You left us hanging fam
xplosivejeff
my bad ya'll, nobody showed up that day so I wasn't able to run a game in them but I was finally able to today so here is my initial impression on them
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Traction - Good but nothing spectacular. When making hard cuts the rubber fully activates and bites the floor extremely well but when making soft moves the traction doesn't squeak and isn't the most responsive as say the UA Curry 2. Side note: cause of the off white bottom dirt doesn't really show at all. My shoes still look brand new unlike a true white outsole.
Transition - Smooth and fluid, much better than the Kyrie 1 right out the box. It literally took me a whole month of hooping in the Kyrie 1 for the cushion and transition to feel good. With these I felt good with my first step and coming off a defensive rebound I was able to quickly transition into pushing to ball up the court.
Cushion - Typical Nike phylon and I wasn't able to feel the heel zoom at all but once again, much more forgiving than the Kyrie 1. The 1 felt extremely dense at first. I expect the foam on the 2 to feel even better once it's completely broken into. Very firm ride however the quality Ortholite insole made the experience a comfortable one.
Material/Fit/Lockdown/Support - Similar fuse and mesh overlay upper as the 1 but the overall mold is wider thus more forgiving and comfortable. I went TTS and the fit is perfectly snug & one to one without forefoot or heel tightness. Much improved over it's predecessor. The angled lacing system looks cool but I honestly don't think I would be able to tell the difference if it was a traditional setup. Like some have mentioned I too felt and heard the forefoot "popping" due to the fuse material but it's not bad at all. I hated that feeling from the KD VI and on these I only noticed it when I was shooting around. When I started playing it didn't even cross my mind. It hasn't gone away yet though as I noticed it again afterwards but hopefully it goes away sooner than later. Lockdown is amazing. I still thinks the containment is this sneaker's best feature. The collar mold and padding is damn near perfect as it hugs my ankle and locks my heel in nicely. The strap furthermore aids this feature. I like how I am able to cover the laces with the strap so I don't have to worry about re-lacing. The 1's had a narrow forefoot but a sloppy heel. The overall fit on these is consistently snug front to back side to side with no hot spots or pinching.
Banking Concept - No doubt the shoes most unique technological advancement but is it really an upgrade? It obviously caters to Kyrie's play style but not everyone plays like Kyrie. Upon initial try-on it felt really awkward and even unstable. But when I started playing I did notice how smooth the transition was when changing direction. I didn't feel any less stable when landing off of rebounds or shot attempts. I still have a slight fear of rolling my ankle but it might just be mental. Time will tell I suppose *fingers crossed I stay injury free in this shoe*
Overall the 2 is a major upgrade from the 1 in my opinion. Excited to lace them up again soon.
