Nike Air Zoom Kobe V Review - The Greatest Basketball Shoe of ALL TIME

[Kobekobe]

Originally Posted by eenxsoon

The kobe v's feel really unstable for me
the outriggers helped me once. but i see it just giving out the next time i step on someone.
the cushion is great. my knees get the cushion they need
but i feel like the shoe itself is really delicate. i can't fully use my strength when using these.. just my opinion

like nikko13 said, it's all psychological. the 4's felt very unstable for me but after a game or 2 i felt fine. i was scared to do anything but now i'm not.

just give it some time, you'll get used to it... i think the lower to the ground the shoe is, the less chance of rolling your ankle.

also.... i was playin in my 5's yesterday on a really bad floor and didn't slip at all

so don't worry about the traction because it's actually good!

 

[yuuhh]

ive been balling in the vs for about a week now and man THESE ARE AMAZING. thanks to fellow nters for the advice! i re-laced them and it made a huge difference..thanks again

 

[zombiejesus12]

Originally Posted by yuuhh

ive been balling in the vs for about a week now and man THESE ARE AMAZING. thanks to fellow nters for the advice! i re-laced them and it made a huge difference..thanks again

Hell yeah, dude!

 

[bionic3]

Originally Posted by nikko13

^ yeah your right. i also felt unstable when i first used a low top (ZK4s) shoe for balling. i did not jump hard and just shot around the perimeter and i did not penetrate. turns out it was just psychological. i did not roll my ankles in more than a year using kobe's.. i have the AML7s which was out of my rotation in playing ball when i first tried on the zk5. i felt that the brons were unstable becuase of the high profile 360 am unit. the ZK5 are more stable than the ZK4s imo because of them being more low profile even though the difference is minimal. hope you give the ZK5s a try again in the future because its a performance monster. but as always, to each his own.  i respect your opinion sir eenxsoon.

I'm with you here! Going from LeBron VIIs to Kobe Vs, the Kobe Vs are just incredible shoes to ball in. At 6'2 230 I did put a Sof Sole Airr insole in my Kobe Vs just due to my weight, and now they are just perfect in every way. I am also noticing the traction getting better now after about my 13 wearing yesterday. Right now I'm waiting for the Del Sols and then will ID a pair before trying out the Hyperdunk 2010 Lakers Away color due out this summer.

Ultimately, the Kobe V is just out of this world and I really, really implore people to try this shoe if they can.

 

[nikko13]

^im also waiting for del sols.

 

[keonclark7]

Originally Posted by bionic3

Originally Posted by nikko13

^ yeah your right. i also felt unstable when i first used a low top (ZK4s) shoe for balling. i did not jump hard and just shot around the perimeter and i did not penetrate. turns out it was just psychological. i did not roll my ankles in more than a year using kobe's.. i have the AML7s which was out of my rotation in playing ball when i first tried on the zk5. i felt that the brons were unstable becuase of the high profile 360 am unit. the ZK5 are more stable than the ZK4s imo because of them being more low profile even though the difference is minimal. hope you give the ZK5s a try again in the future because its a performance monster. but as always, to each his own.  i respect your opinion sir eenxsoon.

I'm with you here! Going from LeBron VIIs to Kobe Vs, the Kobe Vs are just incredible shoes to ball in. At 6'2 230 I did put a Sof Sole Airr insole in my Kobe Vs just due to my weight, and now they are just perfect in every way. I am also noticing the traction getting better now after about my 13 wearing yesterday. Right now I'm waiting for the Del Sols and then will ID a pair before trying out the Hyperdunk 2010 Lakers Away color due out this summer.

Ultimately, the Kobe V is just out of this world and I really, really implore people to try this shoe if they can.

How thick are the Sof Sole Airr insoles at the heel?

 

[foam shox]

very encouraging to hear all the positive reviews on the Kobe 5. I'm more surprised to hear that the shoe is seen as a great all around athletic shoe and not just for b-ball (by the TS)

my basketball shoe rotation is running pretty solid right now at 3 deep, but at some point I would like to add in a 4th shoe, and despite never wearing low shoes before, all the positivity toward the Kobe 5's caught my interest.

