Nike Ja 1 Review

The Nike Ja 1 is very reminiscent of several Kyrie models and feels like it will be a solid on-court performer.

The Nike Ja 1 is Ja Morant’s first signature shoe with Nike. The launch of Ja’s first signature coincides with the departure of Kyrie Irving from Nike’s roster of signature athletes but it looks like the Ja Morant signature line will pick up where the Kyrie line left off. The Ja 1 is very reminiscent of several Kyrie models and will seemingly fill the niche of a “well tractioned, reactive guard shoe” for Nike from here on out.

Nike Ja 1 Traction

The Nike Ja 1 features a solid rubber outsole with a very aggressive, herringbone-adjacent traction pattern. We have seen very similar patterns on the Kyrie Infinity and Kyrie Low 5. In fact, the rubber compound on the Nike Ja 1 is almost identical to what we see on the Kyrie Low 5, so you can expect similar on-court performance.

Traction on the Nike Ja 1 promised to be excellent indoors and outdoors, although the outsole is not built with the most durable rubber we’ve ever seen. But, for however long the pattern will last, you will get great grip out of the Nike Ja 1. Another thing to look out for is dust build-up while playing indoors.

Nike Ja 1 Cushioning

Here we have a very similar setup to what we used to find in the Kyrie signature line. The Nike Ja 1 is equipped with a lightweight Phylon midsole with a small, top-loaded Zoom Air unit in the forefoot. The Phylon is rather firm, and all in all the Nike Ja 1 offers a very reactive and low-to-the-ground on-court experience. This setup is very similar to what we saw in the kd 15

If you are looking for a reactive and stable cushioning setup with a lot of court feel, this will be a great option. You won’t find a ton of compression or impact protection, but, since that forefoot Zoom Air unit is top-loaded, it does add some step-in comfort.

Nike Ja 1 Materials

The Nike Ja 1 features a completely synthetic upper that combines textiles, synthetic leather, and some TPU reinforcements. None of these materials is premium in any way but those synthetic leather overlays do make the shoe feel nicer in hand. The materials will adapt well and quickly to your foot as well as add breathability and containment.

The shoe’s upper is reminiscent of another Kyrie, in this case, the Kyrie 1, and the shoe feels very similar in hand. Materials are nothing to write home about but they get the job done and for $110, you can’t really ask for more.

Nike Ja 1 Support

In terms of support features, there is nothing mind-blowing featured on the Nike Ja 1. With the combination of the stable cushioning system, the wide base of the shoe, the material build of the upper and the shoes fit, you have more than enough to get you where you are going. On top of that, you have a nice heel counter and TPU reinforcements for lateral stability.

Nike Ja 1 Fit

The Nike Ja 1 fits true to size, so go with your usual size with Nike, but they do fit snugly. This type of 1 to 1 fit is great for on-court performance, but it is not everyone’s cup of tea. If this is your case, we suggest tying them on in-store or going up half a size.

Nike Ja 1 Overall

The Nike Ja 1 feels like it will be a solid on-court performance basketball shoe. You really can’t go wrong with great traction, solid cushioning, and good materials. It definitely isn’t a shoe that is built for every type of basketball player and will be better suited for smaller shifter players that will get the most out of that traction, reactive cushioning setup, and court feel. If they end up performing like the Kyrie Low 5 (which is a very safe bet) then we will have one of the best guard-specific shoes of the year.

Nike Zoom Freak 4 Review 2023

Here is the summary of the Nike Zoom Freak 4 Review. For a detailed review, continue reading!

Our Verdict:

Best for Centers and Versatile players

Nike Zoom Freak 4 has a few subtle but necessary improvements to the last shoe. Its traction, cushion, and material are very supportive for heavy Centers. The cushion is flexible and responsive. However, it lacks a torsional plate in the shoe base. But even so, the base is stiff with a beefy cushion in the midsole. Nike Zoom Freak is one of the few latest shoes in which many basketball centers consistently score high.

