoe released in the last year, and I’ve played in the Hyperdunk 2012, Hyperfuse 2012, Lebron X, CP.VI, and Hyperdisrupter. My only complaint on these is that the traction could be a little bit better.

    1. Thanks!

      The outsole is technically decoupled but the misole isnt at all. You need both to be decoupled and independent in order to achieve what the XX8 offers in terms of range of motion. These are perfectly fine bc of the way the outsole is designed, much like PureMotion w adidas, so you cant go wrong either way.

  12. Should a size 9.5 work for me or a size 10? Because I always wear a size 10.5 in my hoop shoes due to my wide foot.

    1. I would say to try em on bruh. I wear a 9.5 in everything and that’s what I went with in this. It fits perfect. So I’m not sure if you’d wanna jump down from your normal shoe size. That’s just my take especially if you have a wider foot.

  13. I bought the Charge BB cuz they looked like a game changer. I was wrong; those calf condoms do nothing. These look funky, but the checkmark logo dudes been puttin out crap lately, so on to these i say. U da best nightwing! no homo

  14. Wish this review was out last week :(. Was deciding between these and Hyperdunk 2013s and opted for the already reviewed Hyperdunks. Not complaining though (the HDs are amazing!), but this review probably would’ve tipped the scales.

    I also bought UA Renegades (training shoes) and I completely agree with what you’ve said about Micro G Foam! That stuff is awesome!

  15. Hey Nw, I really love your reviews and articles in here all are very helpful. I’m even referring you to my friends. Anyway, since this shoe is almost perfect and excellent in every category. Do you think that this shoe has a chance in being the no. 1 shoe for SFs in your list at sneakernews? Replacing the Superfly 2?

  16. I hope the XX8 SE’s win… but damn, that means it’ll be UA Anatomix Spawn vs AJ XX8 SE this year.

    Step your games up Nike and Adidas! Now I’m so curious how those new Reeboks will perform though.

    1. Are you dismissing the Lebron XIs just like that?

      I’d love it if Under Armour were to come out on top, or at least top 3. I don’t get you guys that want your favorite brand to be the only contender. It’d be much better for all of us if a newer contender like UA steps up the the plate against Nike and Adidas.

  17. Nightwing, what do you expect from the Under Armour Spine Predator? Is that just an updated version of the Spine Bionic? Is there going to be anything new/noteworthy in that shoe?

  18. As always, love your reviews. Thanks!!! UA is coming on strong; Sneaker Report ranked the Spinie Bionic #4 for 2012. I’m sure the Spawn will do well, it’s a great shoe to ball in! My son won’t even wear his Superfly 2’s any more. I may have to give them away. Lol

  19. Thanks for another great review. My next shoe was going to be the XX8 SEs, but now it looks like I’ll be picking these up as well. Based on your comments above I might need to try out the CP3 VIIs too. So many good shoes out there…

  20. Looks like a great shoe. In going to have to get a pair and man I just get excited seeing that Finish line logo in front of the kicks on court. It looks good. I’m happy for you man. Congrats on all your success again.

  21. Does anyone own a pair of the Torch 2s?

    I’m just wondering how the cushioning is in those compared to the Torch 1s? Is it still a little mushy in the Torch 2s like Nightwing said that is was in the originals? The mid and outsole looks the same as the Torch 1s, so that is another reason that I am asking.

    I wanted to buy a pair for outdoor play, as I don’t think I’d want to play in the Anatomix Spawns outside, otherwise I’d get two pairs of Spawns ;). Since I really want to get some Micro G cushioned shoes, I thought I’d get a pair of Torch 2s for outdoors, but not sure about them if they are mushy like Nightwing stated for the originals.

    What do you guys think?

    1. Torch 2 is not as mushy as Torch 1. They made it more firm without sacrificing cushion. I have the Spawn in the indoor rotation and the Torch 2 in the outdoor rotation. Both great shoes but of course, the Spawn is better overall. This Torch is definitely an improvement though. Fit has been improved and feels more sturdy. Hope I wasn’t too late replying.

  22. Nightwing, all of my shoes hurt my knuckles on my fingers, I always get blisters after playing for more than an hour. I’m trying to come up with a solution but it is no use. I wear size 10s and my suspicious is that there’s some room in the front of the shoes so when my foot slips, that’s when it starts the friction and, eventually, the soar spots. It gets to a point where I can’t even wear shoes to the the work on the next day. I tried two socks to diminish the room and it didn’t work. I tried size 9,5, it got worse. Too tight and even more friction. The last 2 years I got these results with: air jordan 11s, drose 3.5, lebron 9s, zoom flight 95s, kobe 5s, kobe 4s, etc. This UA Anatomix model caught my eye because of the mesh on top of the fingers in the front of the shoe. Are they really soft? These could be my answer. Sorry for the long post, thanks for the help!

