Mizuno Wave Sky 6 Performance Review

The Mizuno Wave Sky 5 nailed the fit, comfort, and cushion but also came with a few concerns. The Mizuno Wave Sky 6 doesn’t change much but looks to improve the line with small tweaks. Was the Mizuno team successful in improving the shoe? Let’s find out.

Mizuno Wave Sky 6

Release Date: October 2022

Price: $170

Weight: M 10.7oz, W 9.1 oz

Drop: 8mm (30mm forefoot, 38mm heel)

Sizing: True to Size

• Rundown: The Mizuno Wave Sky 6 is well-cushioned and comfortable but also slightly heavy and pricey.

Pros

• Cushion
• Stretch Woven Upper
• Durability

Cons

• Weight
• Ride
• Laces
• Price

Pros

Cushion

Drew: The Mizuno Wave Sky 6 midsole is the same one used on the Wave Sky 5 and performs exactly the same. The  Enerzy Core and Enerzy foam combo offers great impact protection. It’s not bouncy per se, but it can handle plenty of distance due to its softness. It’s also got a nice wide base, so there’s plenty of stability alongside the impact protection. That means you get a shoe that, while not great for track or speed work, is versatile enough to handle the rest of your runs.

Tyler: Unlike Drew, I didn’t test the Wave Sky 5, so this was my first go at this model, and it didn’t disappoint. The cushion, while plush, still holds true to the Mizuno line, giving a touch of ground feel to keep things in check while being supportive. I got very strong Vomero 13 vibes from the ride, for those who miss that shoe as much as I do.

Stretch Woven Upper

Drew: The stretch woven upper of the Mizuno Wave Sky 6 is very comfortable and very similar to the version used on the Jordans 2022. Luckily, Mizuno tweaked the fit, so it’s not as tight as last year’s version and is much more accommodating through the midfoot and heel. The extra space along with the stretchiness built into the fabric helps the shoe mold to your foot and vanquishes any potential hotspots. I’d still recommend wide footers go up half a size to get a little more room, but everyone else should be good with the true-to-size fit thanks to the great upper material.

Tyler: I absolutely love the Stretch Woven upper, which can be hit or miss. Given that this is a max comfort runner, I felt that it struck the right balance of being form-fitting yet comfortable, especially in the toe box (where stretch uppers typically fall flat for me), which complimented the overall ride. Unlike Drew, I would probably recommend a true-to-size fit for most people, so I guess he and I will have to duel for the most appropriate recommendation.

Durability

Drew: Despite its softness, the stretch woven upper can take a beating and not show much wear. And while the outsole rubber’s thin ribbing wears away quickly, the pieces of rubber are thick and large and will last a long time before you can wear through them. The Mizuno Wave Sky 6 is a shoe that will look fairly new even as it ages. If that’s important to you, this is one of the few running shoes that meet that criteria.

Tyler: As has been the case with the majority of Mizunos that have come through our doors, durability is (yet again) a non-issue with the Wave Sky 6. The X10 outsole not only holds up well and has a good amount of traction, but as Drew said above, continues to look nearly new after a handful of wet, damp runs. And yes, I am one of those people who like my shoes to stay looking new!

Cons

Weight

Drew: With basically the same build as last year’s version, the Mizuno Wave Sky 6 is still pretty heavy. It’s tough to go from something feathery and well-cushioned like the Asics Novablast 3 to the Wave Sky 6. It’s just a lot of added weight for a similar daily trainer. It’s even somewhat annoying to go from the much lighter Mizuno Wave Rider 26 to the Wave Sky 6. I think future iterations of the Wave Sky 6 need a diet.

Tyler: I agree with Drew that this shoe is teetering on the “too heavy” side of things. While somewhat expected for a max-cushioned trainer, buyer beware. On the plus side, I think this shoe would be a great addition if you’re on your feet all day and want something comfortable to keep your lower body ache-free. Oh, and did I mention the gray colorway rocks?