Pros

• Comfortable cushion
• Wide, stable base
• Breathable material
• Impact protection
• Stable shoes
• Increase jump height

Cons

• The outsole is not good for outdoors
• Material looks chea

Detailed Nike Zoom Freak 4 Review

I have this freaking awesome pair of Giannis Zoom Freak 4 that has a robust construction to go with Gianni’s brutal footwork. Does it look FREAKIN’ Awesome?

Yeah, I am pretty excited to tell you that I liked the design aesthetics. It felt lighter on my feet, and the Zoom unit is super bouncy

The inverted swoosh, which is the part of the Giannis Zoom Freak sneakers, is pretty big on the lateral side.  The Giannis logo on the tongue and computer-generated traction ( As Nike said) are the things that I noticed right out of the box.

You can check our top 10 recommendations for  basketball shoes for centers here.

What’s Exciting About Nike Zoom Freak 4

Nike Zoom Freak 4 is definitely the better-looking sneaker of all the previous 3 Freak line shoes.

And the second thing is its wide base which looks more stable than any other shoe this year. It gives a nice push in the forward direction with its curve shape.

As a player who uses shifty footwork in my game, I am certain that its the ONE basketball sneaker that will reserve its place in my top 5 favourite basketball shoes of the year.

1. Traction

Nike Zoom Freak 4 has a unique traction pattern. Nike labelled it as computer-generated traction.

The grooves on the outsole are nicely separated. It does need a little break in time to fully show its potential. After that initial period of a few hours, you get very good reliable traction.

The outsole also does not pick up dus. So, you don’t need to worry about dust pickup for all four quarters of the game. It’s multidirectional traction that can handle sudden stops.

2. Cushion

Nike Zoom Freak 4 has outdone the job by introducing a cushion which gives a little bounce.

And yet they have kept the weight of the shoe pretty under a range to go with the shifty footwork of the guards and do not bottom out from the heavier weight of big guards.

Any player would enjoy the cushion, which is a full-length Phylon and 2 Zoom Units on the forefoot parts. You can see the zoom units from the outsole. Also, a react foam runs in the midfoot.

The cushion gives solid impact protection and a good amount of bounce for vertical jumps. Overall the cushion provides impact protection for hard landings. It gives great step-in comfort.

I appreciate the tech that Nike has applied. Because it gives the bounce yet, you do not have to compromise on the court feel at all.

3. Material

Nike Zoom Freak 4 use different materials on the shoe. One pretty obvious and basic material every sneaker has nowadays is mesh. The toe box and sides have a mesh upper with fuse overlays on the pressure points.

Swoosh has a plastic/ TPU material. The material is thin and comfortable. It has good padding in the ankle area and tongue.

The overall material is comfortable and not so stretchy at all. It conforms to the foot and gives great comfort. Being a big player, you will appreciate the lasting material underfoot as it wont give you any lasting discomfort..

4. Support

You can guess from the shoe’s wide shape that it will be the best in lateral containment.

The shoe’s lateral side has a big swoosh to give you good lateral stability on the lateral moves. The midsole area is not the one that you can easily bend in any direction. But it has a decoupled outsole and lacks any torsional plate.

So it would not be an ideal basketball shoe for many players looking for a rigid midsole. But it has rigid foam in the midsole. Therefore you cannot bend it easily.

The back of the heel has an internal TPU heel counter. In the low-cut Nike Zoom Freak 4, your ankles are safe with nice padding on the ankle area and a TPU heel counter.

Overall, it’s a supportive shoe.

5. Fit

The shoe has a perfect fit that wraps around the foot like a glove. I highly recommend everyone to buy a true-to-size pair.

Except if you have very wide feet, you would be more comfortable in half size than the actual size. It gives a secure lockdown.

The fit is amazing; there are no void spaces in the toe box, and you won’t experience ny heel slippage.

6. Looks / Appearance/ Colorways:

Nike has done an amazing job in designing Zoom Freak 4. I loved the use of different materials and the aesthetics of this sneaker.

