Friday 29 April 2011

Wall's Zig

Reebok experienced a "golden age" of selling basketball sneakers in the 1990's with the advent of Shaquille O'Neal. This larger than life personality added to what was already a solid market of what Reebok had done in pushing "The Pump" shoes. Most older sneakerheads will remember the Reebok Shaqnosis. The late 1990's also saw the production of the Allen Iverson Answers. Sometime during the early 2000's, Reebok's appeal started to diminish. They became better known for their jogging shoes, and apparel, as opposed to their basketball sneakers.

Around 2006, Adidas took over Reebok in an effort to gain market share against Nike. After all the payments and aquisitions have been made, Adidas removed Reebok as the manufacturer of NBA jerseys, and manufactured it with their own logo. Reebok, now operating as a subsiduary of Adidas, had a very low profile.

In 2010, with the advent of John Wall in the NBA, Reebok signed Wall up as their ambassador for their new shoe - the Reebok Zigtech Zig Slash Wall. I am amazed at the quality of play that Wall exhibits at the point guard role, and I believe he would be even a greater player, if it was NOT for these shoes.

These shoes have some advantages, but there is one huge flaw in them. Starting with the advantages:
  • Ankle support is comfortable and does not dig in like the Air Jordan 2010s
  • Comfortable cushioning / good "ride"
  • Good toe box room
  • Heel lock down is good when the shoe is laced all the way to the top
  • Breathability is suitable, but poor in comparison to the Nike Hyperfuse
  • Visually intriguing shoe to look at
And here is the one disadvantage that overshadows all those points above:
  • Poor traction
If you examine the images below, the only part of the soles that provide traction are the white horseshoe shape strip up at the toe, and the small D-section strip on the heel. The blue section which makes up the midsole provides no to little traction at all. It is my understanding based on some suggestions on the internet that the traction improves with time, as the sole develops traction after being used. I do not know how long this will take.

The biggest claim of the new Zig sole is that it is designed to reduce muscle fatigue for the user. This claim may be true, but I have not worn these shoes enough to determine that. I would suggest them to be used on a rough surfaced outdoor court, or just for straight line running, but if your style of play is to quickly change directions while moving at speed (known as "cutting"), this is the wrong shoe for you. Walking around casually is no problem, though.
Reebok Zigtech Zig SlashReebok Zigtech Zig SlashReebok Zigtech Zig SlashReebok Zigtech Zig SlashReebok Zigtech Zig SlashReebok Zigtech Zig SlashReebok Zigtech Zig SlashReebok Zigtech Zig SlashReebok Zigtech Zig SlashReebok Zigtech Zig SlashReebok Zigtech Zig SlashReebok Zigtech Zig SlashReebok Zigtech Zig SlashReebok Zigtech Zig SlashReebok Zigtech Zig SlashReebok Zigtech Zig SlashReebok Zigtech Zig SlashReebok Zigtech Zig SlashReebok Zigtech Zig SlashReebok Zigtech Zig SlashReebok Zigtech Zig Slash

My thanks for shipping me this pair of sneakers goes to the team at crazyforsneaker.com. Their site is still going through maintenance, but crazyforsneaker's ebay shop is up and running - although at the time of writing, but has no items for sale. If you are thinking of ordering from them, do not buy sneakers individually - buy in bulk and save on shipping. Email them with your wish lists, and they will see if they can get them for you. Their owner / manager assures me it is business as usual.

If you are a sneaker collector, and you appreciate the look of these shoes, then go ahead and source them. If you play any form of court sports, and are looking for a shoe, these are to be avoided. I would suggest the Nike Hyperfuse over getting these, but "your mileage may vary".

Wednesday 27 April 2011

KG's Retro Flightposite IIs

Kevin Garnett did not always get sponsored by Anta, like he does these days with his KG1 shoe. Throught his professional basketball career, he endorsed Nike, And 1, and Adidas. I even have one of his last pairs of signature Adidas shoes - the Adidas TS Bounce Commander Garnett. This article is about a pair of sneakers recently retro'ed by Nike that was originally associated with Garnett - the Nike Air Flightposite II LE. Garnett would have worn them while he was at the Minnesota Timberwolves, not while he was a Boston Celtic.

The main differences I have seen with the original sneaker and this retro model (with the exception of the colour and the materials used) is that instead of the word "Flightposite" on the heel, it used to say "Garnett". The side of the upper no longer says "Garnett" either, but instead has 5 dots. I cannot make a direct comparison with the originals, as from my understanding, they were never released in Australia.

These shoes, in my opinion, are made for one thing - looks. I do not like the way they feel on my feet, as they are heavy and lack breathability - even though they have large mesh windows on both shoes. Once again I am making direct comparisons to the Nike Hyperfuse. Without taking too much time discussing the merits of the Hyperfuse, I still believe that is the benchmark shoe I will measure the shoes I review against. A lot has changed in the 10 or so years since the original Flightposites were made. Shoe technology has changed, as well as the mindset of the basketball player. Players want lighter and more responsive shoes - and anything with breathability is an additional benefit. This shoe does have some advantages going for it. It is very stable on feet. There is little to no ankle roll feelings made when changing direction quickly, and traction appears to be very good.