Ride

Drew: This may not be the case for you, but the Mizuno Wave Sky 6 doesn’t hit the ground smoothly for me. Over the past year, I’ve been working on my form and now land in a better position underneath my body. I landed more on my heel when I was testing the Wave Sky 5, and back then the setup felt better. Now, it’s kind of a clompy, horseshoe-like ride. I think the weight distribution of the midsole and outsole might feel best if you’re landing heavily on your heel, but I’m not sure about that. My midfoot/front-of-heel strike feels a bit choppy in this shoe. My stride doesn’t feel smooth and effortless like in the Wave Rider 26, the Lebron 20, or most of the shoes on our Best Running Shoes list.

Tyler: While the ride was good to me during the test runs, one thing I did notice after the 4-5 mile mark was hotspots underneath the balls of my feet. Initially, I shrugged it off and tried different socks each run, but they would occasionally appear. It wasn’t at the level of ruining a run, but a word of warning to those of you prone to hot spots…

Laces

Drew: Not a big issue here but something to watch out for. You need to double-knot the laces in the summer months. If these particular laces get soaked with sweat or rain they will come undone. I didn’t have any issues once I started double-knotting them.

Tyler: Drew, you forgot to say they’re about 2 inches too long, too.

Price

Drew: The Mizuno Wave Sky 6 is priced too high at $170. As a cushioned daily trainer, it needs to be priced around $140-$150. At $170 it’s touching carbon plate territory and with all the marketing dollars behind those shoes…it’s going to be hard to sell a lot of the Wave Sky 6.

Tyler: Completely agree. At $150, this would be a no-brainer.

Mizuno Wave Sky 6 Summary

Drew: The Mizuno Wave Sky 6 is a well-cushioned, comfortable shoe. If cushion and upper comfort are your main concerns, get a pair and try them on. You’ll likely be pleasantly surprised. But, even if they feel great, I’d say buy the Wave Sky 5 on sale as it’s almost the exact same shoe. Then you can buy the Wave Sky 6 this time next year when it’s on sale and priced more in line with normal category price points.

Tyler: While it has a few quirks that may bother a handful of nitpicky runners, I think the Mizuno Wave Sky 6 is a great shoe in Mizuno’s line as well as a strong contender for a max cushion running shoe that still provides a bit of ground feel to keep you connected on a run. But after hearing Drew’s thoughts compared to the Kyrie 8, I would recommend picking up last year’s model on discount, unless you’ve got some rewards or credits and have been eyeing the newer version. All in all, the Wave Sky 6 is a solid shoe that should last a long time.

Nike Renew Retaliation 4 Performance Review

Rundown: The Nike Renew Retaliation 4 is a solid and supportive cross training option for those on a budget.

Release Date: 2022

Price: $80

Weight: 10.9 oz (size 10)

Fit Guide: True to size

8.5/10

Total Score

Pros

• Midfoot Strap
• Renew Foam Midsole
• Thick Rubber Treads

Cons

• Heel Slip

The Nike Renew Retaliation 4 is a budget cross training shoe from Nike. The previous version, the Nike Renew Retaliation TR 3, was a good performance sneaker with all the basics but lacked a standout feature. Not anymore with this one. This pair has a feature that I think will help sell it and is one I haven’t seen on a cross-training shoe in a while.

Pros

Midfoot Strap

This was the biggest game-changer. The previous model included two lockdown wings on the lateral and medial sides. They’ve replaced that with a midfoot strap. I thought it would be useless, much like most straps found in modern performance sneakers. However, I was surprised by the amount of extra lockdown it provided. It kept my feet secured, and I never felt myself shifting, even on workouts that tested my balance.

A warning: you can definitely over-tighten the strap and cut blood flow. I’ve made that mistake, and it wasn’t pleasant. So make sure you configure it just right for your needs.

Renew Foam Midsole

The full-length Renew foam midsole was comfortable but not unstable. This may also be a matter of preference. Some people want to be as close to the ground as possible when lifting weights or doing exercises. The Nike Renew Retaliation 4 will not provide that. You feel a bit off the ground when wearing these, but the foam doesn’t compress too much as long as you have the correct form. If you want some impact protection for your jump training, these will get the job done.