It is in many colorways, including Unknown, Lightening, Greek Coastline, Letter Bros, Birthstone, Cookies and Cream, and Safari.

It looks superb in all colorways, especially The Greek Coastline has used a great colour scheme.

7. Outdoor/Durability:

Nike Zoom Freak 4 is not the ideal choice for outdoor use. WHY? Because the shoe has a narrow outsole tread. It will flat out on the hard outdoor surface sooner than later.

But it grips perfectly on any outdoor or indoor basketball court. It is perfect for rapid turns and side-to-side moves on the outdoor courts. But the grooves are very thin. Hence, I recommend that you only wear them on indoor courts.

8. Breathability/Ventilation:

Zoom Freak 4 is a very breathable sneaker. The toe box and lateral sides have thin mesh material. Especially on the lateral sides; it’s a see-through mesh.

Therefore these sneakers will give you extra air flow to help you cool down. Ventilation on Zoom Freak 4 is something that I truly appreciate.

9. User Review

There is a lot to like about Zoom Freak 4. Therefore it has received positive feedback from users globally. It has received a 4.8 rating out of 5 for its phenomenal performance on the court.

10. Expert Review

Tommy Liu

“Finally, with Zoom Freak 4, Nike is getting back on track with performance. But the only drawback is it does not feel premium. But that has never been a selling point of the Zoom Freak line. Zoom Freak 4 is my favorite from Freak line and my favorite shoe this year.”

Evan Yee

“The Nike Zoom Freak 4 has introduced nothing new in this one. In anime terms, this one is just a filler episode. I hope Freak 5 will be a better-looking, better-performing basketball shoe.”

Hoop and Life

“I give it 3.5/5. It’s very similar to Zoom Freak 3 in performance. There are some enhancements as well as drawbacks. Traction and cushion are pretty good after broken in. material is not the greatest. Support is not very good. It fits the big man hooper as well as the small man hooper.”

RunstretchTech

“These are not for outdoors. I will give them 8.7/10. Among both of Gianni’s signature sneakers, i.e., Giannis immortality 2 and Zoom Freak 4, I like the Immortality 2 better. But as long as you stay on your toes, you’ll be fine in them.”

Under Armour Curry Flow 10 review 2023

Here is the summary of the Under Armour Curry Flow 10 review. For a detailed review, continue reading!

Our Verdict:

Best for Ankle support & Guards

Curry 10 has maintained the quality and performance of the Curry 9 basketball shoes. It’s very supportive, with amazing traction and cushion. The material is soft and breathable. Fit and lockdown are excellent. In my opinion, it’s one of the best signature shoes of 2023.

Pros

• Very springy and bouncy cushion
• Reliable and consistent traction
• Breathable upper
• Protects ankle with a stiff ankle collar
• Needs no break in time
• Solid stability and supportive build
• Dust repellent

Cons

• Not great for the outdoors
• Less impact protection
• Unboxing & Intro of Under Armour Curry Flow 10

•  

Under Armour Curry Flow signature sneakers line has been unmatchable for their supportive setup. Steph Curry has suffered many severe injuries during his basketball career.

Under Armour came up with a perfect design that allows fluid movements in fast direction changes. What completes the package is its rubber-free top-of-line traction pattern. That incredible innovation runs in the Curry sneaker line to maximize grip and minimize weight.

That said, I received mine, Under Armour Curry Flow 10, in a white box. The white under Armour logo on the top changes shade on tilting. Curry wrote on the sides, and that’s it.

Stephen Curry debuted Curry 10  in the “Iron Sharpens Iron” colorway. I ordered one pair, and the Warp upper looks more durable with tightly integrated thread. But is it a great performer on the court? Keep scrolling for the full performance review of Curry 10.

Detailed Under Armour Curry Flow 10 Review

1. Traction:

Under Armour Curry, 10 shoes have a Flow foam that serves as midsole and outsole. The outsole is more or less the same computer-generated traction pattern that we had in Curry 9.