I would opt to wear these shoes casually, but with the amount of choice currently on the market, I would not wear them to play sports in. Try something like the Hyperfuse, or even the Air Jordan 2011.
Nike Air Flighposite II - LENike Air Flighposite II - LENike Air Flighposite II - LENike Air Flighposite II - LENike Air Flighposite II - LENike Air Flighposite II - LENike Air Flighposite II - LENike Air Flighposite II - LENike Air Flighposite II - LENike Air Flighposite II - LENike Air Flighposite II - LENike Air Flighposite II - LENike Air Flighposite II - LENike Air Flighposite II - LENike Air Flighposite II - LENike Air Flighposite II - LENike Air Flighposite II - LENike Air Flighposite II - LENike Air Flighposite II - LENike Air Flighposite II - LENike Air Flighposite II - LENike Air Flighposite II - LE

This is (yet) another pair from the team at crazyforsneaker.com. Their site is still going through maintenance, but crazyforsneaker's ebay shop is up and running. Speaking with one of the guys from the crazyforsneaker team, their website and shop should be up and running shortly - and will feature new features for repeat customers. In the meanwhile, you could always try the crazyforsneaker facebook page. I do NOT recommend using facebook, as I think it privacy risk to even have an account on it, but some people, apparently, cannot figure out how to use the internet effectively without it. If you want to know more, have a read of wikipedia's list of criticisms of facebook.

Now, at the time of writing this article, the Boston Celtics are the only team that has swept their opponent, and made it into the second round of the playoffs. All the other teams have lost at least one game to their opponents. It has only been the 5th time in Celtics history that they have swept an opponent, and in the past two time they have swept their opponent, they have gone to win the championship. I, for one, am hoping history will repeat itself.
GO CELTICS!!!

Monday 25 April 2011

Happy (Green) Easter to all!

Happy Easter to all, regardless what your beliefs are. Some people (mainly in Christian or Catholic based countries) will have a few days off work, and for the majority of you, I hope you have a safe and festive time.

The reason I made a mention for the "green" in the title, is that the Boston Celtics have swept the New York Knicks in the 2011 NBA Playoffs, 4 games to 0. I could not have a happier Easter. It even overshadows the fact that I am currently in Canberra for Easter.

Canberra is usually quite dull for most parts of the year, but it is especially quiet and dull when public holidays occur. The exodus mentality I have previously discussed is still well and alive here in Canberra this year. Saying that, the people here are still rude. Last night I was driving down the (still incomplete) Gungahlin Drive Extension, traveling at the posted 60 km/h speed limit (due to roadworks), and I had a car driving very close to the rear of my car (tailgating), and flashing their high beam lights at me for me to speed up. This is not the excitement I was hoping to experience. I can say I stuck to the speed limit for over 6 kilometers. It was obvious that the AFP took the Easter period off patrolling the streets of Canberra, allowing all the locals to ignore any speed limits. Why do people who reside in Australia's capital city, where laws are made, have a blatant disregard for the law? From my understanding, law was made to be fair for all. I guess being a Canberrian means you have carte blanche to pick and choose which laws you choose to obey.

Anyway, getting back to one of my original topics, I wish the best of luck for the Boston Celtics in the remainder of their campaign to win their 18th championship in 2011.

GO CELTICS!!

Wednesday 20 April 2011

Space Jams

In 1996, a live action animated film came out about Michael Jordan and a fictionalized version of his life. As the plot of the film goes, Michael had retired from the NBA for the first time, and was taking up baseball. In a wake-up call, he ends up playing basketball with Bugs Bunny to save cartoon characters, and finds his passion for basketball again - hence his return to the NBA. The film is Space Jam. The shoes worn in that film are the Air Jordan XI - Space Jam (Retro).

The Air Jordan XI is apparently one of the most copied shoes when it comes to people dealing in fake Air Jordans. I do not understand why. It is a good looking shoe, but I do not know why it is as popular as it is claimed to be. Stating that, there are many sites on the internet that have advisories on how to determine if the shoe you have is fake or legitimate. There is a good "how to spot a fake XI guide" on ebay.

The box itself is not the regular packaging associated with Air Jordans. It comes with its own customised box. The "2-3" found on the back of the heels of the shoes are embossed on the lid of the box, as well as the patent leather upper wave cut being on the side of the box. The box opens like a shelf, not with a lid. Opening it up leads to a plastic cover with the words:
  • "Tinker made them shine."
  • "Mike made them fly."
  • "You made them iconic."
The shoe itself has the typical interesting look, and it's noted that even though the shoe was stored in ideal conditions, some yellowing has occurred on the bottom of the soles of the shoes. If Nike is to come up with one major innovation when it comes to their shoes, it would be to ensure that their icy clear soles remained that way, and did not yellow over time. The back of the tongue has the text: "Quality basketball product inspired by the greatest player ever". The patent leather is stunning, and even though some models have "pimples" on the midsole, I was lucky enough to get one that did not have any additional bumps on it.

I have not worn these shoes at all, and I do not know if I will. I can not comment on how they feel, but you can find plenty of reviews on the internet. I do suggest looking at Nightwing2303's youtube review on the Cool Grey Air Jordan XI - being basically the same shoe, but in a different colour. So without further delays, here are the images:
Air Jordan XI Space JamAir Jordan XI Space JamAir Jordan XI Space JamAir Jordan XI Space JamAir Jordan XI Space JamAir Jordan XI Space JamAir Jordan XI Space JamAir Jordan XI Space JamAir Jordan XI Space JamAir Jordan XI Space JamAir Jordan XI Space JamAir Jordan XI Space JamAir Jordan XI Space JamAir Jordan XI Space JamAir Jordan XI Space JamAir Jordan XI Space JamAir Jordan XI Space JamAir Jordan XI Space JamAir Jordan XI Space JamAir Jordan XI Space JamAir Jordan XI Space JamAir Jordan XI Space Jam

My thanks for shipping me this pair of sneakers goes to the team at crazyforsneaker.com. Their site is still going through maintenance, but crazyforsneaker's ebay shop is up and running.