  23. I got these on the same day you released the review NW. I tried them on and walked around in them and they felt great. I really can’t wait for the weekend to try playing in these. I guess my Kobe 8s will be getting some rest hahaha.

    1. I’ve had my pair for about a week or two now, and I’ve been having a lot of pain on the outer side of my feet near my arch. I went true to size and I have a hunch that my feet are a little on the wide side. Not sure if this is something that will go away as they break in, but I’d definitely try them on first or maybe go up half a size for wider feet.

    1. I would think so. i play 3 and 4 and i use cp3 vi ae. unless you have baby ankles then i dont see any reason why you couldnt wear guard shoes if youre a forward

  24. Thx for the review NW this helped decide what basketball shoe to play in. Can’t wait to make it rain in these. Appreciate all the hard work, and most importantly the reviews. I learned that a good basketball shoes do not have to have a swoosh or a jumpman logo on it to be good.

  25. Nw, do u think they might also fit to not that wide feet of a girl? and also as a center or fast forward? greetings from germany!

  26. As far as overall performance is concerned, would you prefer the Anatomix Spawn over the Nike Hyperdunk 2013? @Nightwing2303

  27. I balled in these the other day and the fit is pretty narrow and usually I don’t have a problem with narrow fits. I had a hot spot right on my arch.. It left a pretty bad blister

  28. Bought these shoes based on the great review yesterday.

    Played in them today and I got a big blister on the my right arch as well.

    These things are narrow.

    I was wearing hyperdunk 2012’s before and never got a blister on my right arch.

    A bit disappointed given how great the review was.

    1. I got the same blister on my left arch and it wouldn’t go away so I had to return it. What I’m wondering is why is it only on side of the shoe and not the other!? I really wanted to play in these.

  29. I played ball in a pair yesterday and I was impressed with the way they feel. Lockdown on the foot is great as is the cushioning in these shoes. Overall, I’m going to keep playing in these so my Melo 9’s can get a break. One thing I did want to point out though, was as I kept playing I them felt as if something was pinching the top of my foot. I checked out the tongue of the shoe and it looked there was excess material right where I felt it in the shoe. Funny thing is, it’s only on the left shoe, the right shoe was fine. Not sure if that was the real cause of the pinching but I’m going to play in them again this week and see if it happens again.

      1. 2 more hours of basketball last night to continue the break in period. Good news, the pinching feeling at the top of my left foot is gone!!! I guess they just needed some more break in time. The more I play in them, the more I like them. Great cushioning and foot lockdown. This is my first pair of Under Armour Basketball shoes and I’m definitely impressed. I’ll keep playing in them for a while just to give my go to Melo 9’s a break, but these will be added to my basketball shoe rotation when it’s time to get on the court!!

    1. I kinda guessed it would be. Where is it on their site? I’m not familiar with them, as I don’t shop there. I assume it is on the shoe’s product page?

  30. Nice review!Big support from China.I wonder what’s your recommendation between Anatomix Spawn and cp3’s(vi ae or vii) for a small pg player who need to run and change direction a lot on the court.

  31. I know you have a lot comments and website to answer and maintain but I just wanted to get your quick personal opinion on which shoe you would prefer between this and the super fly 2. So far all those that you felt has a superior performance had work well for me for 2 years now as a guard and your answer would be highly appreciated.

  32. yo nightwing… i got a question man…please help me… i wanna order them tonight after practise

    look, i got some special soles for my feet and when i put them in my shoes it makes me go up from 7.5 to 8…would you recommend me to get them in 7.5 and use them with their normal soles…or should i take them in 8 so i can put in my soles to play comfortabely… the reasons why i have those soles are: 1st when i take a 7.5 it’s perfect, but my toes will REARLY have space and 2nd it’s more comfortable cause i got a little problem with my left foot…

    so if you look at it like that, i would HAVE to put in those special soles to have no problems…but i know this will be the best shoe i had untill now so i wanna really have them in the perfect size because the season just started and i wanna kill them out here on the court KNOW WHAT I MEAN??!!!

    so please help me mane i really wanna be good in these…you’d be a big help if you’d tell me

    appreciate it man…i always check out your shit… keep it up man hard work pays off…

    PEACE!!