The Curry Flow 10’s solid gripping traction is nonetheless the best traction pattern of the year. The spiral and circular traction pattern bites hard on the indoor and outdoor basketball courts.

As they say, the perfection and excellence continued in Curry’s latest sneaker, the debut release of the Curry brand under the UA umbrella. X on the outsole is the roman numeral for 10, as it’s the 10th signature sneaker of Steph Curry.

The white outsole bites well on any surface, but the dust pickup makes it difficult to go longer without wiping the outsole. It slips if you won’t wipe the outsole as the dust sticks in the deep nubs of the outsole.

Overall, it worked great for me, and I got consistent control even on the wet stops. So it’s top-tier traction.

2. Cushion:

Curry Flow foam makes the cushioning. The lightweight and soft Flow cushion is elastic and very springy. The cushion has a midfoot shank plate embedded that improves the jump height by giving you a solid base.

On your landings, it perfectly protects the foot muscles from crushing on hard surfaces with excellent impact protection. More so, the cushion supports the rebound backs and gives a ton of fun to play in.

It’s a Responsive bouncy spring. With all these superior qualities, it has not cut down on the court feel, making it easy to cut, stop and start faster.

Overall, it’s a decent cushion.

3. Material:

The upper material of Under Armour Curry Flow 10 is the engineered mesh that they call Warp. New Warp 2.0 has replaced the conventional Warp, a multilayered flexible and supportive mesh to enhance containment and comfort.

The forefoot toes area has overlays for durability, and the colored lines on the Iron Sharpen Iron colorway that I have looks more like they have stolen the Adidas 3 lines logo.

But apart from that, the mesh has more reinforcements and thread on high-wear areas where it needs the most.

The tongue has average padding with a pull tab with the Curry logo. The rear foot area has an overlay on the lateral side for stability. The material is lightweight and contains the foot very well.

4. Support:

Under Armour has implemented excellent support features in Curry Flow 10. The wide base of the Curry 10 makes it super stable for hard cuts and lateral moves.

The Warp upper acts as a seat belt with varying thickness on high-wear areas to contain the feet on the footbed and improve the lockdown.

Flow foam wraps on the sides and comes up like a wall with a TPU or a stabilizer on the rear foot lateral sides. On the back, an extra plastic piece cages the shoe and improves lateral stability. It would give you enormous control over the pivoting movements.

The back area is embedded inside with an internal heel counter for better ankle protection. Curry 10 gives abundant support and stability.

5. Fit:

The Curry Flow 10 is super snug and tight, but it does not hurt my feet. The snug fit is not a weakness in the shoe.

If you have a problem with the tightness around the feet, you might want to get half a size up. But I felt secure, and lockdown is exactly how I like it.

The tongue and inner side of the shoe are padded to improve the comfort level. It does not feel that there is any pitching, heel slides, or discomfort.

6. Looks / Appearance/ Colorways:

Under Armour Curry Flow 10 looks like Curry 9 for the most part. Having the same Warp upper and Flow outsole.

I like the simplistic yet tech-packed design of Curry 10. Under Armour consistently makes an all-around excellent performance hoop shoe that looks like a lifestyle sneaker with its lightest silhouette.

Under Armour Curry 10 is available in many colorways, and I expect more soon. In addition to its debut colorways Iron Sharpens Iron, there are Sour Then Sweet, Northern Lights, More Magic, Curry-Fornia, and Treasure Island colorways available.

Through Iron Sharpens Iron colorways, Stephen Curry thanks everyone who helped him during his journey.

7. Outdoor/Durability:

Under Armour Curry Flow 10 has foam on the outsole. That means that if you wear them longer outdoors, the foam will damage the tough surfaces.

Other than that, traction performance outdoors is as phenomenal as indoors. However, the white outsole gets dusty easily and needs wiping frequently.

So it’s ok if you want to wear it on the outdoor basketball court. But they are not going to last longer on consistent outdoor use.

So overall, the performance remains the same as indoors, but it’s not very durable for outdoor abrasive surfaces.