 

[xx legod xx]

I need a pair of the Del Sol's but I haven't seen a release date yet.

 

[mister friendly]

Originally Posted by xX LeGod Xx

I need a pair of the Del Sol's but I haven't seen a release date yet.

If you are talking about these. I think they come out in June.

 

[budgetballin]

"Yo Kobe V's I-Im really happy for you but the Hurrache 2k4's are the best basketball shoes of all time!"

How would a overweight, flatfooted person do with these shoes? Does the lunarfoam stuff flatten out? Its a tossup between the KDII's and these and I wanted to get the most information as possible.

 

[keonclark7]

Originally Posted by budgetballin


"Yo Kobe V's I-Im really happy for you but the Hurrache 2k4's are the best basketball shoes of all time!"


How would a overweight, flatfooted person do with these shoes? Does the lunarfoam stuff flatten out? Its a tossup between the KDII's and these and I wanted to get the most information as possible.

There is no "lunarfoam stuff". The Zoom Kobe V and the Huarache 2K4 have the same cushioning setup.

KD2's only have Zoom Air in the forefoot. Since the heel is only foam, it will lose its cushioning ability and will flatten out in the long run (especially if you're overweight).

 

[borobballman]

i wudnt push it to the greatest of all time...

 

[zombiejesus12]

Originally Posted by borobballman

i wudnt push it to the greatest of all time...

I'm not worried about the opinions of people who can't spell "wouldn't", so we're good.

 

[gggggas]

Originally Posted by ZombieJesus12

Originally Posted by borobballman

i wudnt push it to the greatest of all time...

I'm not worried about the opinions of people who can't spell "wouldn't", so we're good.

  

Imo it is the GOAT 

 Eric and the rest of the team should really get an award at least from us sneakerheads-performance elitists

 

[Kobekobe]

Originally Posted by Gggggas

Originally Posted by ZombieJesus12

Originally Posted by borobballman

i wudnt push it to the greatest of all time...

I'm not worried about the opinions of people who can't spell "wouldn't", so we're good.

  

Imo it is the GOAT 

 Eric and the rest of the team should really get an award at least from us sneakerheads-performance elitists

agreed... i wonder what they have in store for us for the 6's lol. i'm anxious!

Originally Posted by Foam shox

very encouraging to hear all the positive reviews on the Kobe 5. I'm more surprised to hear that the shoe is seen as a great all around athletic shoe and not just for b-ball (by the TS)

my basketball shoe rotation is running pretty solid right now at 3 deep, but at some point I would like to add in a 4th shoe, and despite never wearing low shoes before, all the positivity toward the Kobe 5's caught my interest.

my rotation is:

kobe 5 dark night
kobe 5 vday
kobe 4 bred

i'm set

 

[biggie62]

I picked these up today for $100 as I needed to retire the Lebron 6s as they were causing me foot pain because they weren't locking down my feet any longer in the heals. I have sprained my ankles in low tops before but I'm a much lighter player than when I played on the team in HS and I'm smarter about when I go up and what not so I don't think I'll sprain my ankle. But I really love the lockdown feel and the low to the ground feel that these give. Cushioning is minimal but, but that will prob be a good thing. I'm going to play in them tomorrow for the first time, but I loved how they felt when I put them on and walked around in both the store and in my house.

And for those who are curious about the 6s, maybe back to the herringbone traction design and a bigger full sized forefoot zoom air instead of the small one they put into this one. BU then again, the bigger zoom air will add to the weight they reduced from the 4th to the 5th.

 

[gggggas]

Originally Posted by Biggie62

I picked these up today for $100 as I needed to retire the Lebron 6s as they were causing me foot pain because they weren't locking down my feet any longer in the heals. I have sprained my ankles in low tops before but I'm a much lighter player than when I played on the team in HS and I'm smarter about when I go up and what not so I don't think I'll sprain my ankle. But I really love the lockdown feel and the low to the ground feel that these give. Cushioning is minimal but, but that will prob be a good thing. I'm going to play in them tomorrow for the first time, but I loved how they felt when I put them on and walked around in both the store and in my house.