  33. ok i have the jordan 28 and of late my ankles and feet have been killing me which has never happend before it could be my age and wear and tear on my feet. looking to get a new pair either these lebron 11 i play more of a denfese style game. 6’1 194 which in your opion think would suit my game and help save my feet a bit ?

    1. Lebrons have super cushion in them for the bottom of your feet. The spawns are actually better then the lebrons by just a little and they are 80$ less.

  34. i usually wear size 8.5 shoes, is it ok if i go to size 9.5 with these shoes ? i noticed that my toes hurt a little everytime i drive to the basket,. so i went a size up with my recent shoes (curently using the CP3.V) with double socks in it to fill up the gap. so what do you guys think, double socks and 1 size up with these shoes or should i go with my normal size wearing a single sock? your thought would be graetly appreciated. i’m buying online so i wont get a chance on trying them first. .

  35. After reading all teh grat things about the Anatomix I went and grabbed a pair, along with a pair of Super.Fly 2s.
    Last week was my first game in the SF2s and last night the Anatomix got their first run.
    I loved the lock in – I call it lock in, rather than lock down ‘cos that’s how it felt. Some shoes like the Rose 2.5 give you that locked DOWN feel through the back half of the foot, whereas the Anatomix gave me the feel that my whole foot was locked in, completely becoming one with the shoe – excellent foot-fit with these.
    The cushion was really nice, even and responsive. Walking around I found them a bit disconnected with the floor, like walking on pads of air, but once playing – running and jumping – there was a lot more connection to the court, that unnatural cushion feel disappears so that every movement you make feels really quick, just like going barefoot.
    A couple things I didn’t like (and it has only been one game, so at least one of these might get better)…
    The grip – I found it pretty average. There was no stick, just a soft braking. Kicking/digging the shoes into the court, where you would normally get that squeak and immediate stop, there was not a sound and no immediate stop. Hopefully this improves with wear-in.
    The big downer for me were those horrible side mesh pieces that hold the tongue in place. I found once things got warm and sweaty, they stretched too much, gathered and then started rubbing the crap out of my arch. I tried readjusting the shoe/lace-up at half-time but it kept happening and became pretty uncomfortable by the end of the game. As soon as I got home the scissors came out and I cut those mesh pieces out. With the laces threaded through the tongue, this shouldn’t have any negative impact.

    Will give them a couple more games to wear-in and report back on the grip and any other changes.

  36. I’m thinking about getting a pair but i can only do it online. I want to see what size fits me best but I can’t find a store near me that sells these. I only have the UA Spine Bionic as reference. Did you get the same size shoes for both of them or did you go up a size? Not sure why, but I wear size 11 adipower Howard 2’s but only a size 10 of the UA Spine Bionic. Thanks!

  37. hey nightwing is the traction on these better than the hyperdunk 2013s or is it the other way around. And which one is better in general.

  38. Hey nightwing, if I’m wearing an ankle brace (not a wrap) should I go half a size up or go with my normal size?

      1. Can’t exactly just drop em I sprained my left ankle pretty bad about a year ago and the one day I played without it I sprained it mildly again

  39. Any owners give a current update on these? How are they holding up?

    I have a pair of 1st gen UA’s that lost their traction in under three months. The court has had to have been near-spotless for me to get any kind of hold. Otherwise, I’m skating.

    I don’t want to buy another pair of UA’s if they haven’t improved the grip, but I really dig the lightness for hightops. Some reviews say the Torch grip is better, so any insight would be appreciated.

  40. I did bought the shoe because of the good review by this site but they did not perform well for me!!! traction is terrible cushion is overated and not that comfortbale and they dont fit very well i returned them and got the CQ’s which are WAY better look at kickgenius review it is much more accurate

  41. I picked up a pair of these last month and have used them for about 2 weeks (pick-up games, just shooting around). Honestly, I want to like the shoe. The fit is great after a brief break-in period (I have a normal shaped foot with a slightly long big toe), the cushion is more than adequate, and the shoe pretty much disappears when I start playing. But once I plant my foot going laterally, the shoe simply cannot keep up. Wiping is a very temporary solution as the outsole seems to pick up dust like a Swiffer.

  42. Nightwing2303 i need your help men i can’t decide on which shoe would i cop for this year i am pg/sg would you recommend Anatomix or HD2013 i am not particular with the brand i just want to know what shoe is best for me they HD and Anatomix are close based on your scores. Thanks for the response and Happy New year.