8. Breathability/Ventilation:

Under Armour Curry Flow 10 has nice airflow, with the upper being lightweight and mesh. It allows airflow through the toe box.

It’s not heavily padded on the inside. Forefoot has minimal padding to provide comfort and  good ventilation through the toe box.

I felt very comfortable and fresh after wearing them for hours on the basketball court.

9. User Review

Under Armour Curry Flow 10 is better in many ways than Curry 9. Its stability, comfort, traction, and lockdown are much better than the previous one.

It received a rating of 4.8/5 from the users.

10. Expert Review

Tommy Liu

“Overall so far so good. I dont find a reason to not like them. Nice cushioning and comfort, great traction performance on different setups. Nice lockdown and secure fit. When you combine a smooth ride with good stability, only good things happen.”

Hoop and Life

“ Its the more refined version of Curry 9. Hooping in a dusty court, they are pretty inconsistent when it comes to traction. Everything else besie this is flawless.”

Foot Doctor Zach

“Curry 10 is so much better than Curry 9. Flow foam is more tachy and stabilizers on lateral sides add more confidence on lateral moves. If you are looking for the shoe to go with nimble footwork, then Curry 10 is the great choice.”

Snkr Tech Talk

“The Curry 10 is more than an upgrade from Curry 9 with traction, support, cushion and material. These are all superior when I compare them with 9s. I do question where they will go with this design because both were similar.”

Are Kyrie Shoes Good For Basketball? [Explained For Beginners]

Kyrie’s basketball shoe line started with a contract between Nike and basketball star Kyrie Irving in 2014. Kyrie’s career had already taken off playing with Cleveland Cavaliers 3 years before this deal.

He achieved the Rookie of the year award for 2011-2012 and NBA All-Star Game MVP in 2014. Nike and Kyrie came together to bring performance basketball shoes that go with the artsy sense of Kyrie and include Nike’s best-researched material. If you are anyone who has grown a mad obsession with Kyrie shoes, then you would love

• How it is a low-profile basketball shoe
• Traction is grippy and supports your speed and agility
• The lightweight shoes that are never going to come in the way of your quick moves
• The snug fit, with no wiggle space on the toe box or heel

Read on because this article will tell you about Kyrie shoe’s history, performance, evolution over time, and the design reincarnation behind every signature sneaker.

Are Kyrie Shoes Good For Basketball

Yes, Kyrie’s shoes are excellent basketball sneakers. The low-to-the-ground basketball shoes go perfectly with your speed and agility. Kyrie basketball shoes are the best quality shoes that provide value for money. Designed after the playoff style of Kyrie Irving, you will enjoy every moment while playing in them. Nike and Kyrie collaboration has always been giving innovative designs with a stylish finish in Kyrie shoes.

Kyrie History & Controversy

Kyrie’s sneaker line started with the Dream colorway of Kyrie 1 basketball shoes. Nike design director Loe Chang expressed the incarnation behind the design.

Dream colorways have outsole coming up on the lateral side with spike shapes on the forefoot. This design inception came after Kyrie’s association with Sydney, where he was born.

They named it Dream because it was Kyrie’sKyrie’s dream to play as an NBA star that eventually came true.

Kyrie has always closely contacted the Nike design team for shoe design opinions. Things were going smoothly until Nike launched Kyrie 8.

In one of his Instagram posts, Kyrie Irving stated that he had no collaboration with Nike in the design and said that Kyrie 8 is trash. Afterward, Nike relaunched it with the name of Kyrie Infinity.

Moreover, Kyrie Irving made antisemitic remarks in one of the movies, which also included holocaust denial. Reports say that Nike has suspended its relationship after antisemitic tropes.

Kyrie Shoes and Their Performance Review

Let’sLet’s take a look at the Kyrie shoes and their release dates. Also, we will rank the top 3 Kyrie shoes down below.