Just like the third iteration, this Renew isn’t the typical version of the foam like you’d find in the Nike Renew Elevate. There’s no dual-density setup. What we get is free foam. I’ve tried walking around in these casually, and it was comfortable. There’s also an insole that provides step-in comfort while it lasts.

Thick Rubber Treads

The rubber threads that protrude out are thick and will last a while. It’s one of the features I enjoyed from the last model, and I’m glad they didn’t change it. It will work on all surfaces. I never experienced any slipping, even on a dusty wooden floor. So if you’re working out in a local gym or doing bodyweight exercises at home, there’s no need to worry.

Cons

Heel Slip

It may just be my foot shape, but there was some heel slip at the beginning. It goes away after some time and becomes unnoticeable, but I prefer it absent at all times. It’s not a deal-breaker for me, but don’t be surprised if your heel doesn’t stay put during your first wear. After that, though, you’re going to be okay.

On this note, I recommend wearing thickly padded socks with these shoes. It will help fill up any dead space that might be there. It also reduces your chances of getting continual heel slips. I tried them with thinner socks, and the fit wasn’t as secure as in thick socks.

Nike Renew Retaliation 4 Summary

The Nike Renew Retaliation 4 is one of the best budget cross training shoes available. The midfoot strap upgrade makes these a keeper. The lockdown is impressive, and you always feel snug and secure while doing your workouts, intense or light. Most everything was kept from the Nike Renew Retaliation TR 3. If you have the Lebron 20 and are considering buying the Retaliation 4, I recommend picking upgrading to the Nike Renew Retaliation 4 as it’s well worth it.

Nike LeBron Witness 7 Performance Review

The Nike LeBron Witness 7 is a very decent performance basketball shoe. It’s an especially good choice if you’re looking for an outdoor option.

Release Date: 2022

Price: $115

 

nike lebron witness 7 1

The Nike LeBron Witness 7 has a very high standard to live up to. The Nike LeBron Witness 6 was one of the best budget and outdoor models last season, and the LeBron 20 is shaping up to possibly be the best overall basketball shoe of this season. It’s tough being a LeBron model these days.

At first glance tech-wise, not a lot has changed from last year’s model. We have the same cushioning setup and traction pattern, the same midsole, and similar lateral lockdown pieces in the midfoot. But also at first glance, a lot has changed aesthetically.

It’s surprising to see how different looking the Nike LeBron Witness 7 is while keeping the same tech as the 6. The design is very off-white-esque, going for a more deconstructed, industrial vibe. The materials used on the shoe are another main difference. The weave of the textiles on the upper is now a grid, we have some new synthetic leather details, and the cut of the shoe is slightly higher.

I personally like the changes made to this shoe, but let’s jump into the performance details to see why.

Traction

The traction, as in the Witness 6 is beefy, grippy, and works great. You have a deeply set, full-length herringbone traction pattern which gives you great multidirectional coverage. The rubber of the sole is tough and tacky which makes the Nike LeBron Witness 7 a great outdoor option traction-wise.

Cushioning

Cushioning on the Nike LeBron Witness 7 is also great if you’re looking for an affordable max cushion setup. We have the same ¾ Air Max unit as in the Witness 6 that will give you a tone of impact protection. One thing to keep in mind is that you sit pretty high up in this shoe, and therefore, court feel is not a strong point. The cushion also takes some time to break in.

With my pair, I noticed at first that the Nike LeBron Witness 7 felt unstable and I even slightly rolled my ankle a couple of times. If you see the bottom of the shoe, you will see that right in the midfoot, the sole begins to thin, and you lose contact surface in that area, and you have a big slab of wobbling air right under your foot.

At the beginning of my testing, I even considered suggesting people avoid these shoes entirely. However, the more I played them, the more the shoe conformed to my foot, and the cushioning got more stable, to the point where this was no longer an issue.

Materials

Materials are the shoe’s biggest weakness. They are cheap and over-stretchy, especially in the toe box. I aesthetically really like the shoe and have even used them casually, but I would have liked some extra lockdown in the forefoot. If they had used the same materials as on the Nike Air Max Impact 4, the Nike LeBron Witness 7 might have snuck its way into our best overall basketball shoes for the year.

