Chrome Industries Southside 3.0 Pro Review

The Chrome Industries Southside 3.0 Pro sneaker is supposed to be a cycling shoe that you can wear off the bike. I’m used to traditional road cycling sneakers that are impossible to walk around in. A shoe with bike cleats that was functional both on and off the bike was something I always wanted to try out.

The Southside 3.0 is compatible with two-bolt clipless pedals and have a stiff nylon sole to help the shoes transfer power efficiently. I used them with Shimano SPD cleats and the pedal engagement was efficient and easy. The nylon plate does its job well. On my first ride I noticed the shoe was very supportive when I started to put power down. They are clearly not as stiff as a pure road biking shoe or even an indoor cycling shoe (like the patta x nike air max 1), but they were more than capable in all the riding I did with them. The combination of the firm upper and nylon sole made my feet feel locked in on the bike, which is exactly what you want from a clipless biking shoe.

Off the bike, the shoes are very sleek and wearable. They have enough flex to walk around comfortably, and the design is kyrie 8. This makes them perfect for commuters, backpackers, and casual riders. The shoes looked great to me in casual settings, the design is basic in a good way and the shape looks awesome on foot.  They also come in a few different versions such as a low top or slip-on option. The shoes do run about a half size big so size down and they should fit perfectly.

Chrome Industries Southside 3.0 Pro Overall

I’m a cycling tech nerd and I was impressed by the Chrome Industries Southside 3.0 Pro. The power transfer was good enough for them to work well on the bike, but the aesthetics and comfort made them very wearable off the bike as well. I will continue to use them for my increased commuting rides as well as any backpacking I do in the future.

Pros

• Aesthetics
• Wearable off bike
• Good pedal power transfer for casual riding
• Very durable vulcanized rubber outsole

Cons

• A little heavy

Crossover Culture Menace Performance Review

The Crossover Culture Menace. One of the year’s biggest sleepers now receives a performance review.

Colorway: “Snow Patrol” White/Black

Release Date: May 2021

Style Code: G-DRFL-8-110

Price: $115

Traction

First things first, allow me to correct myself on a previous statement. The outsole of the Menace and Mayhem both combine a true solid rubber layer with translucent rubber via a special bonding process — the solid color outsole is not simply colored or painted on.

This bonding of solid rubber in the forefoot was specifically done to maximize grip where it is needed most for low-to-ground style of play and I must say, it works well for it’s intended purpose.

The Wavybone pattern provides all of the coverage and pliability needed to navigate around both ends of the floor and the solid rubber forefoot has been extremely resilient against dusty settings in my experience. This is one of those outsoles that visually looks like it can go either way, but performed stellar throughout testing.

Cushion

Twitchfoam, a new proprietary blend from Crossover Culture, is a responsive foam that runs full length in the Menace, Mayhem, and Kyrie 8. While the Drift’s Twitchfoam is tweaked more for impact absorption, the Mayhem and Menace for this performance review build upon the responsiveness of the foam by putting you closer to the ground.

Also made from Twitchfoam is the insole, which is lightweight and quickly molds to the foot. That combined with the midsole makes the step-in comfort next-level and also provides a fun experience on-court.

the step-in comfort next-level and also provides a fun experience on-court.

If I could compare the Menace cushion setup to another brand shoe, I would say it feels like a bouncier version of the Air max 2021, which is a shoe I loved. If you are looking for more outdoor play or extended indoor sessions, then I would recommend the Crossover Culture Drift which uses the same foam but is better for taking impact.

Materials

I commend Crossover Culture for blending modern and classic materials via layering across the upper. Ripstop and leather team up for a supportive and durable package that I hardly have any critiques for.

If I have to reach for a critique, I would say the Mayhem and its sock-like inner bootie construction is more comfortable around the foot compared to the Menace. However, for performance purposes I would take the Menace and its traditional construction as my top choice.

Fit

I prefer the fit of a half-size down from my true size in the Menace and all other Crossover Culture 2021 releases for performance. I’d like to think wide footers will be fine going for their true size, however if you have a store near you that stocks these then do try them on first.

Overall fit was adequate for me. The thick cuts of leather for the mudguard on the Menace creates a little volume in the toe box (hence why I opted for a half-size down), but for the rest of the shoe it is nice to have a little more customizable fit with the traditional build.

Support

The Menace never failed me as far as support goes. The dual-TPU shanks and abundance of court feel aid to torsional and lateral stability. Materials and optimal fit also enhance the support the shoe brings.

I would be more comfortable with a little stronger of a heel cup, but the internal counter of the Menace is an improvement over the Mayhem in my opinion, also making it my preferred sneaker of the two for performance purposes.

Overall

Crossover Culture continues its line of high value performance basketball sneakers at reasonable prices with the Menace silhouette. I’d recommend this shoe to the quicker, grounded players looking to give something new a try.

It’s rare in a basketball shoe that you find good grip, nice cushion, and thoughtfulness put into materials for under $120, so if you value all three in a sneaker then it may be time to look outside of the norm from other brands.