Kyrie 1

Kyrie 1 basketball shoes’ first colorway was released in December 2014. The dream colorway was the first of its line. It was released with only a 110$ price tag. The traction pattern and very low profile zoom help in sudden stops and go.

Kyrie 2

Kyrie 2 shoes were released in 2015 with more vibrant colorways and improved traction. The design inspiration had a relation to Kyrie’sKyrie’s life happening.

Moreover, it had more outsole curvature than the previous release. Traction and heel-to-toe transition were improved. The lightweight kyrie shoe with a bit hard surface is the best for any quick guard.

Kyrie 3

Kyrie 3 was released in 2016, similar to the previous release, with few differences. The shoes had an aggressive traction pattern and low cushion.

The sneaker had the slogan “Just be yourself” on the tongue. It is the best one that excelled in heel containment and lockdown. The lacing system allowed tying off the laces one loop down to give individual fit.

The shoe sole and design have details about his daughter’sdaughter’s birthday and the name of her mother around the sole.

Kyrie 4

Kyrie 4 was released in 2017. Unlike all the kyrie shoes to date, Nike improved cushioning in the Kyrie 4. Thus it was the better one in comfort and cushioning.

The shoe has a retro touch, as Kyrie liked old designs like Jordans. It has a very aggressive small zig-zag pattern that helps you in smooth piloting moves and stopping at a dime.

Kyrie 4 Low

Kyrie 4 low is very similar to Kyrie 4. The traction is a beast, but the cushion has been maintained low to the ground to give maximum court feel. The low-cut shoe had all the things the same as Kyrie 4.

Kyrie 5

Kyrie Irving preferred the retro style of premium silhouette they used in Kyrie 4. But in Kyrie 5, Nike has used mesh upper material to make it more breathable.

Moreover, the Nike Kyrie 5 has un matching support and stability feature. It has the same snug but comfortable feel. The shoe was released in many colorways and came in the famous TV series FRIENDS collaboration.

Kyrie 6

Kyrie 6 has continued to make amazing rubber outsoles with aggressive stopping power. The silhouette has a mix of synthetic leather and meshes upper.

They tried to improve the cushioning by including a zoom turbo unit on the top of full-length Phylon. The fit and lockdown are improved with the single strap over the laces.

Kyrie 7

Kyrie 7 has continued the tradition of adding relevant life stories and his affiliations in different colorways. Nike removed the strap on the top in this release. But it did not affect the fit.

The fit, lockdown, and support remain as good as the multidirectional wavy traction pattern. Kyrie 7 has maintained the low weight but improved cushion with the zoom heel unit.

Kyrie Infinity

Last up, we have Kyrie 8, a performance sneaker. These are going to be dope!

Kyrie is known for having great control over his moves. He slows down and then picks up the speed rapidly. Traction is more grippy than most kyrie shoes. The aesthetics of Kyrie Infinity are so far the best among all.

Alongside the kyrie main sneaker line, Nike has released 5 Kyrie Flytrap sneakers. The Nike Kyrie Low line has 5 sneakers out to date. Nike has maintained a lightweight and low-profile sneaker line in the form of Kyrie signature shoes.

What Makes Kyrie Shoes Different From Other Basketball shoes

Traction

No matter what, Nike has maintained Kyrie’s best traction over the year in all the signature sneakers. From the multidirectional herringbone traction pattern to racing bike and wavy aggressive traction patterns.

All are reliable and grippy over the court. On the clean court, traction is very consistent. While on the dusty court, it needs a quick wipe after every game.

Low Profile

Kyrie sneakers are low profile. These are very lightweight and have minimal cushioning to follow the speed and agility of a guard like Kyrie himself. Many players love the immense court feel and solid impact protection with subtle responsiveness.

Kyrie Shoes Good For?

Kyrie basketball shoes are best for shooting guards and point guards. The low-to-the-ground cushioning and minimum shoe weight allow them to move quickly on the basketball court.

On top of all, all kyrie shoes have grippy and solid traction, leaving the defense in shock when you make pivoting moves and dodgy turns.