  43. @Nightwing2303 is the fit similar to the hyperdunk 2013? I went to footlocker earlier to try on the hyperdunks but there wasnt any of the UA spawn, so is the fit in the spawn similar to the hyperdunk 2013 or is it more narrow?

  44. Which do you think I should get, these for $96 or the rose 773 IIs for $60? I’m looking for a shoe that’s good for quick moves and cutting. Thanks.

  45. Hey night wing, Im a small forward/shooting guard and I’m just wondering…would u guys recommend the anatomic spawns, crazy quick or crazy light 3?

  46. Hi!
    I’ve a question!
    I’m really interested on these shoes but here in Europe we can’t try them because they’ll be sold only this summer.
    What about the size?
    At the moment, I’ve the Nike Hyperdunk 2012 in size 12,5. Should I go for 12,5 for this one too?
    Another question : In your review, you said that it would fit perfectly for point guards until small forward. I played PF, should I go for another performance shoes? Lebron XI? Jordan XX8?
    Thanks a lot!

  47. I think these are nice shoes. But be warned those who have wide feet. I thought Anatomix Spawn can get narrow. But it was more narrow that I expected. I have already gotten a half size bigger and it still feels narrow in the arch section. The part where the arch of your foot is very narrow, tight and has quite high arch. So for those who have wide AND flat feet, I would personally advise against this shoe no matter how good it is.

    I personally have tried LeBron XI, Hyperdunks, AJ26 and those are fine. This is probably one of the more narrow shoes. I tried swapping the sole for a Dr. Scholl’s sport soles and it seemed to improve the arch pinching feel. Dr Scholl’s arch is much longer curve rather than the original sole which has a sharp arch pointing. So give it a try who knows it might fit your feet better.

  48. Just got a display set of these for under $80 on Ebay. Might have gotten the CP3 VII, but I always seem to find myself getting UA shorts, figured I might as well try the highly rated shoes at a killer price. Plus Nightwing seemed to have a little spring in these..so I had to cop em.

  49. hey NW, I know the Spawn lows just came out. Do you think they will perform the same? even though they are low top? Thinking of getting em cuz they’re only $99. Would love some feedback thank you!

  50. Hey NW, I was going to buy some kobe 9 lows but after I saw this review you did. it gave me second thoughts about getting the kobe 9’s. Which ones do you prefer?

  51. Been a big Adidas advocate. Finally tried out the UA collection- found them at a bargain. Coming from work

  52. Being a big Adidas advocate and I primarily use older shoes for work, coming from work I ran into a Adidas tent sale and then wandered into a retail store that sells older shoes. They had several pairs of UA- I had glanced over the information here and realized with a D Rose Englewood on one foot; this comparison of foams, between EVA and Micro G was so similar in comfort, I walked around with one of each on and loved the feel. I actually was reminded of a pair of Hyperfuses I primarily u se when playing on Rougher Courts, the Lunarion, again when I came back in just to feel it on one foot vs the UA Micro G- I was blown away. I grabbed a pair of Torch II. UA is doing an amazing job and should not be considered a “other brand” w Adidas purchase of Reebok and Converse falling from anything but Chucks the Crazy vs Hyper war was set- throw in UA and it’s certainly got some great shoes I have not tried the spawn, however I sell shoes part time and more so when school is out). I played in the Torch 2 indoor in a mens leauge practice after a few pick up games, I was shocked- I had my Rose 4.0’s still in the bag and my teammates made quite a few jokes as I normally am decked head to toe in Adidas in door or outdoor. Still a huge Adidas fan, just cop’d on the Lillard Crazy 8’s, Englewoods, n the Conley/ Griz style quicks really looking forward to comparing the spawn to the PureMotion I’ve loved in Adidas for so long. The lock down added more cushioning then most modern shoes- slightly more than the Hyperfuse, though a very similiar fit. I noticed the 773-3 was very similiar in looks to UA, so I am really looking forward to “where I go with my preseason/ Working into game shape shoe” Been sporting Rose’s pretty non stop, but I have to hand it to UA a comfortable shoe for hours and hours- if the Rose 5 winds up a indoor only shoe I will be paying very close attention to all UA products.

    1. Hey man, great to see someone else try out a pair of Under Armour shoes. I’ve only got one pair of Torch 2s, and I use them outdoors. I think they’re a pretty good shoe, not sure how the traction would go indoors, but outdoors I like them and the cushioning is very good.