And for those who are curious about the 6s, maybe back to the herringbone traction design and a bigger full sized forefoot zoom air instead of the small one they put into this one. BU then again, the bigger zoom air will add to the weight they reduced from the 4th to the 5th.

Can't wait for the VI too but on forefoot met bone zoom bag you mentioned I think this will answer your question:
From ISS

_Nick:

 I've talked with Eric often about the Met bag versus full-width bag and the continual reason he gives (which makes sense) is that the Met bag allows for better lateral flexibility. You'll notice he designs a segmenting line right through the middle of the shoe's outsole, and the problem with a larger volume/ wider bag is that the Zoom units are so thin (normally 6 or 8mm) and under a ton of pressure and on a huge lateral plant/ slash they could be susceptible to over-flex and then blow out. For a guy of my frame, it may not be an issue, but for a larger player putting more stress on the shoe (ummm...KOBE), it makes sense why they stick with the met head. Kobe doesn't wear orthotics and wears the shoes as-is, and for years he's really enjoyed the ride/ stance of the Met bag and combination of cushioning/ court feel/ flexibility that it provides him, so of course they'll continue to "listen to the athlete." 

Kobe is always crazy about "not losing seconds" on his plants and cuts, and he feels the lack of the bag on the lateral side of the shoe allows the shoe to react quicker than if there were a Zoom unit there, which would take a slight amount of time longer to compress and then react. I personally would prefer a regionally segmented bag or wider width bag, but then again, I don't put nearly the amount of force on the shoe. 

 

[biggie62]

Originally Posted by Gggggas

Originally Posted by Biggie62

I picked these up today for $100 as I needed to retire the Lebron 6s as they were causing me foot pain because they weren't locking down my feet any longer in the heals. I have sprained my ankles in low tops before but I'm a much lighter player than when I played on the team in HS and I'm smarter about when I go up and what not so I don't think I'll sprain my ankle. But I really love the lockdown feel and the low to the ground feel that these give. Cushioning is minimal but, but that will prob be a good thing. I'm going to play in them tomorrow for the first time, but I loved how they felt when I put them on and walked around in both the store and in my house.

And for those who are curious about the 6s, maybe back to the herringbone traction design and a bigger full sized forefoot zoom air instead of the small one they put into this one. BU then again, the bigger zoom air will add to the weight they reduced from the 4th to the 5th.

Can't wait for the VI too but on forefoot met bone zoom bag you mentioned I think this will answer your question:
From ISS

_Nick:

 I've talked with Eric often about the Met bag versus full-width bag and the continual reason he gives (which makes sense) is that the Met bag allows for better lateral flexibility. You'll notice he designs a segmenting line right through the middle of the shoe's outsole, and the problem with a larger volume/ wider bag is that the Zoom units are so thin (normally 6 or 8mm) and under a ton of pressure and on a huge lateral plant/ slash they could be susceptible to over-flex and then blow out. For a guy of my frame, it may not be an issue, but for a larger player putting more stress on the shoe (ummm...KOBE), it makes sense why they stick with the met head. Kobe doesn't wear orthotics and wears the shoes as-is, and for years he's really enjoyed the ride/ stance of the Met bag and combination of cushioning/ court feel/ flexibility that it provides him, so of course they'll continue to "listen to the athlete." 

Kobe is always crazy about "not losing seconds" on his plants and cuts, and he feels the lack of the bag on the lateral side of the shoe allows the shoe to react quicker than if there were a Zoom unit there, which would take a slight amount of time longer to compress and then react. I personally would prefer a regionally segmented bag or wider width bag, but then again, I don't put nearly the amount of force on the shoe. 

Hmm, interesting.  I guess that makes sense.  Thx for the info.

