Rajon Rondo's Nike Hyperfuses from the 2010 NBA Finals

During the 2010 NBA Playoffs, a series of the best of 7 games, to which the Boston Celtics eventually lost in the finals in Game #7 by only 4 points, Rajon Rondo stood out as a point guard with a lot of future potential. On several occasions, he accumulated triple double statistics, and ensured that the Celtics would play another game. During these games, Rondo debuted his first signature shoe - but it was not his signature shoe. Unlike shoes worn by Michael Jordan (Air Jordans), Kobe Bryant, Lebron James, or Kevin Garnett, Rondo's shoe did not bear his name. They were not even called Rondos. They just had his number on them, they were in a colour similar to Celtics green, and they were called the Nike Zoom Hyperfuse. Rondo has single handedly put these shoes on the map, and now Nike are actually releasing a Player Exclusive (PE) shoe for the 2010-2011 NBA Season for Rondo. They are similar to the shoe he wore in the 2010 NBA Finals, but they have a white Swoosh Nike Logo, as well as a white #9 on the side - with no other apparent design changes.

I have recently purchased the Playoff model from crazyforsneaker.com, and have worn them for the last 4 days. The reason I purchased them off the internet is that the shoe is not due in Australia until just before Christmas this year, or early 2011. Just as a side note, the guys from crazyforsneaker.com provide quick service and shipping. They do their best to be competitive in price.

This is what they look like:

Pros for the Hyperfuse:

• Snug fitting shoe.
• Very light.
• Breathable - your foot is well ventilated and you do not get sweat build up as much as other shoes.
• Seamless - no seams that will dig into your foot due to the snug fit. The whole upper of the shoe is one piece fused together.
• Extra sole area on the outside of shoe adds to the stability of the shoe.
• Very responsive shoe - when laced up correctly, there is very little movement, which means that all your foot's movements are translated into shoe movements (think of this as a stiffer version of a Nike Free running shoe).

Cons against the Hyperfuse:

• The snug fit may be too tight for some people - if this is the case, order the shoe a half to a full size bigger if you cannot get into a store to try them on.
• When laced to the top eyelet, the cuff (although padded) does dig into your ankle / calves - but I believe this will diminish with time. If it is too uncomfortable, then just lace them one eyelet less.
• The heel does not have the same cushioning as the forefoot - they do not feel as floaty to walk in as Nike Hyperizes (I believe this is due to the use of Lunar foam - and that the floaty sensation fades over time). This may lead to lack of impact protection when landing on your heel in comparison to other basketball shoes.

Other links of interest:

• Hyperfuse review on solecollector.com
• Hyperfuse introduction by Nike on youtube.com

Reading some of the comments about this shoe before I purchased them, people have mentioned that they are simple, yet so good that they could set a new precedent on how basketball shoes will be made in the future. I will not go so far as to agree with them, as companies like Nike will always be trying out new techniques and methods to sell shoes, but I will admit that are unlike any other shoe you would have used before.