SHOE REVIEW: Head-To-Head (Lebron 9 and Zoom KB7)

Who is the better basketball player, Lebron James or Kobe Bryant?  It’s been a debate that has gone on for years with still no clear answer. 


So instead of spending countless hours comparing player stats or professional achievements, I’ll spend time comparing their current signature sneakers in the attempt to determine, who has the better signature shoe, Lebron James (Lebron 9) or Kobe Bryant (Zoom KB7). 

STYLE

The Lebron 9 and KB7 both posses striking design characteristics and are quite the scene stealers on and off the court. (Depending on the color way you select) On the court, you may think that the Lebron 9’s, with its mid-high cut upper would only look good on big post players with big feet but there are lines in the shoe’s design that make it look sleek in smaller shoe sizes for the quick guards and forwards to wear.  The ZKB7’s on the other hand is truly a “stunner” on the feet of the quick, slash to the basket or pull up for a tre’ player’s shoe.  The bigger players can definitely still bang bodies in the post with the ZKB7 but the bigger sizes make the shoe look a little “boat” like which from a style perspective isn’t a desired look.  Off the court, both shoes are just as aesthetically pleasing.  If you opt to wear a pair of shorts, you may want to lace the Lebron 9 half way to give these relatively high cut sneakers a laid back look compared to a “ready to play some hoop” look when they are fully laced.  The ZKB7 however has no problem in terms of fashion versatility as these low cut kicks take very little effort to look good on your feet no matter what you are wearing.

 
Rating:

4 out of 5 (Lebron 9)

4.5 out of 5 (ZKB7)

PERFORMANCE

In terms of performance, let’s focus our comparison on a few factors that go into a superb basketball shoe:

1) Weight, 2) Traction, 3) Stability, 4) Cushioning and 5) Fit

Being a low cut shoe with a durable polyurethane shell upper laced with Next-Gen Flywire, the ZKB7 has the distinct advantage in the weight department compared to the Lebron 9’s.  But you’ll be pleasantly surprised that despite being a mid-high cut shoe, the Lebron 9s are remarkably lightweight as the designers at Nike effectively utilized Hyperfuse and Flywire technology to keep the shoe lightweight.

 
Both shoes have no clear advantage when it comes to traction and stability.  You won’t find much slide or ankle turn as you pivot or cut on the court with either shoe.  The different outsole patterns used on these shoes accomplish the same thing, superior responsive court traction while stability is achieved by a well designed outsole and a stiff midfoot support plate providing a good solid platform without hindering your overall movement.  I do have to note that the Lebron 9’s have a higher “ride” compared to the ZKB7s whose own “ride” is the closest thing to going bare foot on the court.

 
In terms of cushioning, both shoes surprisingly feel similar even though the ZKB7 uses Zoom Air technology in the forefoot and compression-molded phylon (Attack Fast option) or Cushlon (Attack Strong option) in the midsole and heel while the Lebron 9 achieves its cushioning with the use of the same Zoom Air in the forefoot, Cushlon in the midsole and 180 Max Air to protect the heel from impact.  In fact, the midsole insert which houses much of the cushioning of the ZKB7 is softer than previous ZKB models making it feel much like Air Max or Lunarlon cushioning.

If this shoe comparison seems like a stalemate so far, it may be in the “fit” department where one shoe has drawn an advantage.  One of my biggest criticisms and reason why it took me this long to consider playing in the Lebron signature line was because of heel slippage.  To my surprise, the Lebron 9’s fit is one of the best I’ve ever tried.  Incorporating a seemingly simple internal midfoot harness and an asymmetrical lacing system looks to have resolved the heel slipping issue in past models.  Whatever it may be, good job Nike engineers, you’re not going to hear any complaints from me.  Now it looks like where the Lebron 9’s improved, the ZKB7’s took a step back.  The “lockdown” feel of the ZKB7’s in the forefoot is phenomenal.  The compression sleeve inserts hug your feet and make you feel one with the shoe.  However, despite the plastic heel clip aimed at securing the player’s heel from movement, there is still a degree of heel slippage that doesn’t feel comfortable during an intense, competitive game of basketball.

Rating:

5 out of 5 (Lebron 9)

4.5 out of 5 (ZKB7)

                          

OVERALL

So who has the better shoe, Lebron or Kobe?  Well, just like the argument on who is the better player, it really boils down to who you ask and their preference.  As for me, I prefer the Lebron 9 on the basketball court.  The fit, the stability and the cushioning is one of the best I’ve ever played in, simply superb.  Although I do find myself wearing the ZKB7 more off the court as this shoe is truly a stunner with equally good performance features.  I will also be playing in the ZKB7’s in an upcoming tournament.   But if I had to pick just one shoe to play in and sport off the court this season, it would have to be…

The Nike Lebron 9 for me.        