Support

As far as support goes, once the initial wobbling was resolved everything worked well. The lateral containment pieces help keep your foot in place on lateral movements, heel lockdown is on point, and the wide forefoot helps add stability in that area. Again, the materials on the toe box allowed for way too much movement in my opinion, but it didn’t make the shoe unplayable.

Fit

As far as fit goes, you can go true to size, and the one positive aspect of the stretchy forefoot is that I think the Nike LeBron Witness 7 will be a good option for wide-footers.

Nike LeBron Witness 7 Summary

Overall, I really did end up enjoying the Nike LeBron Witness 7. Especially as an outdoor option, I think it’s a really good performance basketball shoe. The durable and effective traction and top-notch impact protection are everything you could ask for from an outdoor hoop shoe. Plus they’re fairly priced, so when you inevitably bust them up it won’t hurt as much

They get extra points in my book thanks to their design. When I first saw pictures online, I didn’t love them, but once I had them in hand and on foot, I really dug them.

The Nike LeBron Witness 7 is a worthy follow-up to the Witness 6 and a solid sidekick to the LeBron 20.

Nike Kyrie Flytrap 6 Performance Review

The Nike Kyrie Flytrap 6 is a much-needed upgrade from the previous model, the Nike Kyrie Flytrap 5.

Colorway: Black/White/Grey

Release Date: 2022

Price: $95

7.5/10

Total Score

The Nike Kyrie Flytrap 6 has a top-down view similar to the Nike Kobe AD Exodus, which delightfully surprised me. But pleasing aesthetics don’t always equal excellent performance. Looks can be deceiving. The previous model, the Nike Kyrie Flytrap 5, looked functional but was too specific of a shoe to recommend to everybody. This model is a massive upgrade from the Flytrap 5 and is one of the better budget options available.

Traction

The traction pattern of the Nike Kyrie Flytrap 6 has elements taken from the Nike Kyrie 9, which had excellent grip. These are no different. They’re not noisy on indoor courts, but they have a good bite. Dust also wasn’t an issue since the grooves were thick, and a quick wipe was all that was needed to get back to peak performance. Outdoors was even better. It stuck to the concrete well and barely had any tread loss after +10 hours of testing.

Cushion

We have a full-length basic Phylon midsole with a stick-of-gum forefoot Zoom Air unit, similar to the Kyrie 5 Low. I thought the shoe was comfortable underfoot upon a try-on. Then I realized that it was due to the insoles. They’re the same as the insoles found in the Nike PG 6, though not quite as thick. I could never feel the Zoom Air unit, even though it was top-loaded. So while it was doing its job just fine, there was no springy sensation.

Break-in time is needed for the foam. I’d say about a two-hour hoop session. Please don’t break these in outdoors, though. I did that, and my back hurt until the following morning. Once the Flytrap 6 was broken in I had no issues, even when I took them back to the concrete.

Materials

The materials on the Nike Kyrie Flytrap 6 are basic, and we shouldn’t expect any more than that at this point. The whole upper is a breathable mesh that requires no break-in time with additional thick stitching reinforcement in the heel area. The small felt toe rand protected the base material well, and I saw no give from it no matter how hard or how often I did toe drags both while playing and when testing durability.

Fit

The fit is true to size. As we always mention, we recommend bringing your ankle braces or orthotics into the store, if you have that option, to get the optimal fit. Narrow-footers can get away with going down half a size. I almost went that route but felt it was too tight. The lacing system works well to make sure you’re always locked in.

One note is that the Nike Kyrie Flytrap 6’s upper is a semi-booty construction. There’s no traditional tongue, so you must mess with the laces to get your optimal fit.

Support

This was by far the most significant improvement from the previous model. The tooling isn’t rounded, and the base is wide, so you’re always stable. The heel counter was stiff enough to ensure that it didn’t move in strange ways.