Pros

• Superior Traction
• Impact protection
• Supportive
• Lateral stability
• Great aesthetics
• Loved by Kyrie Irving fans around the world
• Amazing court feel

Cons

• The cushion is very flat in the first few Kyrie signature shoes. However, it improved with time in the latest sneakers. But it’s flat for those who like more comfort and a low-court feel.

Conclusion

Fans have loved Nike Kyrie’s signature line since 2014 around the globe. Every colorway in each sneaker tells a little fable about Kyrie Irving’sIrving’s life and the people connected to him.

Its performance is better than most basketball sneakers. Just like KD, or LeBron’s signature line, Kyrie sneakers are the best of Nike so far.

Nike ZoomX Invincible 3 Review: What The Heel

ROBBE: “Everybody Loves ZoomX” was a failed sitcom that nobody watched or even noticed. Released in 2019, the show only lasted for a single pilot on local access television, which we’re not even sure exists anymore. Critics said the show was judged by its title alone; audiences simply assumed it was a pitch for an already-existent Elon Musk pet project. In reality, it was just a documentary about shoe nerds talking about a midsole foam. This explains its failure to resonate with the general public.

Nevertheless, its title doesn’t lie: everybody really does love ZoomX. Despite its micro cult status within the world at large, ZoomX changed the game when it first landed a starring role in the first version of the Vaporfly 4%. Since then, it’s been used in various forms, some to resounding affectation (Pegasus Turbo 2), some to booing and hissing (the garbage recycled version found in the Zoom Fly 5).

But only one shoe fully encapsulated ZoomX in all its bouncy, gooey goodness– the Nike Invincible. Full transparency, we weren’t huge fans of the original Invincible. It was more of a personal preference on our end, but we get why a lot of people absolutely loved it. The upper was extremely comfortable, the midsole was thick and bouncy, the stack height provided protection for long miles on the road. For whatever reason, we just didn’t get along with it. If you did– well, that’s awesome.

We never ended up reviewing the second version either, which was mostly just an upper update. But we wanted to give the shoe another chance with the Invincible 3. Now with an extra 3 mm of stack height, a reworked upper, and a tweaked outsole design, would our feelings remain the same? Or would we fall in love with a daily trainer full of ZoomX the way we always wanted?

MEAGHAN: It’s been two years since I slipped on a pair of Nike Invincible and this version was just as surprising as the original for me. I honestly just forgot about this shoe and how much I enjoyed it. Race day foam in a daily trainer seems like it used to be a rarity, but now nearly every brand has an option. For the recovery properties alone, I am a big fan. Robbe covered the details and updates, so let’s get right to our thoughts.

THOMAS: I have always wanted to like the Nike Zoom Fly. With every new edition, I get excited to try it, only to have my heart sink with disappointment. In short, the Zoom Fly is a beautiful shoe that never feels good on foot (and the last version with recycled ZoomX did nothing to change that).

Similarly, I get overly excited to try the Invincible when it lands for review. First, I love ZoomX foam, and no shoe around has more than the Invincible. Secondly, The shoe is fun to look at– “she’s a beaut, Clark.” While I liked the first version of the Invincible, it could’ve used more stability. I found my knees fatigued as my foot rolled around on the bulbous midsole. When I saw the updated design of the Invincible 3, it appeared the Nike team addressed the issue with a broader base and a less convex midsole. I was anxious to try it out.

THE GOOD

ROBBE: I know it’s a popular shoe, even for casual wear, but I never really loved the design of the Invincible. I guess it was just the blocky geometry of it, or the boxiness.. I don’t know. It just never hit right with me. While this version retains some of the aesthetics of the previous versions, I do like the slightly more streamlined look here, especially the channeled-out midsole.

The upper isn’t as plush, so it also looks more like a normal shoe. While I wasn’t in love with the Denim Dan/Canadian Tuxedo/President and CEO of Levi Strauss edition of the men’s launch colorway, I thought the strawberry cream women’s version was a tall glass of Arnie Palmer on a hot summer day.