SHOE REVIEW: Nike Lunar Hypergamer

When I first saw the Nike Lunar Hypergamer (Let’s use Hypergamer for short) at one my regular sneaker haunts, I must admit I wasn’t all that impressed. It was pretty much an all black shoe with dark purple accents. I was somewhat intrigued with the fact that this was the first basketball shoe (to my knowledge) to use the “Lunarlon” cushioning technology usually found in the latest crop of Nike running shoes. Intrigued as I was, it still wasn’t enough for me to try on a pair.

Fast forward a month later and my interest grew when I got a glimpse of the “Camo Pack” release of the Hypergamer which came in several color ways. This was enough to motivate me to make my way to my local Nike store (Titan 22 - Katipunan) to try on a pair. The shoe impressed me enough that I found myself investing some of my hard earned cash on a pair.

The Lunarlon cushioning technology was later used on the Jordan Fly Wade 2.

And now on to the review:

STYLE

If you opt for the non-Camo edition, the Hypergamer can easily be worn casually with a pair of jeans or shorts. However, the Camo edition is a bit “louder” in the “LOOKS” department and may not be suitable for some fashion conservatives. If you plan to use these “kicks” for ballin’, the Camo edition is a “LOOKER” and will steal away some appreciative glances from the Hyperdunks and “J’s” that occupy the same court. But be warned, your game needs to be “decent – to somewhat good” if you plan to play in these since they give off a real player’s shoe vibe or risk having people poke fun at you for being just a “wannabe” with cool kicks.

Rating: 3 out of 5

One of the nice things about the Hypergamer is the material used for the upper.  Even after two league games, they still look like they just came fresh out of the box.

PERFORMANCE

The Hypergamer is light on your feet like the Nike Hyperfuse since they pretty much share similar uppers. However, the Hypergamer has better cushioning than the Hyperfuse due to the Lunarlon technology which I describe to be like a lighter Air Max system. The fit around the foot is very snug. I learned the hard way not to lace them up tightly like other shoes as they won’t loosen (which is a good thing) as you play.  As my feet started to expand, this cut off some circulation which made it very uncomfortable to even walk. To get the right fit, I had to walk around with laces untied and loosened so I could gauge exactly how tight I needed to have them (for game play) without sacrificing comfort. Once I got the right fit, they were awesome and felt like a part of your foot. The stability of the shoe impressed me as well. You could cut, jump, spin, and pivot with confidence. The shoe is ideal for both a quick guard / small forward’s style of play due to its lightweight and snug fit while post players will enjoy the great cushioning and stability.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

The soles are a little dirty as they've had a couple of games under their belt. The herringbone pattern is simple yet very effective as traction is excellent on the hardwood.

OVERALL

The Hypergamer is a shoe that pleasantly surprises. However, off the court “wear-ability” is where it may fall a bit short. Unlike shoes like some Kobe / Lebron models or Air Jordan Retros, where one can wear it out on the street or on the court and still give off the same “cool kicks” vibe, the Hypergamer isn’t as versatile and you may end up having to decide which one to buy, the non-Camo for walking around or the Camo edition for the court, making you feel that all that thought isn’t worth it prompting you to move on to something else. But if you’re looking for a great court shoe that rivals the Nike Hyperdunk and Hyperfuse, the Nike Lunar Hypergamer is definitely worth the investment.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

CUSTOMS: Air Jordan 7 "Spidey"

I have always been interested in owning a pair or two of customized sneakers but haven't found the right opportunity to put in the time and especially the money, until now.

The ball started rolling, so to speak, when I was introduced to CleansneaksPh who I turned to for repair work on my CDP AJIII "Black Cements". We discussed the possibility of doing a "Carmine" custom out of a pair of Air Jordan VII "Orions" since they were all leather and would pretty much serve as a blank canvas.

I was fortunate enough to get the last size 10.5 off the shelves at one of my local Nike shops. It was on sale (which made it easier on my wallet) since the "Orions" really weren't a popular AJ release to the general "sneakerhead" community. And so off to CleansneaksPh they went for a few coats of red Angelus paint.



After a few weeks of anticipation, I got them back. Overall, they looked great but one would definitely know it was a custom paint job since it's hard to hide the paint brush strokes along with some uneven layering. I was able to remedy some of the issues by spraying on an acrylic gloss finish. Not only did the gloss give the red paint some extra shine but it also added a layer of protection from scuffing (I hope) and moisture.



They were suppose to be "Carmine" customs but my three year old son kept saying they looked like Spider-man shoes so hence why I call them my "Spidey" AJVIIs. Now it's time to take them out for a spin and see if the paint will stay on the shoe through the grind of everyday life.