There are two nylon cables at the forefoot that lock in that area well. I also appreciated that it didn’t chafe any of my toes. Because the cushion is low to the ground and you sit well within the midsole, you’re cradled and stay on the footbed at all times. I enjoyed the support the Flytrap 6 provided, especially compared to the Flytrap 5.

Nike Kyrie Flytrap 6 Overall

The Nike Kyrie Flytrap 6 is a good-looking shoe that performs well in all settings. As it usually does, it comes down to preferences. Are you okay with cheap materials? Can you make do without a traditional tongue? Do you prefer cushioning that’s extremely low to the ground and offers minimal impact protection? If so, you’ve got yourself the shoe you’ve been looking for

Asics Netburner Ballistic FF 3: The Best Shoe for Liberos

Asics has been a go-to brand for volleyball for a very long time, and they kept this trend going with the Netburner Ballistic FF 3, the third shoe in the popular Netburner Ballistic line. With a focus on movement based on data taken from actual players, Asics has packed in some interesting and unique design choices and tech that set this sneaker apart from the rest of their volleyball lineup. The result of these features is a great volleyball shoe, but there are some drawbacks.

Asics Netburner Ballistic FF 3

Price: $120

Drop: 15mm

Fit: True to Size

• Rundown: The Netburner Ballistic FF 3 is a great shoe that keeps you feeling ready to move and be quick on your feet.

Pros

• Traction
• Lockdown
• Court Feel and Stability

Cons

• Cushioning

Pros

Traction

The best feature of the Asics Netburner Ballistic FF 3 is its traction. Most volleyball shoes have good traction (and Asics’ rubber compounds are always sticky), but the Netburner is absolutely glued to the ground. Moving in these shoes feels extremely responsive, thanks to their X GUIDANCE outsole pattern. I tested these on wood and plastic flooring, both clean and dusty. On dusty floors, you’ll have to wipe the soles occasionally, but they were still holding traction even on floors that desperately need some attention.

Lockdown

Traction is meaningless without good lockdown because if the outsole stops moving but your foot doesn’t, bad things happen. Luckily, Asics put a lot of focus on lockdown, with their combination of insole shape and a durable upper. In testing, it worked great. The Netburner Ballistic FF 3 is tight on foot but still comfortable. Your foot sits within the midsole, and the laces work well with the upper to lock your foot down. Asics is calling this setup 3D SPACE CONSTRUCTION, and it works.

Court Feel and Stability

This feature is closely linked to the traction and lockdown. The Netburner Ballistic FF 3 is stable when moving laterally and when jumping and landing, which is what really protects your ankles (not high tops). This shoe is built for volleyball movement, and the Asics design team clearly knew what they were doing. Defensive movements feel great, and the shoe really encourages you to stay on your toes to pick up those tips with its relatively high 15mm heel drop. In the front row, it feels natural moving laterally to block, and the heel-toe transition when attacking is very smooth (as is always the case with sneakers featuring Asics’ TWISTRUSS tech). There are some cushioning concerns that we’ll get to in the Cons section, but for defense (liberos), the Dunk will have you feeling quick on your feet.

Cons

Cushioning

The biggest drawback to the Netburner Ballistic FF 3 is that there are just much better options for cushioning. The midsole is made of Flytefoam Propel, which is a responsive setup, and it does feel a little bouncy. It definitely isn’t taking away from your jump height. As far as landing goes, that’s where this sneaker leaves a lot to be desired. Every time I tested these, after a few games, I could feel the lack of impact protection in my knees and, eventually, my feet. In a long tournament, I even had to switch to other shoes to try to mitigate the pain that was building up. For players that need more protection for any reason (heavier players, players that jump high, or players that jump a lot), I would not recommend this shoe.

Asics Netburner Ballistic FF3 Summary

The pros and cons of the Asics Netburner Ballistic FF 3 paint a very clear picture that is simple to summarize. If you mostly play front row (middles and most right sides), probably look at different options. If you mostly play back row (liberos and some setters), this could be the sneaker for you. I will even double down on that and say that the Jordans  is the best volleyball shoe for liberos. They really do feel that great to play in, they just don’t have the cushioning to play in front of the 10’ line.