I think the ride of this shoe is going to be a disappointment to people who loved v1 and v2, but I actually enjoyed it more. It’s slightly firmer than the first two (which is weird, because the midsole stack is higher), so you don’t feel like you’re wobbling all over the place.

The platform is also a bit wider in the midfoot which makes for a more stable ride, which solves the biggest problem we had with the first version. Overall, I enjoyed the ride of the shoe. It does give that nice and responsive bounce that we’ve come to love from ZoomX, though, as I said, it is a touch more firm than the last version(s).

MEAGHAN: I’ll start with the aesthetics, which I feel are a vast improvement from the first iteration. According to the Nike website, I received the pink foam/racer blue/baltic blue/bright crimson colorway, but pink foam would probably suffice as the description. The original version looked and felt a bit more “clunky.”

The upper has been streamlined, with a little less padding around the collar and heel, but still leaves you with a plush step-in feel. I found the shoes fit true to size, with a really nice, wide forefoot – somewhat atypical for a Nike. I did notice some heel slippage walking around (more on that later) but it didn’t really affect me out on the run.

Beneath the foot is what makes this shoe so fun: a full slab of ZoomX that’s light and bouncy. Since the Invincible also comes with a structured upper and full rubber coverage, you don’t get that “race day” feeling, but it’s still a nice and bouncy ride. The extra 3 mm of foam is also a welcomed update. More stack, especially when we’re talking about ZoomX, is always a good thing.

THOMAS: ZoomX is bouncy. The sensation of landing on that big fluffy midsole puts a smile on my face. This shoe is a cruiser that goes easy on the legs. I took it out for an 18-mile run and my legs felt fresh the next day, and ready for an easy recovery run. Despite a small amount of heel lift when walking in the Invincible 3, while running the shoe fit well and I didn’t have any hot spots.

Strawberry shortcake

THE BAD

ROBBE: I’m not sure what’s happening, but the opening in the upper is crazy long. As in, I could not get my foot locked into the shoe. I tried heel-lock-acing. I tried retightening the laces multiple times over multiple runs. I tried wearing thicker socks. Nothing worked. I was getting constant heel lift, my foot was sliding all around, I basically had to nix these for a long run because I just couldn’t do it. And the shoe was true to size– length-wise it fit the same as every other Nike I’ve ever tested.

I’m also not the first person to point this out, I’ve seen plenty of Instagram comments confirming the same thing. Granted, that may not be your experience, but just saying what happened to me. And for me, I don’t think I can wear it anymore.

The upper is not nearly as plush as the first couple versions. While I don’t think it’s bad, it’s just a bit stiff and kind of just… there. I don’t think it’s a dealbreaker, but if you’re used to that ultra-plush feeling of the Invincible 1 or 2, you’re not going to find it here.

Again, the midsole is a touch firmer upon landing. For me– not bad. But I know some Invincible superfans are not going to be pleased.

Also, it gained like a half-ounce of weight.

MEAGHAN: As noted above, I did have some heel slippage in this shoe. It wasn’t enough to prevent me from running in it, but it’s definitely noticeable, and we’ve heard from several other people this was an issue.

Also, despite being described as a neutral trainer, this shoe feels more in line with a stability shoe. Between the structured upper, wide platform and full rubber coverage on the outsole, there’s just a lot going on. Even though this version was trimmed down a bit from the original, I think Nike could take it down one more notch.

THOMAS: Unlike Meaghan, I did experience some heel lift in the Invincible 3. It wasn’t a problem, but for many runners it will be. The biggest issue for me was a general clunky feeling. In trying to describe it to Meaghan, I said that the shoe felt like an Alphafly with a flat tire. The ZoomX midsole does have rebound, but it doesn’t feel like it’s helping you move faster through your stride, cushion without that forward pop.

This weight doesn’t hep: my size US 10.5 weighs 11.4 oz./326 g. That makes the Invincible 3 one of the heaviest in the max cushion division.