      Reading your last sentence, I assume you’re after something to use outdoors?
      Unfortunately, I’m not sure if any other UA Basketball shoe can be used outdoors. I think the Spawn’s traction would rip up pretty quickly outdoors as people have said that it doesn’t really hold up that well indoors. If it was more durable, I would have bought a pair quite a while ago as it was one of the shoes at the top of my list when they first came out.

      Has anyone tried the UA Anatomix Anomallys out? Is the traction anymore durable on them compared to the Spawns?

  53. Heads up for those who missed out on these. My local Marshals has what appeared to be a full size run (8-12) of the all black colorway for $49.99. If I didn’t already have that exact colorway I would have bought them. I was still tempted to double up. I might check the store in the future in case they go even lower in price. But honestly I might go back within the next couple days because that’s already an awesome deal for the Spawns.

    I saw them today August 31, 2014 at the Marshals in Laguna Hills CA. Marshals tends to have many of their stores carry the same inventory so you might want to check your local store. They also had Cole Haan Lunargrand Wingtip’s for $99

  54. Hey night wing I’m viewing your website for about a year now….. I’m just curious because I also view kick genius site at the same but why some of your review and their reviews vary from one another?for example the ua anatomical spawn you said that it has good traction,while from their review it’s not as good as your experience..is it because of the differences between different type of playing style? But other than that I like your site giving so much info for sneaker lovers.more power!

  55. NW what would you recommend performance wise- UA Clutchfit Lightning or this? Cant decide between the two thanks.

  56. This one is long overdue. I bought these shoes way back in 2013 after NW’s awesome review. After seeing the return of a new version of the Spawn I finally decided to man up and go through the pain of breaking them in. 6 years later, the question is, do they still ball?

    Fit: This is the most important category for me. I have flat feet that are wide particularly mid foot. Most sports shoes I wear give me some foot pain until they break in. In fact I only know of one that felt great from the beginning, Brandblack Future Legends. But these Spawns, oh my, the pain. It was so unbearable that I couldn’t even walk in them untied. Man they hurt, so they got stored in the wardrobe and never made it into my rotation. Once a year I would take them out and put them on, even just putting them on gave me pain, and again they would sit in the wardrobe. This year I finally said enough is enough, I would go through the pain or they’re in the trash, or St Vinnie’s for charity. I wore these inside the house for a week, putting them on as soon as I got home from work. And little by little the pain started to fade until I was brave enough to take them out on the hardwood. 2 weeks later and after 6 long years they finally felt one to one with my foot. I initially made the mistake of lacing them all the way to the top which restricted my movement. After taking the laces down one notch, these finally felt perfect. Lockdown was amazing, where my foot went, the shoe moved with it, it was great.

    Traction: 2nd most important for me. Well they dont bite quite like my Jordan 28’s but the traction works a charm. They definitely bit better than the Anta KT3’s I had in my gym bag. I was making cuts, step backs and crossovers crisply and with confidence. What more can you ask for. These Spawns are a perfect example that shoes dont need to squeak to have good traction. My only qualm is that the herringbone pattern is quite close together and there isn’t much of it due to the design of the sole, hence it made it easy for dirt to clog up the herringbone pattern. The rubber is also quite soft, so definitely a no no for outdoor use.

    Cushion: You guessed it, 3rd most important. OG Micro G, how bad could it be? I’m not sure if years of being stored has impacted the compound that makes up this Micro G, but it certainly felt dead when landing. Great court feel, but no bouncy feeling. I still at times play in my Brandon Jennings UA Sig Black Ice and these still feel cushiony and responsive. I did eventually take the insole from the black ice and put them in the Spawn. Instantly they felt more comfortable on foot, and somehow this also translated when playing. I prefer the Anta KT3’s cushion as it felt slightly more bounce, but it’s close.

    Everything else: Materials I don’t really care for, but they work and help with the great fit. Ventilation is not as good as I thought it would be. The score on this was 9.5 shoes, but this was not my experience. My socks still ended up wet, not soaking, but certainly not dry. Didn’t really impact my experience though. In terms of support, no issues here. I never felt unstable on any movement.

    Overall: Was the pain worth it? Hmm, tricky, but I’m glad I did. Will it feature in my rotation? Yes, for now, particularly since I invested so much pain into this shoe. This shoe is a no nonsense performer. My biggest qualm, they are hella ugly. Do they still ball? Absolutely. Certainly makes me curious about the new version. Hopefully they dont take 6 years to break in though. Lol

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