 

[ap27]

Originally Posted by JLking

This is like the 5th time I've had to say this in the past two days

. Kobe Vs need to be broken into for at least 5 hours before they become performance monsters

I broke in and played in them for more than 5 hours when I wrote my original post. I'm not saying they're terrible, the cushioning is just not as comfortable to me as many other shoes. Like I said in my original post:

"I liked the cushioning in the IVs much better even though I'm a huge fan of zoom air shoes. I also think that the Kobe IIs and Is have better cushioning than the IVs or Vs. 

I probably wouldn't agree with the claim "greatest basketball shoe of all time", and for someone on the last page that said these are better than any jordan, the XIIs, XIIIs, XIVs, XVIs, and XXIs are all more comfortable to me than this shoe. Each of those have better cushioning, are more supportive, and are more durable in my opinion. I'm not saying your opinion is wrong, just disagreeing. "

People can like different shoes. These really have more of a firmer, dampening feel rather than a springy feel, which isn't a bad thing, just not preferable to me. If you've ever worn the LeBron II, Flightposite 2, Flightposite 3, Ultraposite, LeBron IV, or LeBron VIs (shoes that come to mind when I think springy zoom cushioning) you might not think these shoes have enough cushioning.

 

[non flammable]

do you guys lace it up to the very top loop or no?

 

[biggie62]

Played in them today. I'm 6'2 215 so I'm a big guy. Cushioning was suffice to say. Loved how light they were. I don't know if I felt if I jumped higher, but it felt as if I got off the ground a bit quicker as I got 2 blocks I would never expect to get. On defense I play down low, while more perimeter based on offense. Foot was locked down very well and grip was suffice. I was a bit scared at the beginning to go inside because I thought I'd roll an ankle. But nothing, I even landed on someone's foot and it was perfectly fine. Shoe kept me locked down and allowed me to bend my ankle and just keep on going. It definitely helps that the shoe is wide where it needs to be so it allows for a nice balance as you step and land. I might pick up a second pair later on in the year if I continue to like these. BTW I am moving from the Lebron 6s. Which are bricks compared to the Kobe's. Like literally 1 Lebron shoe weighs as much as both the Kobe's.

And I didn't lace the top hole. It felt a bit weird with it laced. You typically don't want your shoe to be too tight. As that'll cause injuries sometimes. But honestly, to each their own.

 

[cbfpunch]

i lace my V's to the top eyelet. works for me.

 

[zombiejesus12]

I leave the top eyelet empty.

 

[Kobekobe]

i don't think they have to change the pattern back to the herringbone... the traction is perfect.

Originally Posted by non flammable

do you guys lace it up to the very top loop or no?

i do.

 

[bionic3]

Originally Posted by KeonClark7

Originally Posted by bionic3

Originally Posted by nikko13

^ yeah your right. i also felt unstable when i first used a low top (ZK4s) shoe for balling. i did not jump hard and just shot around the perimeter and i did not penetrate. turns out it was just psychological. i did not roll my ankles in more than a year using kobe's.. i have the AML7s which was out of my rotation in playing ball when i first tried on the zk5. i felt that the brons were unstable becuase of the high profile 360 am unit. the ZK5 are more stable than the ZK4s imo because of them being more low profile even though the difference is minimal. hope you give the ZK5s a try again in the future because its a performance monster. but as always, to each his own.  i respect your opinion sir eenxsoon.

I'm with you here! Going from LeBron VIIs to Kobe Vs, the Kobe Vs are just incredible shoes to ball in. At 6'2 230 I did put a Sof Sole Airr insole in my Kobe Vs just due to my weight, and now they are just perfect in every way. I am also noticing the traction getting better now after about my 13 wearing yesterday. Right now I'm waiting for the Del Sols and then will ID a pair before trying out the Hyperdunk 2010 Lakers Away color due out this summer.

Ultimately, the Kobe V is just out of this world and I really, really implore people to try this shoe if they can.

How thick are the Sof Sole Airr insoles at the heel?

They are thick, they have an air pocket in the heel and arch, but I would say not as thick as the Spenco Cushioned Cross-Train (all green) insole. That's why I liked this the best an almost perfect amount of cushioning, without putting you too high off the ground (or too high out of your shoe such that you slip out of it).